Over the past 16 years of working with people I have realised something important – we love having a routine. Even if our routine is chaos, we all love to habitually do things and each day we re-run our routines to a greater or lesser degree depending on our personality. I have read and heard a lot about comfort zones, but I have come to know them as discomfort zones! There are times in our life when we want a change, but as soon as we start to do something different our mind starts off those warning signs – we are venturing into unchartered territory and we often move back to the safety of our routines.
It can be difficult to make changes without setting off the warning signs, so when working with my clients who require change I usually start by asking them to vary their driving routes, wear different colours and eat different foods. I find this is a gentle way to start re-wiring the neural pathways, starting the process of allowing the brain to look out for new vistas.
Once this energy is in full flow then inspiration starts to occur: new ideas spring in and whimsical choices allow us to easily move into new territories. We love this new feeling of freedom and magical synchronicities start to come in that surprise and delight us as they are all in line with our new goals.
However, a by-product at this time is a lack of routine. This is great in some respects as we get to choose what we love and leave behind what we don’t. Sometimes though our sleep patterns get disturbed and we find ourselves staring at the ceiling at 2am with our brains racing full steam ahead. We start to think about the next decorating project, twelve things we must not forget by morning, where to go on holiday, what colour our hair could be and any other random thought that welcomes the free space!
The first thing to avoid is frustration – the more you worry about not sleeping the less the likelihood of the sandman paying a visit. Anger and irritation are sleep deterrents at the best of times! The next thing to avoid is telling everyone that you aren’t sleeping as this will alert your brain even more to the fact. What we focus on we get more of, so tell lots of people and think of it often and guess what – no sleep for you!
Start bringing back those sleep vibes by getting the basics right. Make sure you are drinking enough water through the day and avoid too much caffeine. Caffeine may not stop you from getting to sleep but it can keep you sleeping lightly, or waking up at intervals. Make sure you are eating enough non processed food as too many additives can overload your system.
Turn your computer, tablet, phone and MP3 player off a while before bedtime and if you are watching television make sure it’s not too stimulating. An easy watch film or a comedy is fine, but a horror film that scares you witless or a politics show that will make your blood boil and you will take longer to get to sleep!
As you are heading to bed say something positive about your sleep, for example, “I am so looking forward to a wonderful night’s sleep.” Even if you are not convinced using this mantra regularly will alert the brain to expect to sleep. Mantras are great for re-programming, but must be repeated several times over to really be effective.
Once you are in bed, the last thing you should do before turning out the light is to write down ten good things that have happened that day. This will start the brain producing serotonin and ensure you get good, deep sleep that repairs the body and de-stresses the mind.
If you do wake during the night, try to stay peaceful. It’s ok to pop to the loo or get a drink, but don’t start turning lights on or you’ll mess with your melatonin hormones – the ones that indicate it’s time to wake up!
If you wake a little before the alarm it’s best to get up then rather than talk yourself into having more sleep. Our body uses an array of hormones to help us to wake up and if you grab another ten minutes after this you will feel worse as you used up those hormones when you first woke up!
Other techniques that encourage good sleep:
To sleep well it helps if your body is physically tired. If you sit at a desk or in the car while working you may find physical exercise during the day will help you sleep. Even a walk will help.
It’s been said that 20 minutes meditation is the equivalent of 6 hours sleep! If you are sleeping badly at night try to meditate or visualise by day. This sends the brain into the theta – or de-stressing and healing brain state.
Try mindfulness – keeping your attention in the present will do several things. It will stop you remembering your lack of sleep and will also stop you building a future to do list that will overwhelm you. Try having a post it note that only ever has your current task written on it.
If sleep problems do persist perhaps visit your GP and holistic therapist for advice. Soon you will find your routine back and you can once again tuck up for a good night!
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