We lie down in a comfortable position, close our eyes and for many humans, this is sufficient to create the internal and physical conditions necessary for sleep.
In order to fall asleep, there must be an overall decrease in metabolic activity. Physiological and psychological stimulation needs to be reduced. Muscles relax, and this signals the brain that its functions are not required for the time being. Oxygen consumption is reduced, blood pressure and heart rate are reduced, and body temperature is reduced, compared to sitting or standing.
When we close our eyes, light is blocked out out, decreasing environmental stimuli.
Yet, simply lying down and closing your eyes isn’t always sufficient, especially when we’re under stress — particularly unremitting or chronic stress and hypervigilance, or feeling like in order to stay safe, you have to be on alert. To learn more about what the physical symptoms of anxiety or hypervigilance feel like in your body, click here.
When stress is present, it produces a heightened sense of arousal — increased mentally and physically. Relentless stress produces excessive, unremitting arousal — or “hyperarousal.”
The Sounder Sleep System is a natural and effective way to beat insomnia
Michael Krugman, creator of The Sounder Sleep System, writes “we cannot maintain a state of arousal all day long and then expect to turn it off instantly at bedtime. The body doesn’t work that way. The stress we endure during waking hours persists through bedtime and beyond, delaying sleep onset, causing shallow, fragmented sleep or both.”
In other words, we have to be well-rested in order to be able to sleep.
(And we need to be calm and not stressed in order to be well-rested.)
Krugman, a teacher of The Feldenkrais Method®, and an insomniac for much of his life, put 3 related types of practices together that involve bodily movements, the ability to pay attention to and sense these movements, and the breath.
Over a period of 3 weeks he was able to produce improved sleep, as well as tools to relieve stress and anxiety during the day (which, he says, is the primary cause of insomnia for most people).
1. Breathing
The first component of Krugman’s system is designed to restore the natural rhythm, pattern and pleasure of the breath, which for most people, has been lost as a result of chronic stress. This gentle breath awareness practice provides a foundation for the other components of the system.
It’s a common recommendation in our society to be encouraged to breath deeply when stressed, but this is not utilized in this effective practice. When we take big deep breaths, we’re communicating the message to our NS that we need to prepare for action — we breathe deeply when we need power. This is the opposite of what we’re looking to do when we prepare to relax or sleep.
Instead, Krugman uses gentle, natural breathing as the foundation of his system. He called this breathing “Guided Natural Breathing.”
2. Daytime Relaxation Practices
In addition to natural breathing, daytime relaxation practices are the second component of the Sounder Sleep System. They’re designed to actively offset the constant stress of living and calm the hyper-arousal that can delay the onset of sleep or make sleep shallow and fragmented. These are done for short periods of time, a few times each day, either sitting up or lying down.
Practicing these during the day actually set the scene for easier, more restful sleep at night. By practicing these short movements during the day, you’re essentially “training” your nervous system to regulate during the day, when there’s no pressure to sleep.
3. bedtime relaxation practices
The third component of this system are special movement practices done when lying on your back or your side, in your bed. They help you fall asleep and if you awaken during the night, they help you get back to sleep with ease.
Both the daytime relaxation practices and bedtime relaxation practices include movements of your hands, eyes, lips, and tongue. The hands, mouth and tongue take up 70% of the sensory cortical real estate in your brain, which makes these tiny movements extremely effective for calming your nervous system overall.
In conclusion, you have to be rested in order to get a good night’s sleep. Going to bed in the same stressed state you’ve been experiencing during the day, doesn’t set you up for good sleep. But practicing tools to decrease stress and regulate your nervous system during the day, will help you create the inner environment for peaceful sleep.