Sleep Hack: The Light Bubble

Old cartoons show insomniacs counting sheep. Does it work? A 2002 Oxford University study found that more tranquil imagery facilitated sleep quicker than sheep counting. Before I became a mother, I was a champion sleeper. The night my son was born that all changed. My husband continued to sink into deep, delicious sleep while I heard every noise, every breath, every movement of the new baby. As the baby grew into a child and then a man, my sleeping prowess failed to return. The man child now does dangerous things like jumping from planes and climbing mountains. I have real AND imagined concerns, but this changed when I started using my return to sleep hack: The Light Bubble.

It goes like this: I wake in the night. Why am I awake? Oh yeah, my son is doing adventurous exploits. Oh God! All matter of things are possible. First I pray. Next, I inhale and visualize the whole room filled with luminous, white light. On the exhale, I see the light as a bubble moving to just around my body. I continue watching the light ebb and flow until I fall asleep. This is ceratinly not a double blind study, but I usually fall asleep somewhere around the 8th or 9th breath. Really. It works for me. It might work for you. Try it. If it doesn’t help, no harm no foul, and no side effects.

Stop counting sheep.

Do your sleep research. Go to bed at a set time. Cut out evening caffeine. Get some exercise. Try meditation or visualization. Be the boss of your sleep, not a counter of sheep.

Current sleep research confirms the crucial role of sleep in mental and physical health. Sleep is particularly essential to immunity. You can develop better sleep habits and improve immunity by making incremental changes such as adding exercise, going to bed at a consistent time and journaling to give your thoughts a place to land. Sweet dreams yogis!