This One Simple Trick Could Help Manage Your Insomnia

Insomnia is not fun. It’s a seemingly never-ending cycle of missed sleep that can wreak havoc on your overall health and well-being. If you suffer from insomnia, you’ve likely tried everything to help you cope. Insomnia relief might feel impossible. But there might be one small trick that you have yet to try. And it’s certainly worth experimenting with, as it might actually bring you a lot of relief. 

First, a Little Background Into the Nervous System

Have you ever heard of the relaxation response? Dr. Herbert Benson coined this phrase to describe the process that happens when you shift from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic nervous system. 

The sympathetic nervous system is what is often referred to as the “fight-or-flight response.” This part of the autonomic nervous system physiologically prepares the body to either fight or run. 

Its counterpart, the parasympathetic nervous system, is often called the “rest-and-digest response.” This part of the autonomic nervous system physiologically prepares the body to rest and perform basic functions like digestion and excretion, which are safe to do when the body is not under stress. 

These two sides of the autonomic nervous system work in harmony with one another. They regulate one another and help to keep us both balanced and safe. But the problem in our modern-day world is that most of us are nearly incapable of fluctuating between these two opposites. 

We all tend to live in a sympathetic-dominant state. We’re constantly bombarded by notifications from the news, work, social media, and beyond. It’s nearly impossible to even pick up your phone without being served a plethora of stimulating media coming from all different directions. This makes it really challenging for our nervous systems to truly rest and shift into a parasympathetic state.

What Activates the Relaxation Response?

And this is where the relaxation response comes in. According to Dr. Bensen, to shift into a parasympathetic dominant state, we need to initiate the relaxation response. In his book with the same title, he outlines the best way to do this. 

According to his research, to activate the relaxation response, you need:

1. A quiet, comfortable environment 
2. A relaxed position
3. A mental device
4. A passive attitude

And that’s it! Not a whole lot in that recipe, but if you follow it, it can lead to real physiological results. 

Try This One Trick to Help Bring You Insomnia Relief

So, how does all of this apply to insomnia? To actually fall asleep, we need to be in a parasympathetic state. And to get to that state, we need to initiate the relaxation response. 

So, in his book, Dr. Bensen offers the simplest way to initiate this state in a really straightforward way. And you can utilize this technique for insomnia relief to help you drift off into restful sleep at night. 

Here’s how to initiate the relaxation response for insomnia relief:

1. Find a quiet, comfortable environment. If you don’t have access to a quiet space, try to utilize relaxing music or white noise sounds to drown out any alarming sounds around you. 
2. Find a relaxed position. Lie down in any position that feels comfortable and relaxing to you. Use pillows and blankets anywhere that you like for extra support and comfort. 
3. Use a meditative mental device. A mantra without particular meaning usually works best for this. Try to use a simple word or phrase to just repeat it over and over again without real meaning for you. 
4. Adopt a passive attitude. Don’t try to push yourself to fall asleep. Just allow whatever happens to happen and simply observe it all. 

The simplest way to achieve the relaxation response and to (ideally) help you find insomnia relief is to repeat the word “one” after each full breath cycle. So inhale and exhale and then silently repeat “one.” Inhale and exhale and silently repeat “one.” Don’t count your breaths. Just continuously repeat the word one. 

Find Insomnia Relief by Initiating the Relaxation Response

This simple trick may seem useless, but give it a try. You likely will be pleasantly surprised by the results. 

The simplicity of the mantra and the simplicity of the practice as a whole helps to calm the nervous system and almost “turn off” the mind to help you soften into a state of deep sleep.