If you are a clock watcher give yourself permission to rest whilst awake. Clock watchers tend to work themselves into a highly anxious state over the fact that more and more time is ticking by and your not asleep. You need to take your focus away from time and stop looking at the clock and allow your body and mind to just rest. Resting is the first stage of sleep. Tell yourself “I’m resting, time is unimportant and as I rest my mind floats, resting puts my body and mind at ease.”
The Doomsayer – “I can’t sleep and I’m completely miserable. Everything is messed up lately anyway. I can’t seem to make anything work out. Not even getting to sleep. Life’s just one negative experience after another. Now insomnia is another punishment I have to endure.”
If you identify more with the doomsayer replace the negative with a positive. You view your not sleeping as another negative experience beyond your control. Instead you need to remind yourself of the positive things that have come your way during the day. Focus your attention away from things that cause you to feel helpless. Say to yourself “ Several good things have happen today. The more I remain positive the more positive things will occur.”
The Fixer – “I have to figure out a way out of this one or I am going to be in deep trouble….what if I try to…I’ll say this to him and this is what he’ll say back… oh, there’s no way out and all I can do is go round in circles…what if i…”
If you see yourself more as a fixer, you need to relate night time to sleep and put away your problems. Whether there real or imaginary remove them from your mind until you are required to deal with them during the natural course of the day. If you’re a fixer repeat to yourself “I will put my issues away at night and deal with them at a better time.”