Getting a Better Nights Sleep - The 3 Week Challenge: Principle Three

Welcome to Week Three of the challenge to improve the quality and regularity of your sleep. By this stage, many of my clients report that they have noticed positive changes to their sleep. Often they also report feeling more in control of the things that usually stressed them out. The key was not being a slave to the challenges, rather they promised themselves that they would apply them as often as possible; around 80% of the time. 

The 80% Rule

We are not robots! We are fallible human beings and we cannot expect ourselves to behave and think in predictable ways all of the time. So often people will 'fall off the wagon' of their diet, exercise programme or combatting that annoying habit because they had a moment of 'weakness'. It isn't weak. It is the human condition and once we stop striving for most of the time (80%) we achieve what we set out, without the other 20% making any difference.  Following something, most of the time is more sustainable than all of the time. 

 By this stage, you will have become quite adept at catching and challenging those thoughts about your sleeping behaviour which have the potential to be negative suggestions for your unconscious.  You probably have spotted a few in conversation with others.

Avoid the Word Try

Consider this... the word try is a suggestion in itself. By inference, it is an implication of failure. If someone says:

"I'm going to try and lose weight"

or

"I'm going to try and not have a drink this weekend"


What does it really imply? It's a kind of language scapegoat and can enforce an expectation that something is not going to happen. Catch the word 'try' and remove it. Turn to the sentence in your mind into a statement of what is going to happen.

"Tonight, I will enjoy a deep, sound sleep"


Hopefully, you will experiment with adding some time to relax into your day-to-day life too. Remember it doesn't have to be connected with sleeping, it needs to be something which helps you take time away from the stresses and anxieties of the day.

So now time for Principle Three...

The 3 Better Sleep Principles

Pre-existing Conditions

Task: Are there other reasons you might struggle to sleep and seek help?

It is easy to become frustrated, particularly when you are sleep deprived, so it is important to take a moment to review other reasons your sleep is disturbed. Sometimes, I notice, clients have not thought about the logical reasons for their sleep problem which can be an obstacle to their efforts.

When a person is suffering with chronic pain, on-going mental health conditions and even the menopause, there is quite often a reasonable explanation for their sleeping problem. Seeking advice from your doctor is a proactive step.

In some cases Hypnotherapy can help manage the situation and support you to better sleep. You are being proactive to review your situation and seek out the assistance you need.

Key Point: You may still benefit from principals one and two, but results may differ because of those pre-existing conditions. The key it to be proactive: apply the principles and review the results, ask for help where required rather than stopping altogether. Believe that you can benefit from challenging unhelpful expectations around sleep. Take control of the progress you make and take control of asking for support when it would help.


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