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This page gives detailed information
about the latest Help Myself Hypnosis release - Help Myself
Sleep. Designed to help even the most determined insomniac
drift off, this soporific self-hypnosis audio CD is also available
as an instant MP3 download.
End
insomnia now
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"When
you sleep well, you live better. And when you live better,
you sleep well"
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Paul McKenna
Falling asleep seems easy and
insignificant - until it stops happening! Then as a lack of
sleep impacts on quality of life, worry about sleeping creates
a vicious circle whereby anxiety makes sleep ever more elusive.
Help Myself Sleep can help you
break this cycle by
- Easing the transition from
wide awake to fast asleep by gently leading you into pleasant
hypnotic relaxation, which occurs naturally on that continuum.
- Creating what is termed a
'conditioned response'. By repeatedly associating the CD
with relaxation and subsequent sleep, you can train yourself
to sleep at will. This means that you can be confident not
only of being able to sleep at appropriate times but also
of being able to return to sleep if you should waken prematurely.
- Using hypnotic suggestion
to set up new expectations about your ability to sleep,
so alleviating sleep anxiety and restoring a sense of wellbeing
and natural control.
Your subconscious mind knows
how to sleep, just as it knows how to breathe, regulate your
body temperature and pump your heart at the correct speed.
Used on a regular basis, Help Myself Sleep will help you re-connect
with that innate ability and release your capacity for deep,
comfortable and refreshing sleep.
Help
Myself Sleep
To help maximise your enjoyment
of this CD, each of the 11 tracks are recorded separately
so that you can 'mix and match' according to your personal
preference. Whilst its best if you can find some time when
you're not likely to be disturbed, you will always be able
to respond appropriately to any interruption. However, it's
important that you do not play this CD whilst doing anything
else that requires your full attention.
I suggest you play the entire CD regularly at first. Once
you have created a subconscious association between the session
and sleep, you can then intersperse your personally edited
version (using your media player's programming facility) with
the full version. You should always include the reorientation
section at the end of your selection.
| Introduction
(track 1) |
Listen to this
track at least once. |
| Induction (tracks
2-5) |
Listen to the
whole section or choose any two of the first four tracks. |
| Deepener (tracks
6-8) |
Listen to the
whole section or just to your favourites. |
| Therapy Carrier
(tracks 9 & 10) |
Listen to the
whole section at least once. |
| Reorientation
(track 11) |
The final track
offers you the choice of either resuming your normal day-to-day
consciousness or continuing to drift into a pleasant,
natural sleep. |
Stages of Sleep
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Sleep occurs in a recurring
cycle of 90 to 110 minutes and is divided into two categories:
non-REM and REM sleep.
Non-REM Sleep
Stage One: Light Sleep
This occurs just as we are falling asleep when our thoughts
continue from our waking state but are no longer under
our conscious control. Our muscle activity slows down
and we can be woken up easily.
Stage Two: True Sleep
After 10 minutes of light sleep, we enter into true
sleep. Our breathing pattern and heart rate start to
slow down. Most of our sleep at night is spent in this
stage.
Stages Three &
Four: Deep Sleep
During deep sleep, our brain begins to produce delta
waves. Breathing and heart rate are at their lowest
levels. Stage four is characterised
by rhythmic breathing and limited muscle activity. If
we are woken from deep sleep, we do not adjust immediately
and often feel groggy and disorientated for a short
while.
REM Sleep
The first rapid eye movement
(REM) period usually begins about 70 to 90 minutes after
we fall asleep. We have around 3 to 5 REM episodes a
night. Although we are not conscious, the brain is very
active and this is the time when most dreams occur.
Rapid eye movement can be observed beneath the eyelids;
breathing rate and blood pressure rise.
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Ten Top Tips to Aid Natural
Sleep
In addition to using this
self-hypnosis audio CD, there are other practical steps
you can use to improve your sleep pattern.
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In the morning
(1) Set your alarm 20
minutes earlier than your current wake-up time every
day - and get up!
Clinical research at sleep
laboratories has demonstrated that this is the singe
most effective strategy for curing insomnia. Sleep is
a subconscious activity and outside our conscious control
but we are able to consciously control when we get up.
Getting up earlier re-adjusts your body clock and recalibrates
your natural sleep cycle.
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During the day
(2) Sort out your worries
during the day
I know it may be easier
said than done but it's a hugely practical step towards
getting a good night's sleep. As we drift towards sleep,
our subconscious mind often takes the opportunity to
work through what is called the 'residue of the day's
affects'. If these 'affects' are worries, the journey
to sleep can get arrested at this stage as our mind
goes round and round the problem instead.
Should you find yourself
caught in a cycle of worrying at night, try to find
the positive aspect of the worry. For every worry you
don't want, there is a corresponding solution you do
want. So if you worry about redundancies at work for
example, what you want is secure employment (or a second
income perhaps). Think of at least one step, however
small, that you can consciously take the very next day
to move towards your solution and write it down. Promise
yourself to take that step tomorrow - and do it!
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(3) No napping!
Daytime napping has the
potential to disrupt your sleep pattern. Even resting
with your eyes closed, you could unwittingly slip into
those first ten minutes of light sleep. This may then
impact on your urge to sleep at bedtime. Researchers
have discovered that many people who are awoken during
light sleep are unaware that they have slept at all.
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In the evening
(4) Early evening exercise
Take some exercise early
in the evening, such as a brisk walk. This stimulates
your muscles and heightens your alertness, which increases
the need for rest later on. The sleepiness of your natural
cycle is reinforced by physical tiredness when you go
to bed.
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(5) Eat a light meal but
cut down on alcohol and caffeine
You don't need me to remind
you that hunger pangs detract from your ability to relax
and sleep. This is not the time to skip a meal! Alcohol
doesn't help either. Although it may emphasise tiredness
at first, it also has a tendency to wake you up later
in the night. Caffeine acts as a stimulant and makes
a poor bedfellow. Even one cup of coffee during the
day can affect your sleep at night if you are sensitive
to it.
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(6) Turn off the television
and computer!
Light suppresses our natural
production of melatonin (the sleep hormone which is
secreted by the pineal gland) and scientists researching
the light/melatonin connection have discovered that
blue light - emitted by all light but particularly that
from television and computers - is a big no-no when
it comes to sleeping. Anyway, exposure to the current
doom and gloom in the media just before bed may trigger
that worry cycle! Try giving it a miss and spend some
time relaxing by candle (or fire) light instead - natural
flames emit very little blue light.
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(7) Allow time to wind
down
Dr Rubin Naiman, a sleep
specialist and clinical assistant professor of medicine
at the University of Arizona's Centre for Integrative
Medicine suggests "There's a critical period of
transition from day to night that few people pay attention
to, because we unthinkingly extend our waking ways into
the night. The secret to a good night's sleep is a good
day's waking and you need to give yourself at least
20 minutes to shift gear from waking to sleeping".
Focus on acquiring some
good pre-bedtime wind down habits. If you can incorporate
them into a bedtime routine, so much the better because
your subconscious mind will learn to associate your
routine with going to sleep. This is a good time to
listen to your CD and it will help you set up this conditioned
response. In addition, as you relax the blood vessels
in your hands, feet and face dilate enabling a decrease
in body temperature essential to falling asleep. A hot
bath or massage before bed works well for the same reason.
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Going to bed
(8) Get the temperature
right
Temperature is crucial.
Your bedding should be snug and the air around you slightly
cooler. Dr Chris Idzikowski, director of the Edinburgh
Sleep Centre recommends a bedroom temperature of 18
- 21 degrees Centigrade. He explains
"Your biological
clock orchestrates a 24-hour rhythm and one of the most
important aspects for sleep is the way it reduces body
temperature at night………if that doesn't happen, you'll
have real problems sleeping."
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(9) Beds are for sleeping…
Make sure your bed is
associated with sleep, not with being alert and active
- so don't eat, read books, watch TV, use your laptop,
chat on the phone or socialise! Your bed should be a
quiet, comfortable, cosy place dedicated only to sleep.
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10) If you're not asleep
in bed, get up!
According to Dr Naiman
"Normal sleep requires
a willingness to spend 10 - 20 minutes alone with ourselves
in the dark".
so if you are in bed and
awake for longer than about 30 minutes, get up and do
something boring. It's important that your bed is associated
with sleep, not with restless tossing and turning and
it's equally important that your mind learns that it
will not be rewarded with anything interesting if it
keeps you awake. Go back to bed only when you feel drowsy,
tired and ready to sleep.
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Buy
Help Myself Sleep NOW
Don't forget to contact
me if you have any questions or feedback
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