Try this simple technique the next time you struggle to get off to sleep.

Lay on your back, in bed or somewhere you can safely drop off to sleep.

Take a deep breath in, hold it for a second then slowly let it go.
Do the same thing again – counting down from 10 to 1 – Focusing your attention on your breath.
After each breath feel your body getting more and more relaxed.
Notice how your muscles get softer

Just by doing this you should already be in a very peaceful state.

Now, without forcing it, just imagine yourself waking up after a GREAT nights sleep.
You feel refreshed and ready for the day.
Imagine that you slept through the night.

This is just like day-dreaming only now it’s you directing the action!

At first it may seem a bit weird, but rest ashured it will get easier with practicw.

When you start out with this exercise just aim for about 1 minute then stretch it out to 5 or 10 minutes.
Last thing at night is best for this – but it will also help if you do it first thing in the morning too.

Aim to do this for 2 -3 days before you notice any difference.
What you are doing is re-programming your mind, so it may take some time!

But stick with it and you should notice a change. Hopefuly you will start to expect to sleep well, then it will all start to flow naturally.

Give it a try – it’s free after all and no-one needs to know that you are doing it!
It certainly works for me.

• Try harder to fall asleep? No, we saw already what a bad idea this is.

• Stay in bed and hope for the best? No, no.

• Here’s what you do instead:
  you use what has been called the “Sleep Reduction Technique”. In summary to get to sleep more easily and stay asleep through the night, you need to temporarily reduce the time you spend in bed.

Yes, this is totally counter intuitive but has been scientifically proven to work.

It cuts down the time spent awake in bed and time spent in poor quality sleep.
Her’s how it works

• Have trouble falling asleep?

There is a phenomenon called “sleep pressure”. For every hour you stay awake, this pressure builds.
So to use this the rule is simple: don’t go to bed until you feel REALLY sleepy.

• Still awake? Get up!

If you’re still awake 30 minutes after trying to go to sleep, don’t just stay there — get up!
Don’t worry about the fact that this might ruin your following day. Trust that this is training
you to sleep on command. For that to happen your body needs to associate your bed with irresistible
sleep…
So don’t stay in bed if you can’t sleep!

Go downstairs and listen to some relaxing music or do something boring that won’t arouse you too much.

Doing some light yoga poses or stretches is also a good idea.

Try some meditation if you’re into that OR, better yet… if you have the SleepTracks Sleep Optimization Program
Sit up straight in a chair in your living room, close your eyes and listen to the Insomnia Buster track or the Fall
Asleep track (both included with the program), or even the Healing track that you get 7 days after your
purchase… and resist falling asleep!

That’s right. Resist falling asleep. Just put your awareness on the pulses and let your body relax.
This “mind trick” will make it harder and harder for you to not sleep. You’ll soon feel so drowsy you’ll really
long for your bed. Then — and only then! — is it a good idea to give in to the urge and go back to bed.