Tips to Help You Fall Asleep and Stay Asleep

Is insomnia bothering you? Check out these tips that derive from the wisdom of Taoism and Zen.

There are literally more than 50 million Americans suffering from one form of sleeping disorders or another. This is really a shocking figure, isn’t it? Although I am lucky to not have any sleeping problems, I do get a taste of what it feels like lately. Thanks to my jet lag (I was traveling to Taiwan), I woke up at 2 or 3am and stayed awake afterwards, for several days straight. It was horrible. It was a nightmare (well, many nightmares, literally). And the daytime? I was totally blank. I had headache, can’t focus, and parts of my body ached too.

Now I am totally back to normal, with my biological clock in order again, and sleep well. I am very grateful for that, especially after a personal experience of insomnia. Some say “You don’t appreciate it until you lose it.” Unfortunately it’s very true. Since now I can better identify with the disorder than ever before, I felt a stronger need to share some tips that can help release the sleeping problem. I speak from others’ experiences that I had an opportunity to share. For Chan/Zen practitioners, the last one especially, you’ve got to give it a try.

1. Gentle exercise before bed: Any exercise that can get you into the sleeping mode is helpful. Do it gently — now it’s about relaxing, not building, the muscles. The objective here is to let the relaxation of the body translate to the relaxation of the mind. You may do some stretches, or some simple yoga poses (saving the more challenging ones for the day).

2. Jot down things in mind before bed: A lot of people can’t fall asleep simply because too many things are running through their mind. This is normal, and a tough one. Our mind seems like a machine that never tends to turn off. But perhaps this simple practice can help — jot down things in mind before bed. A piece of paper remembers better than your brain, so just let it take care of it and put your brain to rest. If you are a person who tends to worry a lot, then perhaps you need more than simple jotting things down — try meditation.

3. Make your bedtime regular: Our body has a rhythm, and a cycle, just like the sun and the moon. There are specific time that should better be dedicated to certain things. For instance, Chinese Medicine suggests a bedtime before 11pm everyday. If you do so regularly, this goes into your system so deeply that you are almost guaranteed to sleep better than you would have in an irregular lifestyle. The nature goes regularly, and if you go the same, you will be healthier according to Lao Tzu’s wisdom.

4. Do belly breathing in bed: Aside from its health benefits, belly breathing by itself is a calming practice. It gives you a calming body and mind. It brings your worrying and wandering mind to a stop, to a single focus — that is, the rise and fall of the belly. Since insomnia is often caused by a non-stopping mind, this practice is the best antidote to insomnia. Read below for instructions of belly breathing.

Breathing Techniques: Breathe Easy and Healthy

Daily Wisdom — Deepening Your Breathing

Daily Wisdom — Life Force and Breathing

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