When You Can't Sleep

October 7, 2009

Interview with Paul McKenna, author of the book I Can Make You Sleep: Overcome Insomnia Forever and Get the Best Rest of Your Life

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Mike Carruthers:
So many Americans don’t sleep well. Yet so much good can happen from a good night sleep.

Paul McKenna:
If you sleep well your health will be significantly better, your immune system stronger. You moods will be better and your productivity will be up because your stamina will be better.

Paul McKenna

Paul McKenna, author of the book I Can Make You Sleep

We’re born genetically programmed to get a good nights sleep. So if we can’t sleep it’s because we’ve disrupted that pattern and they’ll be a number of things - busy 21st Century stressful life is absolutely one of them.

So to improve your chances of getting a good night sleep…

I’d definitely have the bedroom cool, the bed warm, I would reduce the amount of light you have in the room. American research shows make the bedroom darker you sleep deeper.

And here’s a technique that seems to work for almost everyone who has trouble sleeping…

Get up half an hour earlier than your normal waking time. So if you normally wake at 7 get up at 6:30 for a few days. And that will re-set your body clock.

And if your mind is racing, Paul suggests you try this…

You describe inside your mind silently (not out loud) everything that’s coming into your mind all the different sorts, but you do it in a slow and monotonous tone. So you go, “Now, I’m worrying about that meeting I’ve got tomorrow”. And you do that over and over for about five minutes it’s very difficult to stay awake.

To hear the complete unedited interview click here.