Fixing Insomnia
What I learned about forgiveness.
Insomnia is one of those devastating conditions where people literally suffer in silence. The night after night misery of disrupted sleep compounds and the frustration and health impact is enormous.
It has led to many efforts to find pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, nervous system regulators, and even temperature-controlled mattresses all in attempt to find sleep balance.
After all we spend 1/3rd of our life in Bed.
Certainly, in my own attempts to sleep better I have studied, written about, and podcasted about sleep.
Yet it dawned on me (no pun intended); that two of the most powerful sleep remedies, I have ever learned have nothing to do with a pill, supplement, or technology.
This is about the power of forgiveness.
Forgiveness before sleep has changed my life so much that I even taught my son about it and he’s been doing it at bedtime since he was 4 years old.
Forgiveness is in my opinion the most powerful mental health remedy there is.
About 7 years ago in my own journey, I learned about how important it was to forgive every night before I go to sleep.
This was inspired by a prayer we say in Judaism called the Shema that is said twice per day (morning and evening). And part of the preparation of something called “The Bedtime Shema” are words of forgiveness.
I adapted this to a two-part saying that I say each night before closing my eyes
It goes something like this....
Part 1: “Please forgive me for anything I have done that was harmful or hurtful to others and…
Part 2: “I forgive anyone who has done anything harmful or hurtful to me”.
Then I say the Shema and then my eyes shut.
And sometimes, yes, it feels like a stretch or not an “authentic” forgiveness. Yet something about going through this releases tension and worry in my entire being.
As mentioned, this is something I have taught my son and he does it on his own most nights and with some prompting on other nights.
I feel forgiveness is the same as mercy – a quality that is ultimately so comforting. And if I don’t wake up tomorrow (heaven forbid), at least my last act was forgiveness.”
Do you want to learn about the other thing I have learned to do before sleep that has been very helpful? Let me know and I will share that as well.
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