If you have trouble sleeping I'm sure you've tried many ways to calm yourself before going to bed but here are some new ways to look at sleepless nights and other things you can do to wake up refreshed. Assuming you have cut down on the obvious stuff like caffeine intake late in the day, late night exercising and high drama television shows that rattle your nerves, here are some other things to consider about your sleepless nights.
First, what phase of the moon are we in? For many people, the moon cycles affect sleep. For some it is the new moon, for others, the full moon. I find myself having one or two nights several days before the full moon where I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. If you have trouble sleeping some nights but not all nights, this is something to look into. Mark the calendar on nights you have trouble sleeping and check the moon phase. I know people who don't even try to go to sleep on the night of a full moon but stay up all night instead and have some of their most productive moments this way. You must, of course, plan to make up lost sleep at another time, perhaps by staying in bed on a Saturday. It's important to tune into your body clock and to understand that rhythms outside of ourselves, such as the phase of the moon and position of the planets as they rotate around the sun, impact our personal rhythm. It doesn't necessarily mean there is something wrong with us if we have regular or periodic phases of not being able to sleep.
Second, are you tuning in to your body clock accurately? We are not all on a 24 hour body clock cycle that wakes at 6:30 and sleeps at 10:30. Some of us are consummate night owls or very early morning people. Some of us are on a 25 or 26 hour cycle so that we are sometimes night owls and sometimes morning people. As much as possible flow with your body cycle. Don't go to bed early if you don't feel tired yet. Strive to find a job that allows flexible hours so that you don't need to set an alarm. Then get up when your body wakes up.
Third, have a mantra. Acknowledge that worrying about things, people and events is a choice. You have that choice and when stressful thoughts creep up on you, sometimes you just have to say to yourself... "I'm not going to worry about this right now." Or, "Everything will work itself out," or "It's all okay and meant to be." Take a deep breath and give in to the flow of the universe. When you do that you will discover that the universe often has a much better solution than anything you could orchestrate by yourself.
Fourth, ask your spirit guides if they have a message for you. If you regularly wake up at the bewitching hour of 3 am your spirit team might be trying to get a message through. This is the hour when the magnetic field of the Earth thins and makes it easier for spirits on the other side of the veil to communicate with us telepathically. Ask them: "Is there a message for me? What would you like me to know?" and then lie still and listen. The first thought that comes to you is most likely your message. Often it is gentle advice, such as, "don't worry about it" or the answer to a problem you have been working on and sometimes it might be a more important message. Whatever you hear, write it down and then go back to sleep. That way you can address it in the morning.
Fifth, keep a notebook and pen by your bed. If you are lying awake trying to remember something that needs to get done, or if you are making a list in your head of all the things you need to remember tomorrow, sit up, write them down and stop worrying about them. Sometimes I get up at 2 in the morning, go downstairs, put a note on my computer, go back to bed and get a solid sleep until my body is ready to wake up. If there is something you can deal with immmediately such as making a payment, contacting someone via email or fixing something in the house, do it right then and there in the middle of the night. Then it won't be on your mind anymore and you will feel good going back to bed even if it's already nearly morning.
Sixth, get Reiki! Many people suffering from insomnia report they get a good night's sleep for 2 or 3 nights in a row following a single Reiki session. After several Reiki sessions their insomnia may be completely resolved. I have had many regular Reiki clients report that they have given up their sleep meds. Many people learn Reiki just for this reason. When you learn to do self-Reiki you can do it for 10 or 15 minutes before going to bed and even in the middle of the night if you wake up and can't get back to sleep. Reiki induces theta brain wave state which is in effect a sleepy state. But the calming effects of a Reiki session last for some time after the session ends leaving you feeling dreamy, weightless, calm and peaceful. Yoga can also have this effect. Try lying in child's pose for a few minutes and focus on relaxing the parasympathetic nervous system by doing some deep breathing in and out. Then go back to bed.
Next, eat well. You can't really say enough about eating well. What we eat creates our body. If you want a body that is weak and poisoned, eat lots of fast food and processed food which is low in nutrition and high in added chemicals. If you want a body that is strong, vital and healthy you must eat strong, vital and healthy food. Lots of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, organic beans and legumes, and if you eat animal products make sure they are from humanely raised animals that have lived happy lives and not suffered cruel deaths.
Try to eat earlier in the evening and not late at night. Eat a meal that is rich in healthy fats so that you won't be hungry at bedtime. Meals high in carbs will stimulate production of insulin which will keep you up longer at night. A high protein - high fat meal is a better option. If you need carbs, eat them earlier in the day while there is time to burn up the energy spurts that carbs produce.
Many people who have trouble sleeping also suffer from stress, depression, and anxiety. Often our diet plays a large part in our ability to handle stress factors that lead to these conditions. Fresh vegetables and fruits and especially greens are key for clearing the pineal gland, which secretes melatonin, which helps you sleep. Fresh vegetables and fruits are also key for creating healthy gut flora, which keeps your body healthy. The pineal gland and the digestive system both produce seratonin which helps to regulate mood, keeping you healthy and happy. So a healthy digestive system and a healthy pineal gland, together with a Reiki regime are all keys to sleeping well.