Everyone deserves to have the ability to lay their head on a pillow at night and drift off to sleep. But, for so many, this isn't what happens.

Be it the events of the day, the pressures that surround you or some other residing factor, not being able to sleep only complicates matters and adds to the stresses of what you are already experiencing.

Doctors are quite happy to test, prod and probe you and feed you plenty of pills and potions that they feel might assist you to get at least some sleep. These may work temporarily but they don't work long term, and you find yourself back in the Doctor's consulting room, desperate for their next 'well, if that didn't work, try this' scenario.

Sorry, but after years of putting myself through their trial and error methods, I lost all faith in Doctors and their 'standardized' ways of treating people with sleeping problems. I started thinking 'outside of the square' and stumbled across something that finally worked for me.

Here's an example.

How many people, including Doctors, have suggested you try counting sheep or something similar? It's the 'standard' response from people when they find out you have a sleeping problem. The silly part is, it actually works but NOT as you are currently doing it.

Let me explain.

What do you do when you start to count? You begin at one, right? Well, if you are using this method to get to sleep, the ONLY way this would EVER work is when you are bored senseless and you do go off to sleep but it is neither restful or relaxing. It also would be a very short sleep and you would find yourself starting from one again and counting off into oblivion! That's because you are counting in the WRONG DIRECTION!

You are looking for a result - SLEEP! To achieve it, there MUST be a start and finish point - the finish point being you getting to sleep. If you start counting from one, there is no structured end which makes this method unworkable and therefore undesirable. You are searching for regularity, not one off results.

Pick a figure close to 100 and work your way slowly backwards to zero, taking a slow deep breath with each counted number. This focus enables your mind to relax and gives you a finishing point to achieve. Your body relaxes with each deep breath and your mind remains focused on the important task of reaching your goal. Don't stress if you lose count. Just pick a number higher than the last one you remember and continue slowly counting backwards, remembering to take that deep breath with each number.

Is it self hypnosis? Who cares what label you attach to it - it works - that's ALL that counts!

This little exercise, coupled with a few other 'outside the square' exercises, allows me to get what used to be impossible - regular and relaxing sleeping patterns. Maybe it can help you as well.