When I began seeing hypnosis clients 14-years ago, I was surprised by how many people have problems sleeping.
Are you one of them?
There are many reasons why you may have a hard time going to sleep, and staying asleep. Here are some things you can do to help yourself. If the problem persists, see your doctor. You need a quality sleep to maintain your energy each day.
Give yourself time to ‘step down’ each night.
With cellphones, iPads, and personal computers; many of us work at home, sometimes late into the evening. We work on our computers until 10 p.m., roll into bed at 10:05 p.m., and cannot sleep. Sound familiar?
It is vitally important that you:
1). Develop a nightly routine and stick to it.
2). Give yourself 30 to 60 minutes to “step down” each night; to mentally and physically prepare yourself for bed. Turn the computer off, light a candle, listen to soothing music, meditate and just ‘chill out.’
I prefer music that is designed to lower your heart rate but listen to whatever appeals to you. Sorry to say it, but heavy-metal and hard-rock music are probably not good choices.
Make your bedroom a stress-free zone
I believe there are only two things you should do in the bedroom— spend time with your partner, and sleep. Soothing music on the radio may help, but TV news will not. Why? If the last thing you hear is how the stock market is killing your 401(k), that’s hardly conducive to your peace of mind.
There are things you can do to mentally leave all stress outside in the hallway.
Learn to relax, visualize, and sleep.
Think of your favorite place— the beach, the woods, or maybe your Grandma’s kitchen. Recall memories of your time there and relax every muscle from your feet to your forehead. Countdown slowly from 10 to 1, and breathe deeply with each number. If you’re lucky, you may never even get to 5.
To learn more about these suggestions and others, try hypnosis. You will learn why the phrase: “Take me back to Jerry’s chair,” has helped many clients.
Sweet dreams…
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Jerry Masek, a certified hypnotist in West Park, is active in holistic circles. He can be reached at JeromeMasekCH@aol.com.