I discovered a new sleep hack I can add to the ones I shared previously. In my Elder Rest post I distinguished between hacks to help me fall asleep at bedtime from those needed when waking up in the middle of the night. I have the most trouble falling back asleep at around 4:00 am. By that time 2-3 sleep cycles already have occurred.
For falling back asleep in the wee hours holding Cindy’s hand and deep breathing help. Counting the deep breaths turns this tactic into a mindfulness form of counting sheep. Perhaps brought about by the long snow season, I now have a third wee hour tactic. I go for a walk/jog in my mind.
During “outdoor” season I go for 5-10 mile jaunts pushing Cindy in the adult stroller. During “indoor” season I occasionally manage to go outside for 3-5 mile jaunts. I have followed a handful of routes hundreds of times, ingraining each one into my mind. The saying “I can do that in my sleep,” literally applies here.
When I go for hikes in the waking world I sometimes have a particular problem I want to solve. My mind drifts instead to wherever it wants to go instead. The same principle applies to the sleep world. We stay awake because too much weighs on our minds. By going for that walk in my mind my thoughts turn to my “surroundings” rather than my issues. Pair this with deep breathing and you have a form of meditation.
I still recommend deep breathing and counting first if you only need one strategy to fall asleep in the wee hours. I often need two. If you go for frequent walks over familiar routes, which you should do anyways for other health reasons if possible, add this new hack for a form of meditation. Then again, holding a partner’s hand if you have one helps two people. All three hacks can be done simultaneously, essentially meditating while at one with someone else.
I am starting to sound like a New Age guru. Please offer your own sleep hacks in the comments if you have them. Like and share this one with others. Encourage your friends to subscribe.