A New Cure For Insomnia

So many of us are stuggling with sleep insomnia that it has become to the point that we just accept anxiety insomnia and believe that it is an unfortunate but normal part of our lives. We have become accustomed to all of the symptoms: Thinking about our stresful jobs and relationships as we try to fall asleep, constant tossing and turning, not being able to wake up, bags under our eyes and chronic fatigue and dependance on caffine during the daytime.

We've been on lots of self-help website for sleeping disorders that have suggested insomnia remedies and treatment such as sleeping in a clean bed, not watching TV after a certain hour or working in bed and drinking warm milk. We've tried various sleeping aids and medication to no avail and still are struggling with chronic insomnia.

I have been dealing with not being able to fall asleep since childhood. The specific causes for insomnia are different for all of us. Some may be environmental and some may be genetic. In my case they have been both as a close family member is a chronic sufferer of sleeping disorders.

However, I have discovered a wonderful new insomnia remedy which does not require any sleeping medication or the need to spend one dime. Here's how it works:

1. Understand that your mind is your own. You have to realize that YOU ARE THE OWNER AND CONTROLER OF YOUR OWN MIND.By that I mean that your mind belongs to you and nobody else. What you think and what you allow to go through your head and the way you interpret external stimulous is under your control and your responsability.

2. Take back control of your thoughts. Often when you're trying to fall asleep you start thinking about a million and one subjects at the same time. You think about your boss, your colleagues, your spouse, your friends, your hobbies and even your goals and dreams. But, realize this: While it's good to think about these things as the thoughts can indeed be positive they WON'T HELP YOU ONE BIT in your efforts to fall asleep! Indeed, planning tomorrow's work project from the matress probably won't earn you one penny!

3. Employ my counting technique. Now that you've realized the importance of taking back control of your own thoughts you need to practice a mental exercise. Buddhist meditiation teaches us to clear our minds and think of nothing. I find this impossible. I just can't do it. However, I have a similar technique which helps me enormously to fall asleep: COUNTING BACKWARDS. Here's how it works.

Close your eyes. Make sure none of the muscles in your body are tense. In your mind go from your head to your toes making sure your muscles are loose. This includes the muscles in your mouth. For some reason these muscles often remain tense even when we think we're relaxed.

Now, you need to close your eyes and envision the number 100. You will think "one hundred" to yourself and actually picture how the number looks. Make a three-dimentional image of the number in your mind and breathe in. Now breath out completely keeping your mind fixated on that number 100. If you find yourself starting to thing of your work or colleagues remind yourself that you're incontrol and go back to that number 100!

Next, rather than counting down to 99 your next number will be 98. Picture the number 98 in your mind and say it to yourself as your breath in. Picture it anyway you want. It can even be a three-dimentional 98 covered with lots of shiny bling! Now, same thing: breath out slowly and stay on that 98.

Now here's the tricky part: Your next number is 99. Repeat my breathing process with the number 99 - in and out. All you care about is the number 99. Nothing else - your boss, your annoying neighbor, anything - matters. Breath out. Your next number is 97. Same process.

So, your counting process goes like this: 100-98, 99-97, 98-96, 97-95, 96-94, 95-93, 94-92, 93-91, 92-90 etc.

Based on my experience I've found that I'm usually asleep by at least the mid-to-upper 80s. Your mind will be so focused on those numbers and with the breathing technique incorporated you simply will not be able to think about all those other subjects keeping you up and you'll fall asleep within minutes.

BONUS: Note to readers who have a second or third language. I speak five languages. I find that when do my counting technique with one of my foreign languages such as French or Mandarin Chinese I fall asleep twice as fast. Try this and you'll be amazed.

If you're still with me on this article thanks for reading! If you'd like to try my technique I'd love to know how it worked for you in the comments below. And, if you have any other suggestions for me for curing insomnia I'd love to hear them!