To fall asleep, there must be a gradual dissolution, a progressive erosion, a gradual and continuous psychological dissociation (even if it is rapid) of our awareness. There is necessarily a spontaneous relaxation of our attention, our logic and our willpower. We get naturally into a mental drift.
There is also a progressive shut down of all our cognitive functions such as interest, analysis, criticism, sense of responsibility, memory and even the notion of time. Interestingly enough, children as well as animals don’t have the notion of time.
While falling asleep our psychological time slows down. That’s usually give us the impression that this process took longer than it actually did. Falling asleep and sleeping isn’t a voluntary action, it’ s our brain that put us to sleep by changing its cerebral rhythm. We don’t get to decide and control it.
Our brain knows perfectly our sleep needs and if we do not disrupt it by worrying or desiring, and let it do its job, it will adapt and adjust every day accordingly.
We just have to trust our brain, and do nothing. Good sleep is above all a matter of trust in nature, faith in ourselves and in our brain. That total confidence is the opposite of fear. Fear of not falling asleep and not sleeping is the number one reason of insomnia.
The absolute weapon against insomnia is indifference because sleeping is to be indifferent to everything. And to begin with, we need to lose interest in our sleep and insomnia.
All our body precious messages mentioned in the first paragraph, will allow each one of us to trace its own cycles. We will identify the hours of passage of our train of sleep, and the duration of our cycles which is the interval of time which elapses between 2 successive passages of our train of sleep.
Interestingly, all of the other calls of our brain and body are respected. We listen to all our other functions (when we need to evacuate, to pee, when we are sick, cold or hot, thirsty, hungry…). Let’s not be blind or deaf to our sleep signals.
Be sure that we can not change the length of our biological cycles. They are predetermined. Therefore we must adapt our schedules according to our own inner rhythm and not vice versa.
Chronic insomniacs are often only just people who live their lives beside their rhythms. These are just desynchronized.
A nice metaphor
The tide of sleep comes to us every night at the same time, regularly. And when its warm and conforting waves get to us, we only need to give up and let ourselves be carried away without resisting.
Otherwise we will remain on the beach, tossing and turning around, waiting for the next tide to come. This is insomnia.
David Tan, Osteopath DO-Physiotherapist Bsc, LifeForce Founder www.lifeforcewithyou.com
After 20 years in health care, perfecting the Art of Healing and exploring stress management, life optimization and self-improvement tools, David has founded Life Forces. A company specialized in burn out prevention, chronic stress release and optimal body and mind living. Our mission is to bring people back in touch with their optimal mind and body health. We have developed innovative and unique training programs for participants to integrate life changing tools to self manage their stress and regenerate themselves, find back their inner power and bring home these tools to enjoy a continuous regenerative routine. We teach and share how to sustain a strong and healthy life foundation so that people can pursue their life dreams and life projects.
Originally published at medium.com