Month: March 2014
3 Things You Can Do For a Better Nights Sleep!
Do you have a bad relationship with sleep? Loads of people do. Maybe you associate it with tossing and turning in your bed, frustrated that you can not get to sleep, thoughts running a muck? Maybe you are one of those that feel sleep is a waste of time and resent it? Maybe you do not think sleep is as important as other things you want to do?
Whatever the reason it is worth spending some time to improve your sleep because good sleep is critical for your health and well-being. Pretty ironic when sleep is often one of the first things to suffer when we are ill or in pain.
Why Sleep is Important
Once it was common to think that sleep was an inactivate state where our bodies and minds were basically ‘switched off’, but that is far from the case. Healthy sleep involves cycling through different stages. I’ll go into details in another post, the important things to know are that during sleep:
- Your cells go into the repair process to keep up with the wear and tear of daily living
- Your immune system replenishes itself and increase some aspects of your defence.
- Experiences are processed and memories consolidated.
There are many things that you can do during the day, before you even go to sleep, that can make it easier to get a good night’s sleep. If you have a bad relationship with sleep, it is worth knowing more in case you happen to be doing the things that can interfere with sleeping at night, or not doing the things that can make sleep easier!
There are three broad categories of things you can do to help with sleep:
- getting your body ready for sleep,
- getting your mind ready for sleep, and
- getting your bedroom ready for sleep.
Getting Your Body Ready for Sleep
In order to sleep well, your body should be free of chemicals that can interfere with sleep. This includes all stimulants (caffeine and nicotine) as well as alcohol. Avoiding stimulants is probably fairly obvious but although alcohol can help you get to sleep, it also best avoided. Alcohol often causes you to wake up during the night and even if you sleep through the night after drinking alcohol, it still interferes with you getting the type of sleep that you need, and so you will often end up not feeling rested. So for a good nights sleep avoid nicotine and drinks containing caffeine at least six hours before bedtime. Of course you may want to avoid them altogether.
During the day regular exercise is good for sleep, as well as some types of pain if it is advised by your medical team, but don’t exercise too close to bedtime.
If you have problems sleeping at night and you sleep during the day, you should try avoiding the day time naps. Although if you struggle to get to sleep from being over-tired, a short power nap during the day may help. It is also good to establish a schedule and get your body in a natural rhythm by waking up at about the same time every day, even on weekends, and aiming to go to bed at the same time every night. Over time, you will start to feel sleepy at about the same time every night.
Avoiding eating heavy meals just before bedtime too as this can interfere with the proper sleeping cycle. If you hungry stick to light snacks and a glass or cup of milky drink. Be aware of sugar as some say this can cause problems due to drops in blood sugar while you are asleep and others say it helps reduce hormones in your brain associated with wakefulness! When there is conflicting advice like this, I recommend experimenting for yourself. My personal opinion is that sugar is bad for me but I have not noticed my sleep being disturbed on the occasional night I have a hot chocolate before bed time.
Getting Your Mind Ready for Sleep
Your mind is very good at making associations. If you repeat the same routine every night before sleep, your mind will begin to associate that routine with winding down and feeling sleepy. Ideally, you should develop a pre-sleep ritual that you do every night just before going to sleep. It might involve checking all of the locks in your house, followed by brushing your teeth, ending with some light reading or nice warm bath just before going to bed. If you read or watch TV as part of your pre-sleep ritual, you should not do this while in bed and ideally in a different room so your mind associates your bedroom and bed only with sleeping and making love.
Soaking in a warm bath containing around 500g of Epsom Salts is a great way to relax in preparation for sleep and the magnesium your body will absorb often improves the quality of sleep you have.
If you have not managed to get to sleep within 15 minutes it is best to get back out of bed and do something non stimulating until you feel sleepy. This way your mind will begin to associate your bed with sleep.
Hypnotherapy can also help here and there are many commercial CDs available that will help your subconscious mind sleep easily and effortlessly at the right time.
Getting Your Bedroom Ready for Sleep
Make sure your bed is comfortable, most people prefer a harder bed to a soft one. Keep the room cool and user a warmer duvet, rather than having a warm room with a thin duvet.
It sounds obvious but try and make your room dark and quiet. I have even heard of people using a white noise generator to block out sounds. Lastly if you are a ‘clock watcher’ turn it around so you can not see it!
Night-time Self-Hypnosis Strategies for Getting to Sleep and Getting Back to Sleep
Here you can use the 3-2-1 technique described in a previous blog, or maybe you prefer listening to a pre-recorded sleep CD, or using another self hypnosis method to quieten your mind down so that you can easily and effortless slide into sleep (or back into sleep). Either way have a technique you feel comfortable with to aid you get that deep restful nights sleep you need.
Relevant Posts
http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2011/02/adrenal-fatigue-help-and-resources-for-healing.html
http://robbwolf.com/2014/02/13/importance-good-night-sleep/
Resources
1 Method YOU Need to know to Banish Your Sleep Problems for Good
I come across many people who have problems sleeping, either getting to sleep or staying asleep. For some it’s an over active mind at bedtime, for others it is pain, anxiety or in some cases the belief that they can no longer have a good nights sleep. Some struggle to get off to sleep while others wake in the night and can’t get back to sleep.
Whatever the reason for your lack of sleep there is a good technique I know which I wanted to share. It gives you something to focus on which is inconsistent with thinking, planning, or feeling anxious, etc. and is known as the 3-2-1 technique.
The goal of the 3-2-1 technique is to give you something interesting to focus your attention on and experience as your mind slows down. It is really simple and works like this:
First, just listen for three things and count them. Any three things that you hear: maybe the sound of your breathing – “one”; or maybe a sound of the heating cooling down— “two”; or maybe the sound of your skin against the sheet — “three”. These are just examples and you can use any three things you hear. They can even be the same thing. Just listen for, hear, and then count three things. It’s that simple.
Next, feel three things. Any three things. The feeling of the sheet against the skin — “one”; An interesting tingling sensation in the limbs— “two”; Cool or maybe warm air on the face — “three”; It does not matter what they are. Any three things will do. They can be different or the same. Just feel them and count them,1,2,3.
And then, see three things in your minds eye. Just let them appear, on their own. A rose — “one”; A blue sky— “two”; maybe a beach — “three”; Now after you have seen the third thing, go back and repeat the process but do it for two thing, so hear two things, and count them in the mind. Then feel two things. Then see two things. Then repeat for one thing, hear one thing, feel one thing, and see one thing.
If you’re still awake start again. You will lose count as your mind is experiencing what it hears, feels, and sees and begins to drift to sleep. So hear, feel and see three things, then two things, then one thing and then go back to three until you drift into or back into a peaceful sleep.
Sleep well 🙂
Other Relevant Blogs:
Healing Body and Spirit Together – I love Meghan’s attitude to sleep.
Rob Wolf’s Blog – has an excellent post by Kevin Cann regarding the dangers of sleep deprivation.
The Lightning Process
Lots of people ask me how our programmes compare with the Lightning Process, so I will give a brief overview of my understanding of that process.
The Lightning Process is often done by those with physical conditions who understand that the mind and body are linked. This is a scientifically well known fact that is often completely overlooked. There is a HUGE body of growing knowledge and evidence that shows how the stress response impacts us physically. I’m talking about the 1400 chemical reactions that take place when we encounter stressful stimuli that change the way our body functions. Most of that change is harmful long term and certainly reduces your bodies ability to heal and recover from a lot of conditions.
In essence the Lightning Process was developed to teach people how to break the cycle of unhelpful thoughts eg stress (or any other unhelpful thinking patterns) and trigger a more resource state that facilitates the body’s natural ability to heal. It is a training programme teaching you techniques to use rather than something that is done to you. As with most skills it relies on regular and consistent use of the techniques for you to gain the full benefits. You need to give it 100% to get the benefits, but that is the same with most things. Even medication can be less effective if you don’t believe it will help you. That is another scientific fact often overlooked.
The Lightning Process was developed by a chap called Phil Parker and at least initially was based on the techniques from of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). After developing the process he turning it into a business training others to be facilitators. Many people find the process so life changing that they choose to train and offer the process to others. Phil seems like a fairly astute businessman and has created almost a franchise approach.
I have come across many people that have found the Lightning Process life changing and worth the money. In my opinion the techniques are useful in certain circumstances and I have taught similar approach to many people. However, we have also had clients who have previously done the Lightning Process and then lost faith in what was taught. The people that we have worked with complained of little ongoing support, no understanding of why they were doing the techniques or why sometimes it just did not seem to help them. Many Lightning Process practitioners only seem to do the Lightning Process and perhaps lack a deeper understanding of how to help people. As with Doctors there are good ones and bad ones out there.
The Lighting Programme is only going to be beneficial for those with unhelpful thoughts and beliefs about their condition, because those thoughts potentially mess up your body’s ability to heal itself. We all have that ability and it is well documented. I have also heard of trainers who seem to think that people will magically become physically fit after their programme. By fit I mean able to walk every day and perform physical tasks from being chronically ill. Muscles and physical stamina do not work like that, they do need to be regained gently and slowly.
If it’s ok with you, I’d like to tell you a bit about my approach? Because my approach is rather different.
I have been teaching and coaching people most my life and I find people appreciate knowing a little about why and how things work. That understanding is beneficial because often there are set backs to your healing and knowing why can help keep you motivated. I also teach a several different techniques because some techniques are better than others for some people and some situations. I also believe ongoing support is also important and offer that via email, calls and top up sessions. The ethos behind both programmes are the same though, that the body has amazing abilities to heal given the opportunity and both programmes aim to teach you techniques that will give your body that opportunity to be as healthy as it can be. However, I also believe that to create optimal health and the potential for healing you should take nutrition, activity, connections and spirituality into account.
If you would like to know more I often run free webinars, you can see those on our CFS Recovery website or find out more about my work on my main website
3 Facts Women With Cancer are NOT told, that leave them with pain and fatigue.
The pain and fatigue associated with cancer and its treatment can often be reduced. The research into breast cancer shows that hypnosis reduces both pain and fatigue. The latest research*1 that included 200 patients found the reduction in fatigue lasted up to 6 months after treatment had ended. Hypnosis for reduction of pain and fatigue during cancer treatment is completely safe, does not interfere with your conventional treatment. There are also no side effects.
FACT 2
If you believe your treatment for cancer is going to go well and will help you, it is more likely to do so. Dispelling any unhelpful fears or doubts that maybe lingering in your subconscious, or even conscious mind can be hugely beneficial. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or Tapping as it is also known as is a wonderful method of changing unhelpful beliefs both at a conscious and subconscious level.
FACT 3
Being diagnosed with cancer can bring an immediate need to make lifestyle changes. This is an area where a lot of clients traditionally think of hypnosis and it certainly offers a powerful approach to making the changes you desire. This can be important to recovery. I have heard Surgeon Bernie Seigal, who is also the author of Love, Medicine and Miracles say “Be who you want to be and be where you want to be.” Having a clear vision of who you want to be can be a powerful draw to making it a reality, specially if that vision is boosted with hypnosis.
If you would like to know more please see my website Sky Blue River
*1 Randomized Controlled Trial of a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Plus Hypnosis Intervention to Control Fatigue in Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy for Breast Cancer
Journal of Clinical Oncology (13 January 2014), doi:10.1200/jco.2013.49.3437
by Guy H. Montgomery, Daniel David, Maria Kangas, et al.