Falling Asleep

— vs. Drifting To Sleep

Falling asleep can be the most natural and easy part of our day.  Indeed, at times many of us struggle to keep from falling asleep for a variety of reasons.  But, for others, or at other times in our life sleep is allusive and we struggle to enter into this state of consciousness that “soothes the savage beast.”

There are few experiences in life that are more frustrating than being tired and ready to sleep and being unable to fall asleep.  Of course one of the ironies of life is that the very frustration we experience about being able to fall asleep becomes a part of the problem. 

Sleep is an important part of healing both our mind and our body.  It is restorative on all levels of our being.  A good night’s sleep allows us to face the new day relaxed and refreshed often with a new perspective and new insights of how to approach the lessons and challenges in our life.

Dreams, long the mystery of our consciousness are able to reveal thoughts and symbols to our resting awareness that provide solutions that hover outside of our waking consideration.  It is for this reason that dream journals are of value.  This important subject will be explored further in different articles at different times.

The more we give into the fear and frustration that we will not be able to sleep the more allusive the sleep becomes.  It is to break the cycle of the fear and frustration that we will not be able to sleep that visualizations such as the “Sleep in Heavenly Peace Visualization”, offered on my web site, have value.  Using a visualization in which you follow along in your mind with the intention of falling asleep is an important step in inviting the experience of sleep naturally into your life.

Unfortunately, the frustration and fear that you may not sleep has driven many to turn to pharmaceutical solutions.  I say, unfortunately because in my over 35 years of clinical experience using medicine to sleep, while often providing a short term solution to the problem, often becomes a major factor in the continuation of the problem.  Those who have regularly used medication to fall asleep seem to be much more resistant to success with the intervention of more natural and holistic techniques.  It is not a matter of addiction, but more a matter of habituation.

 

Sleep Tips

Habit seems to be a major part of our process of falling asleep.  The association of specific activity with the process of falling asleep seems to be a hint in choosing techniques that will be successful.  Repetition and association are part of what works to help you fall asleep.  Because of this factor, it is significant to try a particular technique several times if you have a chronic sleep problem.  If your issue with sleep is more episodic this is not as issue.

The term falling asleep is well chosen as there is in sleep an aspect of moving from the conscious mind and active thinking to the supra conscious mind of sleep.  In addition to the inherent relaxation of drifting into sleep (a term I prefer) is the willingness to surrender the conscious mind to sleep.  Many do this surrender with the thought and action of turning off the lights which also involves the decision and intention that now is the time to enter into sleep.

For many this is a natural and spontaneous process that requires no cognitive understanding.  For others, unfortunately many others, this is not so easy.

For those for whom sleep is not effortless, I have included some techniques that have proved to be helpful to clients over my 40 years as a clinician teaching people to master their mind-body relationship.  In my article “Counting our Blessings“, available on my website I refer to a sleep technique that works on multiple levels.  I will expand the technique here specifically for use in helping you fall asleep.

Begin by forming in your mind the intention that you are ready to go to sleep. Lie down and get as comfortable as you are able. Remove any obstacles to your comfort and ease. Turn off the lights, arrange your pillows and linen so they do not disrupt you or disturb you.

 

Take in a really deep relaxing breath through your nose and exhale as fully as you are able through your lips, allowing the release of the breath to make a soft releasing sigh.

 

Fill your lungs as deeply as you are able, and release your breath as fully as you are able two more times.

 

Allow your mind to relax. Put the day behind you as you open yourself to a deep and relaxing experience of sleep. You do not need to try to go to sleep but be open to the sleep experience and express the intention and willingness to sleep in your mind.

 

As you lie there relaxing as much as you are able, letting yourself be as comfortable as you are able begin to consider in the recesses of your mind, the blessings you are aware of in your life. You do not have to consider them; just let them drift, without judgment across your mind.

 

As soon as you have observed the blessing, let it go and let your mind consider another blessing. Continue this process, moving naturally and spontaneously from blessing to blessing without consideration or judgment as you drift effortlessly from blessing to blessing.

 

You might notice that each blessing you consider leaves you feeling more deeply relaxed, more deeply at peace. You might notice that you are genteelly drifting into brief moments of sleep. Make no effort to control or judge the spontaneous experiences you are having. Just let the concept of observing and noticing you blessings drift across you mind.

 

Stay with the experience as long as you are able, as long as you wish until sleep claims you conscious mind.

 

Namaste and Good Night