UNLEASHING YOUR SLEEP POTENTIAL A Strategy for Peaceful and Rejuvenating Sleep

Sleeping well is critical for maintaining an ongoing sense of personal vitality. It does not take many nights of poor sleeping before we begin feeling unwell during the day, with low energy, and unable to focus, concentrate, and perform at our best. In this, not sleeping well is a problem that undermines our sense of vitality. Now for some people, this is a big problem.

The reason why it’s a big problem is because when you experience poor sleep, and when you toss and turn during the night, you will probably not be in your optimal state in the following days. And if that continues for several days or weeks, you will suffer numerous physical and mental symptoms: you will not be feeling well, you’ll feel the loss of energy, zest, vitality. You will not be mentally alert and your memory will be less than what it can be. With the experience of sleep deprivation, your work will suffer, the quality of your work will suffer, you will have little bouts of walking sleep when you tune out during the day. And all of this is the foundation for accidents, both little ones and big ones. It’s a problem.

Poor sleep and sleep deprivation for extended period of time will undermine your physical health, your mental well-being, and your emotional vitality. None of this is good. So what can we do? Using the NLP Communication Model, let’s explore the inner structures of the subjective experience and model both “not sleeping well” and “peaceful, rejuvenating sleep.” At that point, we can then use Neuro-Semantic modeling to explore our Inner Game of Sleeping.

The Not-Sleeping Well Strategy How does a person create the experience of not sleeping well? To achieve that, you have to go to bed with too much on your mind. It could simply be “all the things I have to do.” And these things could be exciting and fun things, but they will be things to do nevertheless. But more likely, a better strategy for not sleeping well is to go to be in a state of stress. Feel worn out mentally and emotionally. Worry and fret about all you have to do. Be apprehensive about being able to get it all done. So stay up and “burn the candle” on both ends.

If that’s the case, you can amply it by jumping into bed and rushing from staying up too late to suddenly getting into bed. Do that without any transition time, or if there is a transition, make sure it is not a smooth transition. And another amplifier could be to watch some exciting or action-pack TV show or movie that gets you all revved up. Or watch the news, especially if you don’t know how to watch it without it stressing you.

But the best way to create poor sleeping is to go to bed distressed. This goes beyond stress. Go to bed fearful, intensely worried, angry, sad, depressed, etc. that is, be sure to take all of your troubles to bed with you! That will pretty much guarantee that you’ll have a fitful sleep.

The Rejuvenating Sleep Strategy By knowing how we can really mess up what should be a natural process gives insight into the changes that we need to make.

Stage 1: Prepare for restful sleep. Take time to slow things down. Create a ritual or several rituals that you can use to make a smooth transition from the day’s and the evening’s activities to the last activity of getting into bed. What will you do to slow down? What preparations will you make in your home and your bedroom? If you have a lot of things yet to do ... you may get into the habit of writing down your “to do list” for the next day. If you feel stressed, you might write down your stresses, identify the triggers as well as your thinking and believing about them. The very act of writing, as a neuro-muscular activity, is a process that you can use to de-stress. Or perhaps you need to talk it out. If so, what preparations will you set up for yourself?

Stage 2: The Transition Stage. Having things prepared will enable you to smoothly, and in a relaxed way, engage in the ritual or rituals that you will set up. Here is a list of some possibilities.

A relaxing bath or shower. Some stretched or deep breathing. Listening to some slow relaxing music Reading something for pleasure– poetry, novel. Having a glass of milk, or warm tea Turning down the lights for the last 20 minutes of the day, Lighting candles Meditating and/or Praying Doing a Releasing of the tensions of the day Invent an imaginary trip to a quiet place in your mind

Stage 3: Into Bed You Go. As you do, be sure that you link and anchor your bed to sleep and to love making. Do not read in bed. Do not do homework, or projects in bed. Keep the bed your space for sleeping so that it cues you for sleeping and love-making.

Set a thought in your mind: “I wonder what I’ll dream about tonight...” And then let it go. “My creative unconscious will handle that. I don’t have to know.”

Meta-Strategies for the Rejuvenating Sleeping Pattern All of that is at the primary state level: your behaviors, actions, environment, immediate thoughts and emotions. Now let’s go meta. Let’s explore your Inner Game of Sleep and see what meta-states and meta-level framing of beliefs, decisions, identities, understandings, permissions, etc. that are operational and that may need to change.

What do you understand and believe about sleep? Is it a waste of time? Or is it your time to rejuvenate in mind and body? “Restful sleep is the source of my energy and vitality.” What do you believe about time and about the time of your life? That you don’t have enough time? Or “I’ll take care of things tomorrow.” “There’s wonderful things to do in the coming days.” “No need to rush.” “Sleeping is essential for integrating my learnings.”

What do you believe about dreaming? “I commission my creative unconscious to delight me with

dreams that will make me a better and more resourceful person.” And I don’t have to remember the dreams.

What do you believe about achievements, work, activities,. What do you believe about people calling or receiving calls late at night?

Checklist __ I take time to slow down for 30 minutes prior to going to bed. __ I have developed at least one ritual for the transition from the day to going to sleep.

__ A relaxing bath or shower. __ Some stretched or deep breathing. __ Listening to some slow relaxing music __ Reading something for pleasure– poetry, novel. __ Having a glass of milk, or warm tea __ Turning down the lights for the last 20 minutes of the day, __ Lighting candles __ Meditating and/or Praying __ Doing a Releasing of the tensions of the day __ Invent an imaginary trip to a quiet place in your mind

__ Before going to sleep I use at least one of the following to de-stress.

__ I write a “to do” list for the next day. __ I do some breathing and stretching exercises. __ I go through my office and open and close every draw. __ I do a mental inventory of the things accomplished and therefore done.

__ To sleep really well, I __ Set a thought in your mind: “I wonder what I’ll dream about tonight...” __ I mentally let things go. __ I use the Neuro-Semantic pattern for Releasing.

__ I have or I am developing the following enhancing beliefs for sleep: __ “I believe that restful sleep is the source of my energy and vitality.” __ “I believe I have plenty of time to do the things that are important.” __ “I believe I can and will take care of unfinished things tomorrow.” __ “I believe there are wonderful things to do in the coming days.” __ “I believe there is no need to rush.” __ “I believe that sleeping is essential for integrating my learnings.” _______________________________________________________