Fibromyalgia and Sleep Therapy (Part I)
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- scottishgirl
- Carol Wallace
- mastiffs2005
- mastiffs2005
- jerrib
- mastiffs2005
- Carol Wallace
- mastiffs2005
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» scottishgirl - Excellent!
Great article! I'm going to print out that exercise and try it tonight before I go to sleep! Thanks yet again, Darlene!-- posted by scottishgirl
» Carol Wallace - Help!
Darlene,. my problem is that I THINK too much. I try to do these steps and all the while there is this little monitor in my head wondering if I'm doing it right, if this is the way it's supposed to be - like I'm grading myself on how well I'm doing. How do I stop that and get down to business?-- posted by Carol Wallace
» mastiffs2005 - Hi Karyn!
Thanks again for reading... anyone having trouble sleeping can use this exercise... remember that the words do not have to be perfect... it's the visualization and imagination that put you to sleep... also, the more you use the exercise, the better you get at it, and the faster you will go to sleep.I like to add a little comment towards the middle that says something like "and the next time I go into self-hypnosis, it will be easier and more effective."
Darlene
-- posted by mastiffs2005
» mastiffs2005 - Hi Carol!
Well... we are a lot alike! I have been a horrible insomniac for years, sometimes going for weeks without sleep (literally). So, this is my area of expertise, so to speak (LOL). If you are experiencing what I was... your mind feels like it's whirring and you can't even focus on one topic at a time... you are always planning things out... possibly a list keeper... you probably don't know what it's like to have a "blank" mind. Don't worry... it's just a sign that you have a high IQ.When I first learned bio-feedback (my first experience with self-hypnosis, really) I'd have to go through the exercise several times.... then I'd finally get bored and fall to sleep... lol... with hypnosis, it doesn't matter at all if your mind is wandering... it's just clearing itself... LET GO!... go with wherever it takes you... if you are at your nose, and you find yourself thinking about washing dishes (or the next article you want to write)... just say "I'll think about that in the morning."... and pick right back up at your nose and start relaxing again.
If you tell your mind something, your body will respond to it... your mind can't tell the difference between something that is really happening and something you are imagining. Practice makes perfect with these exercises (and no, they do not have to be perfect)... the more you try, the better you get at it. If the first couple of times, you don't actually fall asleep, just take notice of what your body feels like... it will definitely be in a more relaxed state than it usually is.
And don't "grade" yourself... there is no hard-core wording, technique, or outcome with hypnosis... The "old school" told us if we weren't asleep in a couple of minutes after lying down, to get up... NOT SO today...
Depak Chopra (I will look up the correct spelling of his name) is an Indian writer who has some excellent short-read books out... one that I especially love on sleep. He says if you are lying in bed with your eyes closed, you are still resting more than if you were up watching TV... to let whatever is going through your mind during that time to just go on through... and do not get tense or angry with yourself...
If you have trouble at first with the full exercise... try starting with your head and working your way to your toes saying "my head is heavy and relaxed (3x)... my eyes... all the way to your toes... and then just see yourself in your mind slowly drifting to sleep. This is a very simple bio-feedback exercise, and will gradually lead you into doing the self-hypnosis and creative visualization.
Let me know how you do, Carol. I'll be waiting to hear back from you. And don't be afraid to come back and tell me it didn't work... everyone has different techniques that work best for them, and we'll find one you like!
-- posted by mastiffs2005
» mastiffs2005 - Thanks!
And I liked that you brought up the fact that it is for anyone who is having trouble sleeping. Hope to see you here again.-- posted by mastiffs2005
» Carol Wallace - Heavy and relaxed
That's funny,because I realize that's what I've been doing with my naps. When I lie down in the afternoon it's because I sudddenly feel overwhelmingly exhausted - and when I lie down I feel very heavy - I've been visualizing myself literally going through the mattress from sheer weight, starting with the head. I haven't been very systematic about it, but it seems to work fairly well.I'll try being systematic about that tonight for my full night's rest. Trouble is, I don't really have much trouble falling asleep - it's STAYING there that's difficult.
-- posted by Carol Wallace
» mastiffs2005 - Carol...
You are on the right track... you are tailoring your hypnotherapy to work with your own mental processes... nobody knows you better than you do... try saying several times during the exercise "and I will sleep at least hours without waking up unless there is an emergency I must attend to... if I do have an emergency, I will handle it, and go right back to sleep, and sleep the rest of the night peacefully..."or something to that effect.... you're learning quickly... keep up the good work!
Darlene
-- posted by mastiffs2005
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