A good night’s sleep is one of the most
precious experiences we can have. Our batteries are recharged, and we refill
our tanks with energy. But it is not always easy to simply drown in the
feathers of our beds, fall asleep and disappear into the land of dreams, is it?
However, there are a few things we can do to drift off into sleep so
wonderfully.
First of all, your body does actually tell you
when it’s tired. You start yawning etc., so you have to recognize these little
signs. They tell you it’s time to go to sleep, so prepare yourself for your
trip to dreamland. It should not take you longer than 15 minutes. Why? Because
the sleep window opens every 90 minutes. If you don’t jump in before it’s
closed it will take another 90 minutes for a new sleep window to open. Missing
it will result in tossing and turning in bed without being able to sleep even
though you are actually oh so tired.
But there is more to a good night’s sleep than
catching the sleep train in time. What also helps is calming yourself and your
body down before entering dream territory. About an hour before your night
kicks in step back from all kinds of artificial lights. This includes the light
in your room, the light streaming from your TV or PC etc. Instead, light some
candles. Natural light helps your sleep hormone to put you where you need to
be.
Additionally, this calm period before sleep can
be used for reflecting on the day passed or listening to your thoughts and
realize which wires of your brain they travel. Here you can go and ask yourself
“What am I thinking? or “How do I feel?” because it is still your thinking
machine that presses the mood buttons as well. Take the time to listen to your
subconscious mind. There are so many thoughts being active all the time that we
often don’t realize that they are there and make us feel either good or bad.
The second mind (as Paulo Coelho called it in one of his books) is always
creating.
So find yourself a comfortable spot and relax. Start
a meditation session. Concentrate on your breathing trying to empty your mind.
So whenever a thought appears don’t try to push it away into the unknown and subconscious.
Instead, listen to what is saying, recognize, say thank you for its appearance
and then gently let it go. Go back to your breathing. Everything around is
quiet and you simply enjoy this present moment.
This time before your sleep can also be used
for visualization. Concentrate on what you want for yourself in life and feel
it. When I myself started visualizing I was not there the correct way. I was
simply watching a movie with my inner eyes. But recently it dawned on me that
this was not the right way for me to proceed. Why should I just be observing
something? That would result in me simply keeping observing things instead of
experiencing them for myself. I realized I really had to be in this
visualization – not on a movie screen but inside myself. I realized I had to
see things the way I see things when I really look at them and experience them.
I mean when you walk down the street, are you able to see the back of your head
etc.? No! Exactly. You see what’s before you, the people you look at and so on.
So when visualizing this is where I have to put myself as well. When picking up
a child I see my hands picking up the child and looking into his eyes instead
of seeing someone (me?) picking up a child from a distance.
Hey, but don’t get hung about it if visualization
is not working straight away. As with everything it takes a little practice.
And besides, it is not only seeing it that makes it good but also feeling it
and hearing it. If you see an ocean hear that waves and smell the breeze, and
simply feel the gratitude for this beautiful moment.
I usually finish my visualization session with
a little bit more of meditation again, and then I am ready for bed simply
feeling good… I jump on the train of sleep when the window is open, and when
the new day has come I can go about it with recharged batteries and in a good
mood. Another perfect day lies ahead, and it is up to me and all of us to
embrace it.
Well, I am off now getting ready for another
trip to the subconscious. Good night!
