Hey, everyone. It’s Devin Burke, your sleep performance coach and welcome to Sleep Science Academy. In this video, I’m going to share with you a simple technique if you have “tried everything” and you’re still having challenges with your sleep, I want you to try this tonight and see how it helps.
So first off, what is the challenge with trying to sleep? Well, trying to sleep actually can compound the problem, because sleep is not something you can force. It’s something that happens naturally, or should happen naturally. Trying to sleep actually can put you in what’s called the insomniac’s paradox, meaning the more you try to sleep, the more elusive sleep becomes. Because the more anxious you get, and then that anxiety and that stress releases cortisol and adrenaline and more adrenaline, which actually compounds the problem and keeps you up.
So next time, tonight, you’re laying in bed and you have those racing thoughts, here are four things you can do to try to alleviate the stress-inducing thoughts. Okay? So the first thing is actually to welcome them, to welcome them in. So what does that mean? It means becoming aware of them. And maybe you can just say, “Hey, oh, you again.” That’s that thought of, “If I don’t sleep tonight, I’m going to,” fill in the blank. “I’m not going to be able to get up. I’m going to be terrible in this presentation.” Whatever it is, actually, welcome in that thought.
The next thing that you can do is actually you could describe it. “I’m having that thought again.” You could say, “Oh, I’m having that thought again of,” fill in the blank, “of if I don’t sleep tonight, then tomorrow’s going to be a wreck.” And actually kind of identify and block out, “What is the thought?”
Another thing you can do is you can thank your mind for giving you that thought. You say, “Oh, thank you, mind, for giving me the thought of, ‘If I don’t sleep tonight, I’m going to wake up and be a complete wreck and I’m going to get sick.'” You can actually thank your mind.
And the last thing you can do is you can name it. You can say, “Oh, there it is. I’m having that thought again. Hello, anxiety-inducing thought of, ‘If I don’t sleep tonight, I’m going to,'” fill in the blank.
So, welcoming, describing, thanking, and naming. Now, this technique, it might sound counterintuitive. But just creating the awareness of what the thoughts are, those negative thoughts that are creating the stress and anxiety, can be enough to keep you out of that fight-or-flight and into the rest and digest, which is going to allow you to fall to sleep. So give this a shot tonight and let me know in the comments how it goes. If you have any questions, also let me know in the comments below. If you like this video, like it and subscribe for more videos. And I’ll see you in the next one.