Why Tame Your Monkey Mind?

• Are you up at night listening to and fighting with your monkey mind?
• Would you like to be able to soothe and tame your monkey?

Since sleep is a natural human thing, we tend to think it should come naturally. It does except when it doesn’t.

For some people falling asleep can be difficult. Others find it a challenge to stay asleep throughout the night. And, then there are those for whom falling asleep and staying asleep can be a frequent problem. The truth is falling asleep and getting a good night’s rest can be tough for anyone with a busy life, lots of responsibilities and expectations, and just a lot on his/her mind. That’s most of us, at least, part of the time.

Sleep vs deep relaxation

When we want to go to sleep, we tend to focus on going to bed or achieving a state of sleep like it’s an on/off switch. But, in fact, sleep is a very deep state of relaxation. It’s the end stage of a slowing down process. So, it’s better to approach sleep by becoming more and more relaxed. This is why progressive relaxation techniques can and do make us fall asleep. So, instead of trying to sleep, relax!

While sometimes making yourself fall asleep seems like an impossible task, increasing your level of relaxation is something you can do. For example, you can take a few long deep breaths or lie down instead of standing and either will make you feel more relaxed. You can also take progressively more steps to deepen your state of relaxation even more, e.g., lie down AND take a few long deep breaths.

Knowing why you’re having difficulty relaxing, falling asleep, and getting a good night’s rest can help you find the solution that works for you. Consider what might be causing your poor or inadequate sleep. Do you have habits that make it difficult to relax and fall asleep? Are there behaviors you could cultivate to make it easier to drift off to sleep? Everyone is different and we all change with age. Nevertheless, there are some useful general tips you could consider.

Behaviors that make it hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, and/or fall back asleep

• Watching TV for at least 30 minutes before bed. That includes watching TV in bed.
• Stop working or playing on the computer or cell phone 30 minutes before bed. According to Sleep.org, the blue screens of TV, cell phones, and computers impedes the production of melatonin, which is critical to your sleep-wake cycle.
• Working right up to lights off. When you’re working, you’re typically in a wakeful, thinking state, and your brain is functioning in a Beta state. Depending on how intensely focused you are, you could be in high beta. Sleep requires lower frequencies like Alpha, Theta, and Delta.
• Reading a fascinating or intriguing book just before bed.
• Eating, especially sweets and heavy foods, within two to three hours of bedtime.
• Drinking alcohol in the evening can disrupt sleep, including waking you up in the middle of the night and not being able to fall back asleep.
• Drinking caffeinated drinks in the evening.
• Going to sleep late. It’s best for the body to sleep before 10:00 pm.

Behaviors That Tame Your Monkey Mind and Facilitate Sleep

• Avoid any of the above behaviors.
• Exercise regularly during the day. Exercising just before bed can be stimulating.
• Create a calm and comfortable environment where you sleep.
• Create a darker more peaceful atmosphere by turning off all of the lights (including night lights and LED lights) and closing the drapes.
• Drink warm milk or hot calming tea like German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) before bed.
• Take a warm bath and include aromatherapy or essential oils that induce relaxation and sleep.
• You don’t have a bathtub? Take a warm aromatic foot bath.
• Diffuse appropriate essential oils for relaxation and sleep.
• Stretch and relax your muscles, especially those where you tend to hold tension.
• Use an ambient noise generator or earplugs to dull or eliminate distracting noises.
• Establish a “winding down” routine that you initiate about one hour before going to sleep. This should include relaxation and taking your mind off your busy day, worries, etc. If an hour seems too long, start with 20 minutes and work up to an hour.
• Use relaxation-inducing breathing exercises such as taking slow deep regular breaths; comfortably extending the length of inhales and exhales and sending the breath to areas of the body that are tense or need attention (e.g., Starchaser Relax, Ground and Clear guided meditation).
• Listen to relaxation recordings or independently go through a relaxation exercise (e.g., Starchaser Taming the Monkey guided meditation).
• Visualize a relaxing environment by listening to guided imagery recordings or independently going through a visualization exercise (e.g., Starchaser Taming the Monkey guided meditation).
• Activate acupressure points related to relaxation as well as sleep quality and inducement.

Guided meditation for relaxation and a good night’s sleep

Sometimes it isn’t easy to settle down and practice one or more of the above methods by yourself. Listening to guided meditations can be very helpful in this case or when these good practices just aren’t enough.

A guided meditation should be designed to relax you, clear your active mind, and lull you to sleep. A soft soothing voice guides you to take steps that help you let go of your monkey mind and instead cultivate relaxation. If this appeals to you, try my free downloadable guided meditations. There is one specifically for Taming the Monkey.