Some nights I can relate all too well to the anonymous quote above.😉 My alarm goes off at 5:45am, so I will count the hours to see how much time I can sleep before that if, as the quote says, I get to sleep right now.😉 This weekend was one of those instances. I have so many tasks that have to be done. I woke up this weekend from a dream in which I was scrubbing the floors. I did finally accomplish that task over the weekend, so my brain can check that off my list of things to do. 😉
Insomnia is a gross feeder. It will nourish itself on any kind of thinking, including thinking about not thinking.
Clifton Fadiman
I often joke that I want to find the “off” switch for my brain so I can just sleep restfully instead of waking up throughout the night thinking of what I need to do that day/week/month. I know I’m not the only one who struggles with this. One of my favorite comics, “Pearls Before Swine” featured the following strip which I was compelled to cut out and put up in my office.
Until I find that “off” switch, I will have to make the most of the restful nights I do get. On the postive site, waking up often does allow me to remember an important thing I need to do or an item that I need to bring to the office, so for that I am grateful to my sleepless brain 😃
picturingpositive 
Oh, I have some ‘tricks’ that might work! One is to count to ten, one for an inhale, two for the exhale, three for the next inhale…. Then start backwards ten on the inhale, nine on the exhale, eight on the inhale… I shared this with a friend and she swears by it for falling asleep before she gets back up to ten.
Another one I call the power meditation. For a couple of minutes (like two) concentrate on your external environment. Feel the sheets, the pillows. your pjs, listen to the hum of the fan… No judgement. Then focus on the internal. Do you feel a pain, a tightness, a looseness, hunger, relaxation…? Remember no judgement. Then spend a couple of minutes just with your breath. I usually fall asleep before the breath thing.
What these exercises do is they take your mind off of planning and to the present Now, which is wanting to go to sleep. 🙂 Other things can work – wishing blessings to others, noticing blessings of the day – anything but planning. For me, planning (and doing math!) is a sure-fire way to keep me awake.
Sweet dreams, dear Beth.
What wonderful ideas, LuAnne! I especially like the inhale and exhale trick. I will definitely try that the next time my mind won’t shut off. 😉 Wishing blessings to others is a great way to get the focus off of the things that need to be done! Thank you for sharing!! 🙂