Five New Ways to Get to Sleep

Falling asleep at night can be a challenge for some people-especially when they have a spouse snoozing away right beside them. The mind races, you worry you're an insomniac for life, and every noise seems to jolt you out of a peaceful state. Sleep may seem like a far-off destination you'll may never reach. Not anymore, with these five new ways to get to sleep, peacefully and easily.

1. Make your own lavender sleep oil. The scent of lavender has always been known for its relaxing properties, but did you know it can send you off to sleep in no time? Placing a lavender sleeping potion under your nose at bedtime will deepen your breath, naturally, and the lavender's relaxing properties will work on you like a drug. I discovered the art of making Lavender sleep oil year's ago from a friend's mother and have been using it ever since. To make your own concoction, simply buy lavender essential oil and almond oil at your local health food store. Mix a one to two drops of the lavender oil to two tablespoons of the almond oil and you have your lavender sleep oil. If you find that the scent isn't strong enough, add lavender (but be sure to add it sparingly because too much lavender could irritate your skin). Conversely, if the lavender is too strong or irritates your skin, you can dilute your potion by adding more almond oil.

2. Don't Make a move. It may seem funny, but an excellent way to find that elusive sleep is to get into a comfortable position and not move a muscle afterwards. Forcing your body to be still can have a calming effect on your mind and keep you from tossing and turning, which is a distraction all on its own (a fact any insomniac is all too aware of). This technique was first introduced to me by my husband and it always surprises me with its effectiveness.

3. Change your brainwave patterns with Dr. Thompson. In recent years, a new style of music has emerged that actually changes brainwave patterns to help listeners relax and tune out. Included in the various patterns are Delta brainwaves, the type that people exhibit when they are in stages of sleep. Dr. Jeffrey Thompson, a leader in the brainwave music industry, offers a wide variety of brainwave music including New Age, nature sounds, and even classical music. When listening to fall asleep, Thompson recommends wearing headphones as the stereo-sound is essential to change those racing thoughts. The music has a hypnotic effect sure to send you off to sleep within 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Imagine you are sinking. Visualization is a powerful tool when it comes to relaxation and this technique will make you feel as though you are literally drifting off to sleep. I developed this visualization for sleep after trying various meditation and self-hypsnosis techniques. These techniques often mention experiencing how heavy your body is or have you imagine going down in an elevator. Finding this part of visualizing deeply relaxing, it seemed only natural to imaging sinking to help me beat insomnia. Simply lay on your back, close your eyes, and imagine the physical sensation of sinking. Feel the weight of your body as it sinks down, further and further. For this exercise, you can visualize yourself floating lower and lower in a hot air balloon or sinking slowly underwater. The most important part, however, is to focus on the physical sensation of your heavy body sinking endlessly in relaxation.

5. Use your journal as a pensieve. For those of you who aren't familiar with the pensieve from J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, this magical tool is used to release the mind of vexing or overwhelming memories and thoughts. While we do not have an actual pot of shimmery liquid or magic wands to assist us in this alchemical process, we do have journals, which act in the same way. I developed this technique in the months leading up to my wedding, when I could not shut my mind of for a second. When your mind is racing out of control, grab your journal, or a piece of paper, and write down every single thing that is bothering you. In this list, no item is too silly or trivial. Write until you are completely out of things to worry about. Then, in your mind, offer these concerns to the universe for the night-asking for help to get through each one. Make a rule that you must not think about any of your concerns for the rest of the night, so that the universe can work its magic. You may find the universe will give even better results than just a great night's sleep.

Sources
Dr. Jeffrey Thompson
http://www.therelaxationcompany.com/brainwave-music.html
The Relaxation Company