We all need a good night’s sleep. Unfortunately, many have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and/or getting deep restful sleep.
This is especially true when we’re working through stressful or traumatic situations, on-going health challenges, or even some of the day-to-day stressors of ordinary life. When the limbic system (our fight or flight response; see more here) is stuck in overdrive, it can be difficult to transition out of that fight/flight response in order to relax into sleep. And often if we’ve had trouble falling asleep in the past, we can approach bedtime already expecting the worst.
The first step is to help the brain to settle down and move into the relaxation response. Fortunately there are several ways to do that.
First, we can use meditation or visualizations to ease into that transition. The imagination is incredibly powerful, so when we use these tools, the brain is able to produce calming neurotransmitters and slow down brain waves as it prepares for sleep. Here are a couple of new meditations that I have recently posted on my YouTube channel that can be helpful. These can be incredibly effective, especially when you listen to them consistently over several nights, and then again if you wake in the middle of the night. When the brain hears the same meditation over and over again, it’s is able to better relax because it knows what’s coming – it doesn’t need to be on guard for any unexpected surprises.
Evening at the Old Farmhouse – A Sleep Visualization
This is a guided visualization – similar to a bedtime story. You journey to an old farmhouse and explore for a bit, then relax on the old porch swing. It ends with climbing into a warm comfy bed and falling asleep. The soft voice, gentle music, and heartfelt story come together to elicit serotonin, oxytocin, and other endorphins that prime your mind and body for sleep. It has enough story to keep you engaged so your mind is able to let go of the day’s worries, but not so exciting that it keeps you awake. The music gently fades out at the end so it won’t wake you up.
Evening Cherishing and Savoring – A Sleep Meditation
This is a guided meditation that focuses on letting go of any unfinished business or worries from the day, relaxing into the most heartwarming and inspiring moments, and then softening into sleep. It includes theta wave binaural beats which helps the brain to gently transition into sleep. Because of the binaural beats, this meditation is most effective when listening with ear buds. Do not listen while driving or operating machinery. Soft ear buds specially made to be worn while sleeping are available from Amazon or local retailers.
Here are a few other tips that can help the brain to settle down into sleep.
- During your daily visualizations or meditation times, briefly see yourself peacefully going to bed at night – relaxed and calm. Picture yourself getting under the covers and falling asleep. Then picture yourself having slept through the night and waking up in the morning fully refreshed and fully of energy, grateful for a full night’s sleep and ready to take on the day. Don’t zero in on these too much or they can become forced (which would be counterproductive), but just gently picture them then let them go.
- Have a consistent bedtime routine and time. Create a series of things you do each night and always do them in the same order. Be mindful – pay attention to the fresh taste of the mint toothpaste in your mouth, the feel of the brush on your hair. This allows the brain to begin letting go of worries and thoughts, and to begin the process of preparing for sleep. Let go of any previous bedtime experiences and enjoy the experience of winding down and relaxing into the bed.
- Keep the lights low and avoid screen time as much as possible after sunset. Low lighting signals the brain to slow down and prepare for sleep. The blue-ish lighting of computer, TV, and phone screens is similar to sunlight and stimulates the brain – keeping it awake. Use the time to read, have conversations with family to catch up on the day, or take some time for journaling as you let go of the day and move into sleep.
- We all live a fast-paced life. The brain can have a hard time just shutting itself off when it’s time to go to sleep. Take time several times during the day to be aware of your stress levels. When cortisol levels (your stress hormone) are high, those chemicals can still be running around in your body, making it hard, if not impossible to be able to sleep.
- Take meditation or mindfulness breaks several times throughout your day to just stop, take several deep breaths and allow your limbic system to relax. You can even work these into your existing schedule – when you get your mid-morning coffee, at lunchtime, when you leave work. These little breaks during the day can help to keep the brain’s neurochemical balance so that moving into sleep is much more natural.
- Gentle movement can help to release tight muscles and help the body to relax. Try something like yoga or even just some stretching. Often neck and shoulders can tighten up during the day, and a little bit of love and attention can help them to release which will allow the whole body to better prepare for sleep.
What other tools do you use to help your brain settle down into relaxation and sleep? Please feel free to share them in the comments below.
Need help dealing with stress in order to get better sleep, have more energy, or deal with chronic health challenges? I have a few coaching openings for new clients this month and would love to talk to you. Feel free to contact me for a free no-obligation talk about how neural retraining and stress management can help you to live the life you’re dreaming of. Find out more about me here.
