There really isn’t much worse than being so tired you could cry, yet you’re still not able to fall asleep. Even if you do get a a little sleep, you end up feeling worse. Why can’t you just have a normal nights sleep like everyone else?!
Make sure you read the end of this post for a special offer that will guarantee you a great, refreshing sleep!
But first, some top tips.
Caffeine: The gift from the gods that gets you going in the morning. I LOVE my morning coffee, but if I drink any caffeinated drinks after about 2pm (yes just 2pm!) it dramatically affects my sleep. I’m still STUNNED at the number of people that believe caffeine doesn’t affect them, or that “it makes no difference, I’ll still have a bad night’s sleep with or without it.”. This is a myth, caffeine does stop you sleeping. Often the problem is that you might initially get to sleep (making you think the caffeine hasn’t affected you), but as you drift in and out of REM sleep the remaining caffeine in your system jolts you out of the lighter sleeping periods. Just stopping caffeine for one night isn’t enough, as your body is in the habit of waking you up. Try not drinking caffeinated drinks after 12 noon for a whole week. I promise you’ll notice a difference!
Cortisol: The stress hormone. Chances are that your sleep is being disturbed by other chemicals that your own body produces. I did a long blog post on the effects of Cortisol and ways to reduce it
Busy Mind: Just as you are about to drift off, you think of something really important that you MUST NOT FORGET. So you lay there, thinking about all the things you need to do in the morning, but as you can’t do anything about it right now, you just get more stressed and worried. Fretting at night is the worst kind of procrastination. Plus the chances are you really will forget in the morning. So give yourself a break, keep a notepad and pen beside the bed and just write a reminder. Your subconscious mind will breath a sigh of relief as you have taken the only action you can (at 3.42am), you’ve made sure you WILL NOT FORGET. The amazing thing is, that writing this down seems to dramatically clam a racing mind. What’s even more surprising, is that in the morning you’ll look at the note and realise that actually this isn’t a big problem at all, and probably doesn’t need as much attention as you were giving it last night.
Journaling: I’ma huge fan of using journaling, especially when going through hard times. For some reason trying to resolve your issues in your head, seems to actually make things more confusing and daunting. By externalising your thoughts, fears and possible solutions, really helps you to see it from a different point of view. Journaling has helped me overcome some of the most difficult times in my life, as well as my clients.
Try relaxation techniques. In one study, people who practiced meditation saw improvements in total sleep time and sleep quality. Other relaxation strategies—like yoga, deep breathing, and progressive relaxation—are also effective tools for promoting good sleep.
And on that last note, I’ve created my own Guided Relaxation Audio file for you to listen to. It guides you down to a deeply relaxed state and from there helps you to release anxiety, stress & worry so that you can enjoy a great night’s sleep. It will also help you by providing the tool you need to reduce the causes of stress during your day. For a limited time I’m offering readers of this blog a very special offer of 50% off the cost of the download (enter the offer code 50pc), plus an even more impressive “Like it or Don’t, get it for free!” guarantee!
Read more about the Guided Relaxation and listen to a sample
