How to Sleep
I used to struggle with sleep, and now I sleep perfectly. I don’t use supplements or have a complicated routine. It’s really quite easy, and I haven’t had a sleep problem in many, many years. It’s not hard. I have had the opportunity to work with experts and be studied, and I have read books and heard the advice of countless people, and so I understand the many different approaches for sleep that can help, not just me, but most people.
I don’t use an alarm clock ever. I don’t have light-blocking curtains or shades. I enjoy waking up to the natural sunlight.
Sleeping is Like Breathing
One of the things that has helped me the most is understanding the idea that sleep doesn’t matter and you can’t screw it up. It’s like breathing. You can’t screw it up. If you try to breathe in some other way, eventually your body will take over and force you to breathe the way that you need to. If you sleep too little, you can sleep later. If you sleep too much, you’ll need less later.
I used to get into almost panic attacks about sleeping properly. “Am I doing it properly? Did I get enough sleep? Did I take the right supplement? Did I eat properly? Did I follow the procedure properly?” I thought too much about it, and that created stress, and I didn’t sleep properly. I was so worried about sleeping properly that I couldn’t sleep.
The Simple Solution
The simple solution that I have found is this: sleep when you’re tired and enjoy being awake when you’re not.
Needing Sleep versus Being Tired
Another important distinction that helped me was understanding the difference between being tired and needing to sleep. I think many people, and I know it was true for me in the past, are simply tired of life. They are not excited about being alive and being awake. Are you excited about life? If not, that’s the cause of being tired at the end of the day. If you’re excited, even if you do have an actual “physiological “ problem that makes you tired, you’ll be excited enough to find a solution. Think about what excites you. What would you like your life to be like?
This comes back to something that I mention over and over again: be sure to ask yourself daily, “What do I want? If I had a magic wand, what would I wish for?” This will help you find the excitement in life. See here: “What Do You Want?”
Enjoy Not Sleeping
I used to be an English major, and it was my second degree that I was trying to get, so basically, I had to read over 600 pages a week. This was hard because it was basically constant reading and constant focusing, and I often fell asleep. I was. happy that I woke up in the night or couldn’t sleep because it meant that I could read. Is there something that you can do when you’re not sleeping?
Avoid Technology
Some of the things that generally didn’t help me were watching movies or playing on my phone.
Sleep Hygiene
Another thing that has helped me has been sleep hygiene. This is something a lot of sleep doctors recommend. That means having a dedicated space for sleeping. Use that space for only sleeping, changing, or enjoying time with your partner. Get rid of the TV. Keep the bed made and comfortable. Keep it clean. Keep it relaxed, spa-like. All of this develops positive associations with sleeping.
Feelings Meditation
One thing that I can do if I have trouble sleeping, even a little, is to do a “feelings” meditation. I just pay attention to my feelings and list them without judgment: tired, frustrated, excited, stressed, hungry, nervous, angry, happy, accepting…. This will put you to sleep fast.
Recast Procedure
If you’re feeling stressed about life in general or a situation, try the recast procedure. Get happy first. There is a link here: Recast Procedure
Nutrition
Nutrition can be important. In general, carbohydrates are troublesome for a lot of people, including alcohol, which is a carbohydrate. You’ll notice this specifically when you wake up about 4 hours after you go to sleep. It will push you over the edge from sleeping to waking. In general, from what I understand, a keto-type diet is most helpful for most people, but of course, you have to find your way.
