Transition to Sleep - Heart Rate Awareness

Do you wonder how you will ever get to sleep? Do you feel like you lie awake in bed for hours? Do you want to make the most of your time in bed? You are not alone. If you are one of my clients, we have probably already practiced this together. So, here is a little reminder of an exercise to help you transition to sleep (or know when to get out of bed).

Transcript:

All right. Remembering wherever you practice this to be in a safe, comfortable environment… reducing distractions if possible. But, just going with them if they occur is a good practice. Today doing a body scan. Building awareness of sensations in the body, awareness of level of sleepiness, awareness of the heart beating, respiration. This is something you can practice during the day, or something you can do at night, lying in bed, learning how to transition from alert to asleep. Closing the eyes if you're ready and bringing the awareness to the top of the head. The face… as you scan your head, just in your mind labeling sensations, which may be warm or cool… sometimes tingling, pressure, relaxation. Scanning down the shoulders and the arms, labeling sensations. You may notice skin that's exposed to air… a different temperature. And just label. Down your neck and chest and back. Sensations that you notice through the belly in the lower back, the hips and the legs. Allowing yourself to adjust into more comfort as you bring awareness to the sensations in your body. Gently responding to the position you need. Past the knees and the calves. Good. The ankles and the feet. Just labeling sensation. Good. And now scaling from zero to ten, how sleepy you feel. Zero is not at all. ten is asleep. Then in your mind, a number. As you've become more aware… the sensations in your body, bring awareness to the beat of your heart. Some people feel this in their chest. And, some people feel this if they press a finger to a thumb. And, some people can hear this if they cover an ear. Some people can imagine this. Steady beating. Feeling as the awareness turns inward, the pace of the heart slowing ever so gently. Good. The breath becoming, steady, soft. Good. And now, with the least amount of effort, noticing sensations that may have changed. Passively noticing the body sensations. Now again scaling from 0 to 10. How sleepy you feel. Just with interest… noticing how your brain and your body are transitioning into a different state, which may be more sleepy. And if it is, keep going. The awareness of the heart beating, steady and slow. In the case that sleepiness isn't available… perhaps not even needed… practicing in the day, just using this as an awareness to respond. Knowing if you are more awake or still awake, you can get out of bed. You can get up and use this energy. Do something calm. And if it's at night… returning to bed and trying again, whenever you feel sleepy. Just knowing it's a process of training, understanding, allowing the brain and the body to gradually shift, letting go of expectation. Good. And when you're practicing, if it's day, you'll bring yourself up and out of the state of sleepiness, alerting yourself, opening your eyes and adjusting to light. Allowing yourself to become completely awake, like you will in the morning… refreshed…looking forward to what you'll do with the energy you have at the beginning of the day or midday if you've done this as an exercise. And when you practice this at night, knowing that when you transition to sleep, you can stay asleep, you can recover going through all of the stages of sleep until it's time to wake. Your body knows, you respond to your alarm. At that time, completely alert, completely awake, but not until it's time. Just knowing in any emergency, you can respond and alert, knowing there in your brain, you will know the hours of sleep can be most calm until the moment you wake Good.

*Disclaimer: Contents of this blog and throughout this site are intended as additional resources for people already in or considering psychotherapy. It is not a replacement for therapy and if at any point you feel you are in crisis, please call the National Crisis Line 1-844-493-8255, Text "Talk" to 38255, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.