Relaxation Tips Newsletter

I'm Candi, with Inner Health Studio. Welcome to Edition 22 of Inner Health Studio Relaxation Tips.

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In This Issue...

Inner Health Studio Updates and News
New Relaxation Scripts
Tip of the Month: Why Your Sleep Routines Don't Work

Inner Health Studio Updates and News

Inner Health Studio has officially been in operation for two years!

Don't forget to check out my new book, Words to Relax: Relaxation Scripts for Personal Growth and Stress Relief, by Candi Raudebaugh. This book can be purchased through Amazon.com or Amazon.ca, too.

As a subscriber to this newsletter, you can purchase Words to Relax for just $29.95 (list price $35.95) using this discount code: 4E9Q3S6Z

Words to Relax is an instructional book for how to relax, and includes more than 60 relaxation scripts you can use to experience the relaxation response.

New Relaxation Scripts

Calming Down from Good News
This relaxation script is for calming down from good news. It will help you achieve a state of calm so you can focus or sleep as needed.

Music Imagery
This music imagery story was written by Diana. It is a mystical story that uses pretty words and music to help to get rid of phobias, specifically, the fear of needles.

Dealing with Rejection or Failure
Our own self-talk can contribute to the pain and low self-esteem that is sometimes associated with rejection or failure. This relaxation script will help you to identify and change upsetting thoughts.

Tip of the month: Why Your Sleep Routines Don't Work

Do you feel rested when you wake up in the morning?

Do you fall asleep within 30 minutes most nights?

Do you have energy while you are awake?

Are you able to concentrate?

Do you usually sleep through the night?

If you answered no to any of these questions, you might have a problem with insomnia.

If you find that your sleep routines do not work, here are some of the possible causes:
- routines are not consistent
- worrying or thinking too much when trying to sleep
- an environment that interferes with sleep-wake cycles
- ineffective ways of dealing with insomnia when it occurs

Routines are not consistent

For sleep routines to be effective, they need to incorporate the right things and be implemented consistently enough. This includes:

- Sleep timing. It is necessary to go to bed on time and get up on time - not too early or too late. Try to allow for 6 - 8 consecutive hours of sleep. Sleep routines can be established most effectively by going to bed and getting up close to the same times each day (within 1 - 2 hours is ideal).

- Exercise. It is important to get regular exercise that increases the heart rate. Timing is important - exercise early in the day can help to increase energy and wakefulness, while exercise too late in the day can interfere with winding down to go to sleep. Try to do vigorous exercise no later than 2 -4 hours before bedtime.

- Nutrition. Make sure to get adequate nutrition to help your body fuel itself. Keep meals light if eaten late in the day. Avoid being very hungry or very full at bedtime. Food intake is an effective way to re-set circadian rhythms. Eating a morning meal is very important to provide adequate energy and to signal your body that it is time to wake up.

- Bedtime routine. A consistent bedtime routine can help train your body to go to sleep. For the half hour or hour before you go to bed, keep a routine that you do every day at bedtime. Include calming activities and self-care. For example, use activities such as reading, a warm bath, brushing teeth, putting on pajamas and relaxation techniques. Try to do the same activities in the same order every day.

Worrying or thinking too much when trying to sleep

Worrying is one of the leading causes of insomnia. When the mind is busy it can be difficult to go to sleep. In order to go to sleep, the brain needs to decrease waking activity patterns and enter stage 1 of sleep. Thinking and worrying interfere with this process.

Strategies to help slow thinking and calm the mind for sleep include:
- Before going to bed, write down the things you are worrying about so you can deal with them in the morning.
- Do a relaxation or meditation technique.
- Listen to music, calming sounds (like waves or birds singing), or white noise.

An environment that interferes with sleep-wake cycles

Environment plays an important role in establishing sleep-wake cycles. The body gets cues from the environment that tell the brain when it is time to be awake and when it is time to sleep. In addition, some environmental factors can promote sleep or interfere with sleep. It is necessary to sleep in a room that is cool, dark, and quiet. More details:

- Light is the number one factor that impacts sleep. It is necessary to get exposure to bright light every day and exposure to darkness every night. Some environments do not easily provide this. It may be necessary to use a full-spectrum lamp (regular household lighting is not adequate) to increase bright light exposure during the day if you do not get at least 1 hour of exposure to natural light. At night, even a small amount of light at night can interrupt sleep. Avoid leaving television sets or lights on at night. Some people even find that the light from a clock display interferes with sleep. A sleep mask worn over the eyes can ensure darkness at night.

- Temperature. The body cools down a few degrees with sleep. A room that is too warm can make sleep difficult, as can a room that is too cold. Try to keep the temperature at night a few degrees lower than the temperature during the day and use bedding that allows you to be comfortable.

- Noise. Sounds can interfere with sleep. Try to keep the room quiet at night, or use white noise or earplugs to block out sounds.

Ineffective ways of dealing with insomnia when it occurs

It is normal to have trouble sleeping sometimes, but regular insomnia signifies a problem. Insomnia can include:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Interrupted sleep; waking up in the middle of sleep
- Waking up too early

Good sleep includes falling asleep within half an hour most of the time, waking up once or twice in the night but going back to sleep afterward, and sleeping for a total of 6 - 8 hours at one time Sleeping for 4 hours, getting up for 4 hours, and then sleeping for another 4 hours is not as effective as sleeping for 6 hours in a row (waking up for a few minutes once or twice during this 6 hours is okay).

When insomnia occurs, we often respond in ways that are not effective, such as:
- Worrying about getting to sleep and using negative self-talk, for example, “I’m going to be so tired in the morning. I need to get to sleep right now!”
- Staying in bed for hours trying to sleep without success
- Using sleep medications on a long-term basis, or using alcohol or other substances to fall asleep. When using any substance to induce sleep, the brain does not usually enter the deeper stages of sleep, resulting in less restful sleep and minimal healing and restoration.
- Changing the sleep schedule, for example, a person who has difficulty falling asleep may stay up later and get up later in the morning. This may be effective for a day or two, but if done frequently, this can upset the sleep-wake cycle.

Effective ways of dealing with insomnia:

- When experiencing difficulty falling asleep, use a bedtime routine and relaxation techniques to help you fall asleep. If you are still awake after 30 - 60 minutes, get up for 20 minutes and do something boring (read the telephone book or have a small glass of milk, for example). Then go back to bed and use relaxation techniques to help you go to sleep. Repeat as needed, reminding yourself that your body will eventually sleep. A night or two of missed sleep is unpleasant but manageable. If the insomnia persists, see a doctor.

- When the insomnia involves waking up at night or waking up too early, simply stay in bed and do relaxation techniques to fall back asleep. Avoid getting up or thinking too much about the fact that you have awoken. Remind yourself that it is normal to wake up at times during the night, and that you will soon be back asleep. If you remain awake for 30 - 60 minutes, use the techniques above for dealing with difficulty falling asleep. If the insomnia persists, see a doctor.

- Keep a sleep diary to record what time you go to bed, what time you fall asleep, how often you awaken in the night, what time you wake up, and what time you get out of bed. A sleep diary can help you identify patterns, for instance, if you find that you wake up at 5am every morning, perhaps you have a neighbor with a loud vehicle who leaves every morning at this time. This could explain early awakening and allow you to solve the problem with ear plugs or white noise.

The following relaxation scripts can help decrease insomnia:

Sleep Relaxation

Guided sleep relaxation is a natural sleep aid that will help you unwind and simply sleep. Listen to this relaxation script any time you need to drift easily into deep, healthy sleep.

Sleep Countdown

This sleep countdown is a guided relaxation script that will help you fall asleep. Focusing the mind allows you to decrease the thoughts that can interfere with falling asleep, and teach you how to allow thoughts to pass rather than dwelling on them and remaining alert.

Get Back to Sleep

Getting back to sleep can be difficult, especially for those who experience insomnia. Relaxation is how to sleep after waking up by relaxing your mind and body again. This relaxation script will help you to calm your thoughts and return your body to a sleepy, restful state.

Relaxation for Taking a Nap

This relaxation is for calming the mind and falling asleep for a short sleep or for taking a nap. It can help you to get restful sleep when you will not be sleeping for very long.

Body Scan Sleep Relaxation

This body scan sleep relaxation uses a variety of relaxation techniques to help calm the mind and body and drift off to sleep.