Tzivia Gover - The Mindful Way to a Good Nights Sleep: Discover How to Use Dreamwork, Meditation, and Journaling to Sleep Deeply and Wake Up Well

Dedicated to all dreamers, everywhere.

Sleep, sleep, beauty bright,
Dreaming in the
joys of night.

William Blake, Cradle Song

Ive had a complicated relationship with sleep and dreams from the start. I was that kid who feared the dark and made my parents leave the hall light on and my bedroom door cracked open all night. Even then, Id lie beneath my floral-print comforter, not feeling at all comforted. I envied the children in Mary Poppins whose nanny sat by their beds, watching over them as they slept. I begged my mother to do the same, but after Id said my prayers and closed my eyes, shed retreat with a kiss on the forehead.

Some nights I lay awake listening to the restless creaking of our old house as if it too were having a hard time settling down for the night, and when Id finally doze off, Id often be haunted by nightmares. Summers at sleepaway camp, I was infamous for waking my bunkmates when I talked in my sleep. A simple night of easy rest, it seemed, was beyond me.

As adults we may overcome our fears of monsters under the bed and things that go bump in the night, but an atavistic sense of anxiety still clings to many of us like a stubborn shadow when the sun goes down. So its not surprising that many of us have trouble sleeping, or avoid adhering to a reasonable bedtime. And weve got more than just the comic books and sitcom reruns of years gone by to keep us awake these days. In the 24-7 hyperconnected culture thats grown up around us, the world stays bright with artificial lights that outshine the stars, and websites entice us to visit, shop, or share long after the last neighborhood caf or store has shuttered its windows and locked its doors.

It should come as no surprise then that millions of Americans have experienced some form of insomnia, and as a nation we spend billions of dollars each year to address our sleep deficit. Nor can we deny the toll that all this sleeplessness takes on us individually and as a culture. We suffer from lost productivity at work, increases in obesity and anxiety, diminished cognitive function and the list goes on.

In response, sleep centers are proliferating around the country to diagnose disorders from snoring to apnea, and pharmaceutical companies have created an array of medications to lull us into slumber. It has become all too common for people to pop a pill in the evening, and then bolt through their days clutching cups of coffee or other caffeinated drinks to keep them awake. But rather than rely on pills and potions, wed do better to dig down to the roots of our rocky relationship with sleep and make real changes for lasting results.

More and more people are coming to realize that we must look within to be healthy and happy. Using mindfulness-based techniques, we can build habits of attention and intention that promote healthy rest and sound sleep. In fact, studies now show that meditation and mindfulness, practices that cultivate present-moment awareness, are as effective as medication in helping people to sleep soundly and dream well. We can thus empower ourselves to wake up to lives of increased fulfillment and joy.

I know, because this has been my path. The restless nights of anxiety and scary dreams that started when I was a child never completely left me. But over time Ive learned (often directly from my dreams themselves) that when I turn to face my fears of the dark nightmare monsters, attackers, phantoms, and all I gain courage and confidence as I face the rest of my day. I now have occasional nightmares, but Ive also enjoyed many more dreams of beautiful landscapes blossoming with fantastical flowers, wise teachers, and experiences of love and bliss. Dreams have become my allies, and I invite sleep as the territory I cross in order to reach them. Now I teach others to pay attention to how they sleep and what they dream so they, too, can befriend the night. When we do so, we can greet with pleasure the dawning of each day.

On the other hand, if we separate night and day, our sleeping and waking lives, we miss out on the ways that one informs the other. If we dont sleep, we miss out on dreams, and dreaming helps us with emotional regulation, memory consolidation, learning, and problem solving, not to mention the reservoirs of creativity, wisdom, and guidance we can tap into when we study our dreams. When we fail to make space for sleep and dreams, we rob ourselves of our richest waking experiences.

So, while most books tackle one or the other, this book will explore sleep, dreams, and waking as a continuous process, in which each state of consciousness flows naturally into the next. Well use meditation, journaling, and dreamwork (simple techniques to help you listen to and understand your dreams) as part of a holistic approach so you, too, can sleep, dream, and wake to a life of increased meaning and joy.

Whether you sleep like a baby most nights or toss and turn till dawn, whether you remember dreams regularly or are mystified when you recall one at all, I hope this book will help you. Together well welcome the wisdom of sleep, in whatever guise it takes: be it a dark sky of forgetfulness, a fully lit cinematic dreamscape, or anything in between.