WE WOULD ALL AGREE THAT SLEEP IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE DAY AND THERE IS NOTHING MORE FRUSTRATING THAN LYING IN BED AT NIGHT WITH CONSTANT CHATTER IN YOUR MIND. GAYNOR PARKE PROVIDES A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE TO INCREASE YOUR ZZZZZ...

One of the wonderful benefits I have discovered of training my mind to re-focus is that I can fall asleep more easily and have a deeper and more refreshing sleep when I use this technique. It's also great for learning how to relax when you are awake. It's often how I begin a meditation if my mind is too frantic to settle quickly. But the time when I have valued it the most is when I have had trouble getting settled and falling off to sleep.

It's frustrating isn't it to lie in bed sometimes for hours trying to stop the constant chatter of your mind? I used to struggle with this a lot. If I woke in the middle of the night I would also have trouble getting back to sleep and it was exhausting. But now I have a wonderful method I created that works every time. Using it I can fall asleep much, much faster, have a deeper and more refreshing sleep and get re-settled easily if I wake through the night.

What I do is two fold.
1. Stop - Yes recognising your mind is running rampant is the first step. I know that sounds silly at first but it's the awareness of what's happening and that you can do something about it that puts up a stop sign to your mind and prepares it for a change.

2. Change your thinking - Laying awake it's likely that you start thinking things like "this is so annoying, I have to fall asleep" or "I will be so exhausted tomorrow" or "If I don't get to sleep quickly I'll have to get up in a few hours and I'll be a mess". When this happens you need to change your thinking. Stop and say "ok so I'm doing it again..... my mind is on a freight train and out of control. That's ok because now I'm going to stop and re-focus. I'm going to re-direct it to a quieter place and find relief in a quieter place". This puts the brakes on your mind so you are ready for the next step.

Now you've stopped, start thinking of all the people and events that make you happy. Gratitude is aligned to love and love is your resting place. When you are asleep you aren't resisting your true nature you are at peace and peace is aligned to love. Thinking of all that which you appreciate will bring you into alignment with peace and quiet. Before you know it you will be asleep with a smile on your face.

It sounds simple because it is simple. The way to quiet the mind is to re-focus on love and appreciation as those states of mind are not frantic, they're not unanswered questions or doubt or disturbing. Appreciation is quiet and healing and loving and gentle and goes at a loving pace. The more you search for things to be appreciative about the more you will find. Allow the slow pace of gratitude and appreciation to flow over you and calm your racing mind.

This technique also works if you wake through the night after a nightmare or are just restless. Directing the mind toward events that made you happy or people that you love or lovely things that happened to you will restore peace and still your mind. I used to get night terrors and not look forward to going to bed. I found this technique used regularly released me and allowed me to enjoy a good night's sleep again. Using this method I hardly ever have nightmares now and look forward to the picture my happiness focus will conjure up each night.
It's a lovely way to relive enjoyable moments and even sculpt wonderful events in your future while getting a good night sleep.
Sweet dreams.

Gaynor Parke is an author, public speaker, facilitator and CEO of Advanced Success Life Coaching. Her passion is to help individuals and companies get from where they are to where they want to go. To find out more or to subscribe to her newsletter visit www.advancedsuccesslifecoaching.com.au.