Thread: Sleep And That

Wow - that's a messed up sleep schedule! Yeah, I'd say you're definitely NOT getting enough sleep or rest to perform at your peak every day.

Have you tried any relaxation techniques? First off, you need to go to bed earlier. If you normally go to bed around 2am-3am, try going an hour earlier for 5-7 days at a time. So go to bed at 1am for 5 days, then go to bed at 12pm for 5 days, then 11pm for 5 days, etc. You'll want to do it gradually to give your body time to adjust.

And make sure you're getting up at around the same time everyday, too. If you're sleeping in some days and not others, it's going to be a lot harder to go to bed earlier.

You need to wind yourself down to be able to fall asleep. You can't allow your mind to teem with thoughts and keep you awake. You can try reading in bed (that always makes me sleepy), or there are other relaxation techniques you can try such as the 61 point technique.

My personal favorite visualizing a large blackboard in my mind. All the thoughts that are running through my mind at that moment are written in words on the blackboard, moving and changing all the time. I take a big eraser and visualize myself wiping it clean and blank. Then I concentrate on keeping it clear. If my mind wanders, see the words appearing on the blackboard again, and then erase them again. Then keep concentrating on keeping it clear. The blackboard represents your mind. Keep your mind blank and clear as the blackboard. Usually the effort of doing this will make me tired enough to drift off to sleep.