Sleep

The current pandemic has changed the way we live our everyday lives.

It has affected many of our daily routines, and one of its biggest reported impacts has been that on sleep – sleep becomes more elusive when we are anxious.

Many people are suffering sleep issues for the first time in their lives:

• awake for long periods
• unable to fall asleep at all
• wake up several times during the night
• more intense and emotional dreams
• tired and groggy the next morning
• find it difficult to concentrate or function properly
• feel irritable

Is this you?

Good sleep strategies will help you sleep well and can limit the negative effects of poor sleep.

Try these 7 hints for calmer and better sleep.

1. Limit news intake and avoid your mobiles and tablets for at least an hour before bed
Do something to boost your mood before bed – a humorous television program or an uplifting podcast can help you sleep.

2. Have structure to your day
Our brains and bodies love structure. Wake, exercise, eat and sleep at similar times each day

3. Focus on your breathing
Think about resting rather than sleeping. Follow your breathing by silently whispering the words ‘in’ and ‘out’ to induce sleep.

4. Learn to relax
Relaxation can switch off the stress response, physically and mentally. Find something that works for you – mindfulness meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, deep breathing or a long hot bath.

5. If you can’t sleep – get out of bed
Your bed should not be a battleground. Instead, try to enjoy the sensation of merely resting.

6. Emotional Freedom Techniques – EFT/Tapping
I was an insomniac for most of my life until I discovered EFT. I started to use it when I had trouble falling asleep (almost every night) and it worked every time. Now I am a sleeper so I don’t need to use it all the time.

7. Hypnosis
What I often do now is listen to a sleep hypnosis session on my phone using earbuds. It’s a lovely way to fall asleep.
Hypnosis helps many forms of sleep issues and insomnia.

If you are not sleeping well, and traditional treatments are not working, hypnosis and EFT/Tapping may be able to help you sleep the way you deserve.