Self-awareness
Self-awareness is different from relaxation — it is a brilliant meditative practice that focuses the brain and body on the present moment: on what is happening around, and not on what is in your head. It has been proven that it has a positive effect on emotions, the nervous system, stress hormones, the immune system and … yes, sleep.
Self-awareness encourages us to consider our thoughts only as thoughts, and emotions only as feelings. When it comes to insomnia, it neutralizes emotional distress and panic due to your inability to sleep. The main thing is to control your consciousness, and not allow it to control yourself; then from the point of view of the psyche and your physical state, you will be in a better position to fall asleep.
Self-awareness does not involve condemnation and reconciliation. Not appreciating your dream, but simply accepting things as they are, you will feel how the tension subsides — hence, put yourself in a better position when you decide to go to bed. By reconciling with what is happening to you, you can make decisions about further actions; for example, if you cannot sleep and do not feel tired, get out of bed and enjoy something relaxing. Continue until you feel sleepy. Knowing that a short but sound sleep often brings more satisfaction than a long fragmented one, you will stop worrying if you continue to be awake.
The pilot study evaluated a one and a half month version of the self-awareness program, in which thirty people who suffered from insomnia participated. Half of the participants reported that the total sleep time was reduced by 50% or more; all, with the exception of two participants, at the end of the course of treatment got rid of clinical insomnia.
Conscious dream
Do the exercises below during the day, if necessary, before going to bed and waking up in the middle of the night.
1. Imagine that you are standing on the bank of a river and look at the current, the light; see the sunbeams in the water.
2. You notice a tall tree leaning over the water, and you see how a leaf flies off from it; he sinks into the water, and then carries him downstream.
3. Another sheet falls, then another.
4. While the next sheet falls off, put one of your negative thoughts about sleep, without analyzing and evaluating it.
5. Put your thought on the sheet and, when he touches the water, see how he swims away.
6. When the next one begins to fall, do the same: put a thought on a sheet, see how it lies on the water and floats away.
7. Feel the water cleans you in your sleep, dragging along all the worries.
This is just an exemplary scenario, you are free to change it. The point is to go beyond the limits of your consciousness – and stop worrying about not sleeping. In order not to get stuck in your thoughts, just recognize them – and let them go.