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Cure Insomnia with Mental Sleep Aids |
We are now going to move into the second section of this program, which I referred to earlier as the "Inner Game" of sleep.
Insomnia, in most cases, is more of a psychological phenomena than anything else. That is because the biggest cause of sleep disorder is not external or environmental disturbance, but rather internal disturbance. Worry, anxiety, anger, tension, stress, and many other forms emotional adversity stimulate mental and physiological activity that severely interferes with the relaxation required to fall asleep. One reason for this is that when we have such thoughts floating around in our minds, stress hormones like adrenaline are produced. Adrenaline secretion, commonly associated with the fight or flight response, is a survival mechanism that heightens physiological processes in the face of danger. This is a natural instinct and served our prehistoric ancestors very well to get ready to fight or run when threatened by attack, and today we still benefit from this reaction in physically dangerous situations. But in modern times we also have a much greater diversity of worries and concerns occupying our minds. Our brain misinterprets many of these ongoing stressors and releases stress hormones, often when not really of practical use. Among other things, adrenaline causes your heart rate to increase and muscles to tense, and prompts a heightened state of awareness in which it's almost impossible to fall asleep. Moreover, unlike physical danger which usually passes in a relatively short time, worries, stress, and anxiety stick in our minds for extended periods, with the restless adrenaline effect feeling especially magnified while lying in bed.
If you pay attention to the process of falling asleep, you'll notice that the point of transition between wakefulness and sleep is characterized by a cessation of thought and a resulting relaxation, a letting go of emotional stress, and a spiraling into unconsciousness. Learning to intentionally subdue our perpetual internal dialog is a powerful key to that doorway of relaxation, and a crucial step to overcoming insomnia. Since it is usually the internal dialog that is causing restless emotions, subduing thoughts and being able to still your mind is a real secret to sleeping well. And our objective in the remainder of this program is to learn how to do just that - to return our minds temporarily to that worry-free childhood mentality were we drift into sleep with effortless ease.
There are various ways to achieve this objective. If you've had long term sleep problems, chances are that you've developed a habit of dwelling on sleep disturbing thoughts, and that's what we'll begin working on reversing in just a moment. However, if you've just started to have trouble sleeping, take a look at the conditions in your life that are currently causing stress. The exercises in the remainder of this course will definitely help, but taking action to get your issues under control is obviously a good idea as well. For example, if you're having problems at work, learning how to cope internally will be beneficial, but taking constructive action to improve your job or find a better job might be the real long term answer.
NEXT PAGE: Continue Relieving Insomnia and Other Sleep Disorders