"My problem is that I have a very hard time falling asleep"
I can see how this could be a problem. This being the case I think there are some things I can think of that may help.
When you wake up in the morning before attempting a WILD be sure to avoid bright lights, especially blue lights, moving around too much, and anything that is too stimulating, this will get your waking neurotransmitters revved up.
If this does not fix the problem try some simple breathing or meditation methods like following the breath. Some have suggested reading, but only things that wont get your mind racing, like the dictionary, encyclopedia, or something like that perhaps, something boring.
"For me, the little effort that I must use to remain focused during WILD is enough to prevent me from falling asleep"
I have had good results using the amino acid L-theanine, it relaxes your mind and makes you more focused at the same time. So you can remain calm without becoming 'out of it', or losing your concentration. Amino acids are nice because they are used by the body/brain to make neurotransmitters, L-theanine increases GABA, Serotonin, Dopamine, and Norepinephrine, it also increases calming alpha brain waves. If your insomnia/anxiety is related to sub-optimum neurotransmitter levels of these four mentioned, this could potentially be very helpful.
There are some pretty good herbs out there that may help, such as chamomile or passionflower, if you do take these before attempting a WILD I would suggest using them in small amounts because they tend to make one too tired and unable to concentrate and taking too much of these particular herbs may depress REM sleep, but everyone is different, it may come down to a process of trial and error on that point.
If it is your body which bothers you try some light stretching or a magnesium supplement.
"dont most successful WILD practitioners have in common the ability to fall asleep easily?"
I have not thought about this, but it does makes sense. You said that you have had trouble going to sleep and have for a long time. I am sorry to hear of your problems with insomnia, I know first hand how annoying that can be. I think your brain is wired a bit on the over active or anxiety side of the spectrum, I am just guessing on this point of course. This can be fixed, the brain is very capable of changing. One would in that case need to put into practice some life style changes like daily exercise and meditation. Then one can look into various amino acids, minerals, and vitamins, which can push your brain more toward the middle where it ideally should be.
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