I am a person who can capture a thought and I fall asleep pronto. But, since I have had restless leg (physical) leg jerks, my meds sometime screw up this normal cycle. I am a 90 yr old retired Physical Therapist who qualified each year in Psychology instead of PT. I studied under Les Femhi PH.D.at Princeston. He was one of the 1st Presidents of Biofeedback Society of America. I mention this because, he was famous for his work in "Visualization" You look inward at your body and visualize what you want it to do. This is opposite of zoning out with meditation relaxation, reading, chewing gum, listening to waves. etc. His Olympic athletes, were taught to drop prone from skis and fire their rifles between beats of the heart and breathing. Some of his cancer patients visualized "packmen" chewing up their cancer and had some documented success when all else failed.Years later (30 years +) I recognized the " Navy Seals" had used his technique to teach their service people how to fall asleep under combat conditions(stress). I AM GOING TO TEACH YOU. BUT, YOU MUST HAVE An
OPEN MIND. Ready, (SLEEP ON YOUR LEFT SIDE IS BEST, BUT DO YOUR BEST POSITION. Clear your thoughts.) Can you take 5 diaphragm breaths(stomach) breath out deep. After 5, breath until normal. Can you imagine the distants and content between your left shoulder and elbow? between your left elbow and wrist, your left thumb, index, middle, ring and small finger, (Repeat sequence on right upper extremity). Can you imagine the distance and content between your left hip and left knee?, your left knee and ankle, your great toe, next, middle, 4th, 5th?(Repeat on your right side?)(My addition) Can you imagine closing and relaxing the sphinter of the rectum, (Fitchgerald version) can you imagine your pelvic floor is like an alka-selzer and the fizzing is filling the area in front, in back , sides of the intestines and moving upward . Visualize the filling of the trunk like water on a glass moving upward to the neck inside your head to the top. Is there any tension anywhere? Go to it with your mind and visualize it relaxing.If still awake (My version) (breath in) "I am calm",breath out) "I am very very relaxed". (Do this 3 times. The breathing out is longer and will get rid of excess carbon dioxide) Go to your normal breathing back and try to increase to 5 times over 3 attempts. Breath normal. Have a new topple off dream that is pleaseant. If you are young, don't be afraid to have this sexual. If still awake(I doubt it) take your covers off and get chilled out. Put them back on, Direct your self back to deeper but pleasant breathing, Focus back into the body.Please do not eat a heavy dinner. Nothing past 6:00PM. ( you may wish a cup full of boiled bananas Cut in chucks with skin on 20 minutes in sauce pan.) Take 1 hour before Navy Seal method.No sleeping pills. This is control over your body. Good Luck. You fall asleep faster in the technique with practice. During the day, periodically look at an object and give yourself permission to enlarge the frame of vision to see more on the enlarged frame. THIS IS OPEN FOCUS. Close you vison and get stressed out in CLOSED FOCUS. Good luck towards self control physically. bill54321 O(h! you may over sleep your alarm.
When you say "... imagine the distance and content between ...", are you saying we should try to estimate the distance in inches and/or feet, and imagine the skin, bones, vessels, etc.? I've tried the method where you're supposed to move from one area of your body to the next and imagine it relaxing. Somehow, this just makes me more tense.