Posted by Tom-N-Texas on November 26, 2008 at 18:48:10:

Hi all....I came across a phrase the other day that has stuck with me....I'm paraphrasing and I do not remember it's author, but here it is:

"Courage is being scared of something and yet doing it anyway."

I'll tie this into insomnia, but let me make an illustration first:

Let's think about someone who's trying to learn to swim....and let's play like this person is terrified to do so but really wants to learn. As difficult as it may be, if this person really wants to swim, not only must he must have the courage to get in the water, but he must also eventually learn to get in the water without the benefit of a life-preserver or life-vest. It wouldn't do much good, I think you'll agree, for our swimmer to cling endlessly to a life-presever. How could he ever learn to swim hanging on to the side of the pool or onto something that would keep him afloat artificially? How could he ever build his confidence and learn how to swim if he never gave himself the chance?

I see insomnia the same way. Lots of people on this forum are looking for life-vests and life-preservers when in reality they don't need one. It is my experience that sleep-related life-vests are overrated, unneeded, and sometimes (as in my own case) can even prolong or worsened the problem. The best way to learn how to swim or re-learn how to sleep is to take off the life-vest and throw away the life-preserver. You simply don't need it....especially if you've been a good sleeper throughout your life.

"Courage is being scared of something and yet doing it anyway."

But let's take this illustration a bit further. Let's say the person in the pool finally gets off his life-preserver and then starts flailing and flopping around like crazy -- using all his energy up in a short amount of time.....that would be a quick recipe for disaster....instead, our swimmer should know that the best way to swim is by relaxing, both mentally and physically....it's best to make slow, sweeping motions...swimming is easiest when it's done in an almost effortless rhythm. Sleeping is no different. It's easy to try too hard, to think too much...sleeping is easiest when it is effortless...slow, sweeping motions.

Even more, would it be smart for our swimmer, once he's in the water, to start analyzing his arms and legs to reassure himself that they are functioning properly? What if he was so pre-occupied with whether or not his arms were functioning correctly that he forgot to move them?...this would be another recipe for failure. Our swimmer needs to trust his body and so do we....there is nothing wrong with his arms and legs, and there is nothing wrong with our brains or sleep system.

Of course this is all easier said that done sometimes. I am a hopeless over-analyzer and I know how easy it is to be scared, overwhelmed and questioning of my own body...I fell into all these traps. But as I can see it all so clearly now, I now know that the act of throwing away the life-perserver is in itself the best life-preserver we have! The best life-preserver is not the herbal concoction or Ambien or going to bed at 10:45 sharp...our best life-preserver is to learn how to swim and sleep without one.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Follow Ups:

• Re: Swimming and Sleeping hopeful 06:11 12/10/08 (0)

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