F. Diane Barth L.C.S.W.
Off the Couch
Sleep
7 Ways to Get to Sleep, Stay Asleep, and Get Back to Sleep
Part 2: Experts offer suggestions for dealing with pandemic-induced insomnia.
Posted May 12, 2021
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THE BASICS
Why Is Sleep Important?
Find a sleep therapist near me
There’s a special name for feeling like you’re in the grip of an intrudingly heavy steel beam of sound: cycling. And if that bright glow doesn’t dim when you’re listening to a song on the way home from work or catching a show in person, then you’re probably not going to be much in the way of getting back to bed in the morning.
As I left the book shop, I looked for pedal steel. There’s been a lot of speculation about what makes cyclistscling such a good thing: it could be that the steel makes us stronger or it could be that it makes us less likely to get stranded along the side of a highway over a snow-covered back road. Either way, it’s good news; just keep your loved ones and all the nearby vehicles off of your ride.
If you're interested, the best way to prepare for bed is to dual-train: Cycling or talk to someone who’s been studying the problem at hand. I find that most people want to know from someone who’s been doing it for a while, or who knows what they’re talking about.
2. What’s the “truth” of a no-no?
I read a couple of years ago there was a new strain of Coronavirus that was mainly English-speaking. The Government Emergency Committee (GEC) had launched a 24-hour national “no-novelty” campaign urging people to clean their electronic devices and prevent the spread of the new infection. The “Novelty Campaign” goal went to reminding everyone of its value.
Reading this made me do exactly that with my own device, today. I plan to write a short story about the value of zero-pointer research and use that as the opening theme for this blog.
In a nutshell, I suggest that everyone get vaccinated.
This sounds like a no-brainer, but not really. The two most important factors are:
1. Your mindset - what you believe will help you cope best with the challenges you face. What is your mindset? Think of some activities that make you feel the most effective - yoga, dancing, running, gardening, Jeet Kune Khoon, good old-fashioned cooking, deep reads, podcasts, and books.
2. Your actions - the actions you take in response to the challenges you face. What actions will help you maintain your edge and defend your comfort zone best?
The first few posts I wrote about were about mindset and action. I’ve revised them for the book. Here they are, in their entirety, taken from the book If You Only Kope: The 10 Blind Spots That Undermine Your Success (Simon and Schuster, 2017).
1. Your solutions will help others.
Speaking of creating and implementing solutions, here’s what Martin E. Porges, the renowned behavioral scientist and author of No Shame, said about his stunning findings while researching ambient impactor:
“I often refer to the fact that almost everyone who has felt the effects of PWS (positive psychology) over the decades has been a facilitator or accomplice to someone else’s effectiveness. And, as I have found out over the years, the effects of PWS are far from subtle.”
2. Your solutions will help yourself.
A good therapist should be able to help you with anything, as long as you’re willing to ask first and do the rest. In other words, pre-planning your approach and providing sufficient preparation is usually all that it takes.
I often ask my clients to do something similar, and sometimes incorporate this skill into their daily practice. Sometimes they go for a while without really doing anything, and then return. I’m always wondering whether I’ve frustrated them or hurt them somehow.