Just a few last things to wrap this up and provide some potential sleep inducing practices. If you have questions or comments on any of these pages, please submit in the comment section for that page.
One more thought though on body and room temperature. Some people sleep with their feet out of the blanket or sheet, this may be your way to regulate your body temperature and if it works well, that's great. You may also want to try to have a cooler room, in which case you may need to keep your feet warmer.
Most people will not need to make all the changes mentioned in the series. Try or or two at a time and see how it goes, if you need to, try others. Don't add the stress of trying to do it perfectly.
Now for some additional potential techniques you can do your self, and some you can help a child or teen do.
1. Try breathing in deeply through the nose and out through your mouth. As you are doing this (and this really bothers some people, so if that's you, don't do it) listen for and count your heart beats as you breath in and breath out. Try to get about 4 heart beats with your in-breath and 4 with your out-breath.
2. Pay attention to your hands and/or feet and imagine them getting warmer. Do this while you are breathing in and out deeply. Don't try to pay attention to your heart, just imagine your hands and/or feet warming.
3. As you are breathing in and out deeply, press down into the mattress with your feet. Press down as you breath in, hold your breath for from 2 to 10 seconds (about, don't time yourself) then relax freely as you breath out. Next do this with your legs, then your buttocks, then your hands, then your shoulders, and finally your head. You can do this succession more than once.
4. There is an old story about a person who found a bottle with a genie in it. The person rubbed the bottle and out came a genie. The genie told the person that all their wishes would be granted until they had no more, and then the genie would consume the person. This person thought that a great deal and though they would never run out of wishes, but eventually there were few things left for the person to request. So... the person spoke to a wise old sage asking what to do to avoid being consumed. The sage said to wish for a long pole and wish the genie to climb up and down the pole until there was another need or wish. That is what the person did and the genie staying busy climbing up and down the pole is similar to our deep breathing, it is a way for us to take our minds off the troubles of the world. As you breathe deeply, in and out, you might envision a genie climbing up and down a pole.
5. For some, this may seem almost as odd as the last, but may also be effective. As you are breathing in and out, say in your mind... ah ... ing. As you breath in deeply, you should be able to say it about 3 times and as you breath out, about 3 times. Do not say it out loud, just in your mind.
6. There is a very simple technique I use quite regularly. I breath both in and out though my nose and listen to/feel my heart beat. I count, usually, four beats as I breathe in and four as I breathe out. I simply pay attention to his and am often asleep very quickly.
7. As you are breathing in and out deeply and slowly, imagine yourself on a beautiful hill overlooking a beautiful and calm valley, stream, sea, or ocean. It is a comfortably warm temperature with perhaps a very slight breeze. You are standing on the hill and there is a gradual very safe stairway winding down to the valley, stream, or ocean below. It is a comfortable, safe, familiar, and beautiful place. You take a deep breath in through your nose and then release it through your mouth. As you do this, you step down to step number 99. You breath in deeply again, and then relax and step down to step number 98. With each step down, you notice slight changes in the scenery, the foliage is slightly different, You can see the scene below a little more clearly. You will continue this until you get to the very bottom of the stairs. You MAY want to do this while listening to one of the videos below. (Warning, you will need to endure one or two advertisements first for some.) If you listen to any of these, keep them on very low, barely audible.
Personally, while you may, I have never made it to the bottom. I've always been asleep before getting to the bottom. Should you reach the bottom, if you are on the side of the ocean, take a walk on warm slightly wet sand, in perhaps bare feet. If by a stream in a meadow, or if just in a meadow, take a gentle stroll and discover the gently scenery you encounter. If you lose track as you are counting down the stairs, just start again at the last place you remember.
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