Outwitting Insomnia July 16, 2016
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Health & Wellness, Humor, Joke.trackback
I developed a trick to outwit my erstwhile bedtime companion, Insomnia:
Me: “C’mon . . . just try.”
Insomnia: “No.”
“C’mon. Just close your eyes and go to sleep.”
“No.”
“It will feel good. I promise.”
“No.”
“C’mon. Just do it for me.”
“No.”
“Please?”
“No. I’m not tired.”
“Please. Just. Close. Your. Eyes.”
“No.”
“Yes! I’m tired! I want to go to sleep.”
“No. I’m busy.”
“Hmm . . . okay, Insomnia. I’ve got an idea.”
Dubious, skeptical, yet intrigued, Insomnia raises an eyebrow in my direction.
“What do you have in mind?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“That’s right. Since you don’t want to go to sleep, let’s meditate instead. Let’s let go of thought and focus on the magic power of Ohm . . . . . .”
“ZZZZZZZZZ”
Works like a charm!
Aah . . . that’s better!
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Spirit Lights The Way 
Yes! It does work! And Dr. Weil’s 4-7-8 breathing exercise… working for me since 2001… 😀
Good Morning, Nancy!
Great practice, Pix. Sometimes all it takes is focusing on our breath as . . . we . . . let . . . our . . . thoughts . . . drift . . . away . . .
Perfect solution! Happy Saturday, Nancy and Pix!
Right back atcha, Jill! Have a chill day.
Purring cats are good too.
That worked with our previous cats, but Tigger is NOT a good nighttime companion ~> we close our bedroom door to keep him out until dawn when he scritches and scratches at the door to let us know that he is UP and READY to be FED!
That works for me, but not always. Sometimes a monkey joins insomnia, and no amount of letting go will put that monkey mind to bed.
Yes! At times sleep is a might elusive entity ~ but this works for me more often than not. As soon as I let go of the desire to go to sleep, I drift off to the Land of Nod.
Sounds like a good solution, Nancy. Love the Donald cartoons. 🙂
Donald is as expressive as your Muscovy Duck.
Quack Quack Quack!
😆
I’m laughing … Because it does work. Centering on the breath and relaxing the body …. Aahh … Aumm … Better.
It does work . . . by letting go of the desire to sleep and following our breath, sleep descends in short order.
I have no doubt this works! I know so many people with insomnia who talk about it all day…I wouldn’t sleep either if I kept repeating “I can’t sleep.” Meditating and letting go makes sense to me!
Yes! If we walk around saying, “I’m sooooo tired!” . . . we feel even more T~I~R~E~D because we are “owning” that emotion (state of mind) instead of letting it flow. The same thing happens if we tell ourselves, we’re sad, angry, stupid, clumsy, etc.
Far better to repeat a more positive mantra (e.g., “I’m happy and well rested”) ~> and the rest follows.
I use a calculator and 800 sheep.
There’s an App for that!
Bet there is too! 🙂
That’s a great trick, Nancy 🙂 And I bet it works!
Not always . . . but often. As soon as I stop struggling to fall asleep, sleep drifts in on its own terms.
I wish I had thought of that last night when I was tossing and turning! Next time.
Good luck tonight, Carol! We all have an “off” night on occasion.
Ha! That’s telling Sleep! You’re the boss, Nancy! Now if only I could get some sleep.
Experiment until you find what works for you, Linda. For some it might be reading in bed until eyelids start to flutter shut. For others, it might be never reading in bed. What works one night, might not work the next . . . especially if bed time varies depending upon what we’re doing right before hopping into bed.
Brilliant solution. No monkey mind for you! 😉
Even monkeys have to settle down some times. 😀
Good one. I start praying and I fall asleep in the middle of it. 🙂
That works!
breathe in, breathe out
Following the breath = a cool tool!
I love my meditation app, I do a night time meditation most night – yoga nidra – and I’m out within minutes! LOL. Love it!
Glad your yoga nidra app works for you.
Midnight meditation is so relaxing that even if Insomnia wins (and I don’t fall asleep) ~> so what? My mind still gets a much needed break from the “intellectual” rigors of the day.
Hope you’re having a great summer, Kate. Miss seeing you round the hood!