It’s not as sexy as it sounds.  Let’s take one more trip back to sleepless nights – since I had one last night.  And yes, that’s after I told you all about my natural sleep aids and how well they work – they’re good but they’re not infallible. 

Last night I woke up and my neck was sweating. 

I know – it’s odd – but at least it didn’t get my jammies wet!  I’m on a new regimen of hormones – same drugs but now I split them between morning and night.  Maybe that’s it.  Or maybe there were just too many covers. 

Either way I awoke at 1:50 pm.  And I was wide awake.  Once I dried off my neck I knew I would never just drop back off to sleep so I read for awhile (trying not to alert the husband and three bulldogs who would NOT appreciate being roused unceremoniously).  Didn’t work – sleep continued to elude me.

Just as I was beginning to feel desperation – I knew there would not be time for a nap today or this week for that matter – I remembered something that had helped me several times before.  I had read one of Eckhart Tolle’s books.  In it he talked about the mind being a tool that must be controlled. 

Tolle went on to point out that the mind would vy for a person’s attention just like a bratty two-year old.  And like a two-year old the best way for your mind to get attention is to annoy you.  So it does.  Especially at night when you’re feeling particularly vulnerable. 

During the night, Tolle tells us, your brain is trying to drive you crazy because it knows that will get your attention.  And you have to control it.

Now this is easier said than done since you have to be able to make your mind a blank.  It helps to find a mechanism that will symbolically allow you to relieve your mind of activity.  Once you find your mechanism use it to get focused.  Last night I knew that’s precisely what I’d have to do if I wanted any further sleep.  My mind was gunning for me and I was sheer out of ammunition. 

This exercise has worked for me a number of times in the past, but mustering that focus is always daunting. So last night I took my mind in both hands – figuratively – and moved it out about a half a foot from my body.  Next thing I knew I was waking to my alarm. 

Don’t get impatient – it doesn’t always work that fast.

Photo Credit to XXYX on Flickr. Thanks for giving this great photo a creative commons license.