Struggle to sleep? Read how I conquered it
Due to being a Multiple Sclerosis sufferer I struggle to sleep most nights: my brain won't switch off, pain keeps me awake and random muscles decide to spasm just when I am on the brink of dropping off, dragging me kicking and screaming from the precipice of sweet sweet sleep.
As you can imagine I am already on a cocktail of drugs to help manage my condition so I am reluctant to add to their ever increasing number. I had to find a solution: MS already makes you more than tired - a deep fatigue hangs on your shoulders, grips your ankles like a dead weight dragging down your spirit through every waking hour. Lack of sleep exacerbates this. I had already given up the cigarettes, dropped my caffeine intake way down and tried to limit my exposure to laptop and tablet screens in the hours leading up to sleep. So I hunted around and have stumbled on a solution that really helps me.
I am by nature very skeptical. Meditation to me conjured up images of Far Eastern monks and hippies but I had nothing to lose and so I did some reading. In it's basic form I realised that meditation is just telling your brain to calm the hell down, take a chill pill and just go with the flow. Each night when I am ready for sleep I make sure I am as comfortable as I can be and, as I am also a very light sleeper, pop my ear plugs in. I then relax, control my breathing and try to clear my mind. The only thing I consicously think of is to relax every single muscle in my body. If a muscle starts to spasm I mentally whisper 'hush now'. Slowly, very slowly a slight tingle starts in the tips of my toes and my fingertips. This swells and flows inwards like an infinitely slow wave until I lose all sensation in my body, it is almost as though I am just a thought floating in a sea of black. The first time I went this far it scared me so much I sat bolt upright in bed. Now it's a sensation I cherish as I know it won't be long until sleep's warm embrace takes me. I don't get much deep sleep but at least now I have some sleep.
Now I am a believer, meditation is not just hocus pocus. If it works for this cynical old chap it could work for you too!
Maybe if you are struggling to sleep you ought to give it a try. Don't expect miracles on your first try, like everything else practice is the key.
Sources Insomnia Medicine Meditation
It used to take me what felt like forever to fall asleep--not for any real reason, it was just that way things were ever since I was quite young. These days I find turning on an audio book and setting the sleep timer helps a lot. It's like getting a bedtime story, and I'm usually out before my 8-minute timer runs down.
If I am particularly restless I find putting my earphones on and listening to some music helps me get to the same place where I no longer feel my body. That is until a loud metal track kicks in and wakes me up :-/
Sorry to hear about your MS, dude. Skepticism is good, what's bad is when people shut ideas down without thoroughly vetting it. You know, I'm a part-time acupuncturist so I've heard my fair share of doubts.
When I read the first part, I thought to myself that I would suggest meditation for you. Lo and behold, it was meditation that worked for you! I'm so happy that it did, and I'm glad that you have overcome those sleepless nights.
If you want to take it a step further, you can check this out https://www.wimhofmethod.com/ I was made aware of it by @lukestokes :D
Thank you @jedau - I'll check that out
I try to remain open minded but I am not sure I could do acupuncture, I have a fear of needles :-/
Dude, I have a fear of needles myself (that's why I do the puncturing haha!) It's not embarrassing to admit that, knowing your fears is the first step to conquering them.
Lol, I would also have no problem doing the puncturing. When a family member gave birth she had to have injections into her stomach - I played doctor :-)
That's.. quite dangerous if you don't have training. You know that, right? Haha! I know I joke about puncturing, but I really did study this for a long time to get it right haha!
They were a prepackaged type of thing, like an epipen: one click and you're done
Ahh! I see. I think I've seen those, though it's not widely available here. My mother's a gynecologist, so I've served my fair share of birthing assists in the past haha
Acupressure points are a safe, and useful, alternative. My young daughter discovered some of her "calm spots" all by herself - I had to look them up to find out she was right!
That's another thing I discovered! I have lots of headaches with MS. If I apply pressure to the fleshy part between my thumb and forefinger, hard enough so it starts to hurt, it relieves the pain.
That's the spot!!
or one of them.
Thanks for stopping by my post and giving me the opportunity to follow you. Very nice post and useful. I have started meditating with the help of binaural beats. It calms me down completely.
I did actually start with binaural beats but eventually found I could reach the required state without them.
Thank you for the reply and the upvote. Greatly appreciated!
Hopefully I ll reach the state I won't need them either. Will be around!
Please let me know how you get on. It would be great to hear of somebody else having the same success!
Thank you for sharing, its really useful for me. I'll try to do wha you did
My pleasure. Thank you for the upvote
Best of luck with your sleep journey
great article and i think it really is all in the mind! i sometimes have troubles sleeping too!
Thank you, I hope it can help
I hope to talk to you about a couple of things I know about this muxxy, but I'm not going to do it here on this old post of yours.
I'll see if I can get you alone sometime.
Also, have you heard of tapping, aka eft?
anyway we'll talk
and how come I wasn't following you too. I don't understand this place. I am sure I followed you on one of my first days on here.
But I just checked and not.
I am still finding things like that happening.
Sorry for the time lost as a follower.