Me and a few members of my family have had problems sleeping for some time. It started for me about 5 years ago. I would have trouble falling asleep, and once I was asleep, I would wake up constantly through the night. I researched the subject and tried many remedies, most helped but didn’t alleviate the problem. Below are some of them:

• I learned that I can’t drink any caffeine after 12 noon.
• Don’t play video games right before bed.
• Keep sugar and chocolate intake down before bed.
• A comfortable bed is very important, so I bought a Duxiana bed which is very comfortable, and expensive.
• My back problems caused sleep problems so I bought an Ijoy massage chair which helped a bit.
• My friend gave me a jacuzzi which helped calm me before bedtime.
• I tried Ambien sleeping pills which worked at first, but later didn’t help much and I felt groggy the next day.
• Smoking pot put me to sleep, but I felt groggy again.
• Going to bed at the same time every night helped tremendously. If I stay up past 11:00pm I get too tired and can’t sleep.
• L-tryptophan helped a little.
• PSI Seminars introduced me to a relaxation CD which really helped me to relax and fall asleep.

Some of my family have symptoms from Restless Leg Syndrom and I think I do too. RLS sucks pretty much. When I would go to bed, my legs would get anxious and I would have to move them. It’s hard to explain, but this uncomfortable energy would build up in them and the only way to relieve them was to move my legs. So during the night I would toss and turn, each time waking up. This happened 50 to 150 times in one night. So I was sleeping maybe 15 minutes at a time then waking, rolling over, and falling asleep again.

Any kind of insomnia is debilitating. You can’t function mentally or physically unless you are well rested. Also, your cells don’t regenerate well unless you get rest so you age quickly.

But all of this changed a couple weeks ago. At a spiritual conference I discovered that I need to let go of all of my baggage as it comes. I came to terms with who I am, and when something bothers me, I speak my mind right away. Ever since that Wednesday, I have slept like a baby, barely moving at all during the night. And I have been waking up after 4 - 6 hours feeling well rested and ready for the new day! Now I am looking at Insomnia in a whole new light. When our minds want to tell us something, they often do it to our physical bodies in the form of sickness and disease. It’s kind of like a built in alarm bell. And mine finally stopped ringing and I feel great! Many of my family have been telling me that I have been stirring up trouble, but the truth is I am just expressing myself, rather than repressing myself.

And I have a system to reinforce this. Yesterday I bought a whiteboard and mounted it right next to my bedroom door. So in the morning, and throughout my day, I’ll be reminded of what I need to do to keep my mind and body moving to the next level.