Sleep meditations.
Discussion
Once upon a time I fell fast asleep as soon after my head hit the pillow and stayed soundly asleep until I struggled out of bed the next morning.
These days I often wake at two or three in the morning and have trouble getting back to sleep. My mind races and I lay awake worrying about things that don't need to be worried about at that time of the day.
One thing that can help me drift off again is counting. A bit like counting sheep I suppose, I count breaths, in and out and then more recently I've been visualising the shape of the number as I count them.
There was a time I'd imagine playing pool shots into pockets, working out the angles, or work myself through the gym routine.
These methods, whilst not exactly meditation, work for me sometimes but not always. I'm interested to hear if anyone has a fail safe method of fooling you brain back into blissful repose the middle of the night.
These days I often wake at two or three in the morning and have trouble getting back to sleep. My mind races and I lay awake worrying about things that don't need to be worried about at that time of the day.
One thing that can help me drift off again is counting. A bit like counting sheep I suppose, I count breaths, in and out and then more recently I've been visualising the shape of the number as I count them.
There was a time I'd imagine playing pool shots into pockets, working out the angles, or work myself through the gym routine.
These methods, whilst not exactly meditation, work for me sometimes but not always. I'm interested to hear if anyone has a fail safe method of fooling you brain back into blissful repose the middle of the night.
Good sleep discipline is important, no caffeine after 12 noon. Not eating too late and nothing to eat in the hour before sleep, no bright lights like iPad screens in last hour, regular bed time and go to bed to sleep, not looking at emails etc.
I have used guided hypnosis for many things, sleep ones work.
You also need to learn to recognise the mind wandering, notice it, do not get annoyed by it and gently guide it back to empty and concentrate on diaphragmatic breathing.
I have used guided hypnosis for many things, sleep ones work.
You also need to learn to recognise the mind wandering, notice it, do not get annoyed by it and gently guide it back to empty and concentrate on diaphragmatic breathing.
This works for me to pull me back into the present and a bit of mindfulness. Spend as long as you can on each one, really analyse each item, the concentration also makes you tired!
5 things you can see, really focus on each item. In the dark especially, this also helps tire the eyes and brain.
4 things you can feel, the pressure of the bed on your back, the duvet around your neck, etc
3 things you can hear, the duvet rustling, the background hum of life etc
2 things you can smell...
1 thing you can taste, though I try to think through my dinner or something I would like to taste.
5 things you can see, really focus on each item. In the dark especially, this also helps tire the eyes and brain.
4 things you can feel, the pressure of the bed on your back, the duvet around your neck, etc
3 things you can hear, the duvet rustling, the background hum of life etc
2 things you can smell...
1 thing you can taste, though I try to think through my dinner or something I would like to taste.
To get back to sleep (no problem dropping off in the first place, much like the OP) I construct a 'waking dream' in my head which pretty much guarantees I'll get off again using the abbreviation 'LPP' where, in turn, I imagine..
L = Location - (could be anywhere, Asda, Everest Base Camp, a railway station. The world is your oyster)
P = People (in the dream - could be you, Bill Clinton and someone from school you haven't thought about for years)
P = Plot (ie the storyline of the dream, the weirder the better)
By the time I've run through the scenario where I've imagined I'm in a submarine crewed by chimpanzees, playing chess with Col Sanders whilst being chased by something that looks like a cross between a hedge and a pair of socks, I've usually nodded off.
A lot of the time now I don't get past the 'L' part before falling asleep again. Just thinking about where the location for the 'dream' will be is enough to turn off my brain's 'dirty tricks department' ie the worry/bad thoughts keeping me awake.
Takes practice, but it works most of the time for me nowadays.
L = Location - (could be anywhere, Asda, Everest Base Camp, a railway station. The world is your oyster)
P = People (in the dream - could be you, Bill Clinton and someone from school you haven't thought about for years)
P = Plot (ie the storyline of the dream, the weirder the better)
By the time I've run through the scenario where I've imagined I'm in a submarine crewed by chimpanzees, playing chess with Col Sanders whilst being chased by something that looks like a cross between a hedge and a pair of socks, I've usually nodded off.
A lot of the time now I don't get past the 'L' part before falling asleep again. Just thinking about where the location for the 'dream' will be is enough to turn off my brain's 'dirty tricks department' ie the worry/bad thoughts keeping me awake.
Takes practice, but it works most of the time for me nowadays.
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