Suffering from insomnia? Trouble falling asleep or getting back to sleep after waking up in the middle of the night? Visualization might be just the thing for you.

About one in every eight persons suffers from some form of insomnia. Not being able to sleep stinks. I’ve been there and it’s miserable. If you don’t know beyond a rough idea how important sleep is to your body’s functioning, please read my eye opening article on the subject.

Insomnia can be caused by many things including stress, anxiety, drugs/medications, caffeine and other stimulants, jet lag and overeating. There’s even something called behavioral insomnia which is when a person worries too much about not being able to fall asleep (me when I have to be up especially early the next morning) and tries too hard to do so. For a great piece on insomnia with excellent tips, check out this great article.

A recent study has shown that by doing a practice called guided imagery – the use of mental visualization to promote physical healing or attitudinal or behavioral changes – insomniacs have been able to improve both the quantity and quality of their sleep. According to Dr. Yara Molen, of Federal University of Sao Paulo in Brazil, subjects “listened to an audio CD right before bed that teaches breathing, relaxation and guided imagery that helps them get rid of their worries and imagine drifting off to sleep.”

I’m not all that surprised of these results, since I’m a huge advocate of visualization in general, and am certain that these techniques can move mountains, let alone get you sleeping restfully. The mind is a powerful thing, and when you think about it, it’s all in our heads anyway. In my upcoming book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health, I discuss in detail the nature and function of sleep, insomnia and some of its many causes (particularly the behavioral aspect), and the power and practice of visualization. Check it out this August on the book’s release.