What are some things you could do during the evening to help with insomnia?
- Set an alarm to go off every two hours before you go to sleep. By mid evening your body’s pineal gland starts producing the hormone melatonin. That’s when you should move into wind-down mode. Wrap up your work, email, and to do lists. Keep artificial lights low. Try especially hard to avoid social media and phone apps. They are designed to stoke your attention and can cause an increase in the stress hormone cortisol which provides an energy boost and keeps you up. Instead
- Focus on wind down activities that are relaxing and tranquil. Some suggestions include reading…knitting…bathing or showering which promote sleep by cooling your core body temperature…and watching TV but skip nail biting dramas and stick with reruns of TV sitcoms that you have enjoyed before.
- Make your bed a haven. Avoid doing wind down activities there. Don’t climb into bed until your eyelids are heavy and you want to sleep. The idea is to break the association between your bed and your wakefulness and angst. Think about it…you wouldn’t sit at the dinner table for hours waiting to be hungry.
In my next blog I will talk about things to do when you are lying in bed to facilitate sleep. Hypnosis may be a reasonable option to try if you are having trouble sleeping. If you have any questions about insomnia, please feel free to contact me at holtadams2002@yahoo.com or 361.442.9590.
I have received several inquiries lately about whether or not I do hypnosis virtually. I do not as I feel it is important to be in the same room as the client where I can observe reactions more closely and adjust my words to match the client’s reactions. This is a personal choice and there are hypnotists that do hypnosis virtually.