If I could just sleep…*

A common symptom of stress is insomnia… lying awake thinking and worrying. You have so much going on in your life, so many responsibilities, and so many deadlines. Sleep may be elusive. 

What can you do about it? There are a number of suggestions available for helping people to go to sleep, I will list a few that work for me. Meditation. Learn to meditate, concentrate on your breathing, feeling each breath. Here is a video with suggestions: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/24/easy-meditation-technique_n_3313047.html There is a guided breathing app available for iPhone and Android for $2.99 at meditationoasis.com/smartphone-apps. 

A technique I used in grad school is to get a CD with sounds of the ocean and listen to it as you fall asleep. Concentrate on the sounds of the waves, visualizing them. There is also an app available for 99 cents for iPhone that features 70 relaxing sounds at rtstudio.net/NatureSounds.html 

A related method is self-hypnosis. This technique takes a little more practice, but works very well. Here is some info on it:  http://www.hypnosis.edu/articles/insomnia There is also a self-hypnosis app to alleviate stress and soothe you to sleep. Free for iPhone at i-mobilize.com/relax-sleep-well-by-glenn-harrold 

I find it helpful to read a book for pleasure right before bed, giving my mind something else to think about. Often if I can't sleep I will play cards on the computer for a bit, which tends to shut the mind down some. 

Experiment and see what works best for you. Look at it as a problem to be solved, don’t just add it to your list of worries! 

*My thanks to Susan for suggesting this topic. Next time, we will take a look at guilt. Do you have an issue or a question that you would like me to discuss in a future post? Send me an email with your ideas. leann.stadtlander@waldenu.edu