Thread: Threecat's Stolen Sleep Tips

This was originally a bulletted list I made for a lucid dreaming class. I have transcribed it here for your benefit. I can also answer questions about it. These are many practices from different sources, but also what I do on a nightly basis, so I am familiar with them and how they work (which means I know they aren't bullshit). The mind is affected by anything, and there is literally nothing in our subjective world that doesn't happen to the mind. Even though the mind is so important in the practice of lucid dreaming, easing the mind into sleep is an overlooked aspect of the practice, and something ignored in western culture in general. These are a few steps to help calm the mind before bed.

Attitude

• Sleep refreshes our bodies, renews our minds, and stimulates our creative processes. Rather than being a state we avoid as long as possible, it can alternatively be something we look forward to and enjoy immensely, as much as or even more than our daily life.
• Getting ready for bed can also subtly shift levels of our consciousness to be in a more relaxed and free way of being. At the end of the day, I divest myself of all concerns of daily life. I prepare for sleep with a (mostly) calm mind. The problems of today are no longer problems. In the dark, you can’t even see them. So I say.

Preparation I--Winding Down

• Get ready for bed between one and two hours before you actually need to go to bed. I would suggest dimming the lights if you have that capability, or use lower-wattage bulbs.
• Avoid cost-saving bulbs that look all twisty--they emit blue light like Satan laughing at you. Use the older bulbs--the wattage is lower and you can read this on the package when you buy them When “bedtime” approaches, you can hopefully drift gently to sleep--with awareness!
• During this time, avoid using devices and screens--i.e. t.v., computer (devices both stimulate the mind ("what that bitch said on Twitter?????") and inhibit the natural production of melatonin)
• Accept that night is falling. The day is over. It's over. Really. Now you can segue into the next part of your life, the night.

Preparation II: Loose Ends

• This includes bathing, brushing teeth, etc.
• Feeding pets
• Preparing anything that needs to be done the following morning
• Laying out clothes
• Making lunch, etc.

Preparation III: Relaxation

• Take a hot bath and burn fragrances that please and relax you. I often use nag champa incense and lavender oil, and I smoke and steam up the bathroom. Wonderful.
• Hot drink: I normally make a mug of hot soy milk, or some tea with butter and cinnamon, or something good, and sit and drink it before bed. I feel this aids the relaxation process, as the body is warm and comfortable. In yoga, heat is synonymous with life force, and it is said that a mug of hot liquid can balance the prana. If the prana is balanced, the mind is at ease. See if it does anything for you
• If you have a spiritual space in the house (shrine, altar, etc.) spend a few minutes in front of it in:
• Meditation
• Prayer
• Relaxation practices
• Affirmations for the night

Coup d Grace: The Final Blow to Stubborn Wakefulness

• Accupressure sleep mat: I purchased one of these online and it works gorgeously. It hurt on the first couple of days, and now it feels like heaven. Or some other bliss realm. And you can feel your body relaxing into the plastic points. This releases feel-good chemicals into the body as well!
• Naukasana: Hopefully will post a video of this at some point, but essentially the most fruitful of relaxation techniques I have found. Used prior to yoga nidra, and has helped me fall into a WILD at least twice now.
• Massage: Massage the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet in a clockwise motion. More accupressure therapy to put the body to sleep. Works very well.

Hour of the Wolf

• Depending on your daily allotment of blue light, the hour of the wolf is either calming or fraught with anxiety
• This is due to the body’s ability to create a continual supply of prolactin
• Please see my link about melatonin/prolactin for more info: http://www.dreamviews.com/sleep-heal...ml#post2184710
• Your body does know what it is doing, and waking up in the middle of the night is natural
• If you have the day off, it’s great, because it’s a natural WBTB
• Avoid screens and lights, as this will cause your brain to stop producing melatonin (because it thinks it’s morning) and you will become more active
• Candle may be OK if you would like to read, but any light will upset your brain’s natural circadian rhythm

Waking Up

• If done correctly (and you go to bed early enough), you should be waking up before your alarm in a place of relative serenity (maybe even in hypnopompic state, if you have had a night of lucid adventures)
• Review the adventures of the night (both waking and sleeping), maybe meditate some
• Set intention for daily practice ("Today I will recognize when I am dreaming.")
• Get ready for a good day

Doing all of these may not be feasible at first. I do them because getting ready for bed is my jam. My very low-key, calm-abiding jam. In the dark . Whatever helps the mind switch to wisdom mode. Good luck.