“There is a time for many words, and there is also a time for sleep.” – Homer, The Odyssey
By Shawn McAndrew
As I talk with people lately, many complain about not being able to sleep, or getting too few hours of sleep at night. I am one of them. I lie awake at night thinking about what needs to be done, worrying about what might be, wondering if I’ll stay healthy. So many things to think about!
Sleep!
As we find out quickly in the Process, teachers emphasize how important it is to get 8 hours of sleep. They check in with us each morning and ask this very question – how many hours did we sleep last night? If we’re not getting enough sleep, we may not have the attention span or brain power to stay engaged during class. Afterall, we’re there to learn how to leave behind old patterns and learn new ways of being.
This is true for our life outside of the Process, too. Staying present, functioning well, and being centered and grounded are affected by how much sleep we get. There are hundreds if not thousands of sleep studies that show how our bodies and emotions are affected by how much rest we get – or lack thereof.
Tools for Sleep
These days, there are so many things that are adding to the stress and anxiety of life. We each have our own personal stressors, as well as community and world-wide stresses. As we experience more unknown or outside-the-norm problems, our body, intellect, and emotions suffer. There are some Hoffman tools that we can use, such as Quadrinity Check-In, Dark Side Stomp, guided visualizations, and more. There are also thousands of resources online to help get us centered and calm so that we can rest and rejuvenate.
UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center has created a body scan meditation that is a good relaxation technique. If you’re familiar with the EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping method, check out this rest-inducing visualization. I googled sleep meditations and found many resources for both visualizations as well as music that streams for as long as you want to listen. Any of it is worth a try.
Release & Relax
Above all, mindfulness is the first step to getting a handle on what’s keeping us up at night. From there, we can take the steps needed to release and relax. I know it’s easier said than done, but letting go of the chatter is a priority in order to reduce that stress. Happy sleeping!
Jennifer
10/18/21 at 12:52 PM
It’s interesting to me how all of the biohackers and wellness podcasts love to touch on this topic but they never mention addressing your emotions as a way of sleeping better. They tell you to take magnesium, draw the shades tight, turn the temperature down, drink valerian root tea, not eat two hours before bedtime, etc., etc., but they never talk about emotions.
What has been working for me (and I’ve tried all the biohacks above to no avail) when I wake up is to remind myself to get into my body and FEEL my thoughts instead of THINK my thoughts. I always fall back asleep.
We don’t feel enough. That is for sure.
Shawn
10/18/21 at 1:09 PM
Good point, Jennifer. Even though it seems the intellect is running the spin cycle, the emotions are certainly in there as well. It’s important to keep the whole Quadrinity in mind, and to attend to each aspect. Thanks!