So the town that I live in has this great little community theater, and I help out there sometimes. You know, wherever they need an extra pair of hands. Sometimes they put me in the box office, and sometimes I'm helping people find their seats. Last night I found myself behind the bar. What a madhouse. We were flying around trying to get everyone served in a short period of time.There was ice clinking, glasses clashing, people calling out drink orders from three directions at once. By the time I got home, my nervous system was practically vibrating with energy and tension. I tried to wind down.I did all the right things. But when I finally crawled into bed and turned off the light, I suddenly became more awake than I had been all day. It was like my body was playing the cruelest joke.Oh, you want to sleep now? How about we replay every conversation from tonight, and worry about whether we gave that person the right change. I have a feeling you know that feeling. You finally make it to bed at the end of a busy day.Your head hits the pillow and boom, you're suddenly more alert than a security guard on their first night shift. It would be funny if it weren't so frustrating. And if you've ever wondered why this happens, it's your nervous system.It's designed to keep you safe, which means when it's been activated, whether by genuine danger or just the everyday stress of a busy day. It doesn't just switch off the moment you decide it's bedtime. Your nervous system has been running on high alert, pumping stress hormones, keeping your muscles dense, your heart rate elevated, your mind scanning for the next thing that needs attention.And even when you're lying in bed, even when there's no actual danger present, it can stay stuck in that activated state. And your nervous system doesn't know the difference between running from a tiger and rushing to serve drinks during intermission. Both situations trigger the same alert response.And once triggered, it takes time and the right signals to help it shift back into rest mode. But here's the good news. It absolutely is possible to reset your nervous system.You can guide it from that state of high alert back into deep calm, creating the perfect conditions for sleep. And that's exactly what we're going to do tonight. Using the gentle power of your imagination and some very specific techniques that speak directly to your nervous system.Before we get started on this journey, I need you to make sure that you're somewhere safe and comfortable for sleep. This episode is designed to help you drift off completely. So please don't listen while driving, operating machinery, or anywhere you need to stay alert.Find your way to bed and get comfortable. Then we'll begin this peaceful journey together. And one more thing.I've noticed that many of you listen to these episodes but have not hit that follow button yet. And I get it because you can still always find the show without having to press follow. But hitting follow would mean a lot to me. It helps the show reach other people who might need these techniques. And honestly, it makes me feel a little braver about sharing my own personal stories. Plus, you'll never miss a new episode, which means more tools in your sleep toolkit. Now I'm going to guide you into a deeper state of relaxation using hypnotherapy techniques. Hypnotherapy is simply a state of focused relaxation where your mind becomes more receptive to positive suggestions. You'll remain completely in control the entire time and able to emerge from this relaxed state whenever you choose.Take a moment now to make yourself as comfortable as possible. Adjust your pillows. Pull your blankets up to just the right position.And let your body settle completely into the bed. Feel how your mattress supports you perfectly. Cradling every part of your body.Notice the softness of your pillow beneath your head. The gentle weight of your covers. Allow yourself to sink just a little deeper into this comfort.Letting your muscles begin to soften and release. This is your safe space. Your sanctuary for rest.All you need to do is focus on the sound of my voice. As you listen to my words, you'll naturally find yourself moving deeper and deeper into a greater sense of relaxation. If you hear other sounds around you, perhaps a car passing by or the house settling, simply notice these sounds and then gently return your attention to my voice. My voice will be your anchor, guiding you safely into this peaceful state. Imagine yourself floating effortlessly on the surface of a magnificent ocean. Above you stretches a vast night sky filled with countless stars. There are light twinkling like diamonds against the deep velvet darkness. A large luminous moon hangs overhead. But this is no ordinary ocean.This is the ocean of sleep. A magical sacred place that exists beyond the physical world. The water here is not like regular water at all. You can't drown here. Can't sink unless you choose to. In fact, you're so perfectly buoyant that you flow weightlessly on the surface without any effort at all. You can completely relax your neck and head, letting them be cradled by this gentle supportive surface. The water is mostly still and dark, with just a few soft waves rocking you gently. This ocean of sleep is a deep and timeless place that keeps us safe each night, carrying us gently from evening to morning on its ancient currents. Right now, you're floating peacefully at the surface, because to be more fully embraced by this ocean, your nervous system needs to slow down and regulate itself. We're going to start this process by focusing on your breathing. Take a slow, deep breath in. Feel your lungs expanding fully, and then exhale slowly, releasing any tension from your day. With each breath, you find yourself beginning to slip deeper into this warm, beautiful dark water. There's nothing to fear here.Although it looks and feels like water, it's not ordinary water at all. You can breathe perfectly here. In fact, your lungs welcome this rich, soothing air. Each breath relaxes you even further, allowing you to sink just a little deeper into this magical realm. Continue breathing deeply and slowly, in and out. Your breathing is becoming your gentle rhythm, your peaceful anchor in these soothing waters.Breathing in and breathing out. And with each exhale, you naturally descend a few inches beneath the surface. The chaotic sounds from the everyday world become muffled and distant.You're now in the shallow depths, where the water glows with a beautiful silvery blue light. Moonlight filters down from above in gentle shimmering beams, and you can still see the moon's reflection dancing softly on the surface above your head. As you continue your gradual descent, remarkable changes begin happening throughout your body.Feel your heart rate naturally slowing down. With each beat, it becomes more relaxed and more rhythmic. Your heart is finding its perfect resting pace. Slower and steadier, your shoulders begin to drop and soften, and the muscles around your eyes grow heavy and relaxed. Feel tension melting from your neck, your arms, and your back. Every muscle fiber is letting go. You're descending now into the mid-depths of this ocean of sleep. Here, the water deepens to rich, velvety blues and purples. The silver moonlight can no longer reach these depths, and everything feels softer and more muffled.The water is slightly cooler, but still comfortable, like stepping into the peaceful embrace of evening. Notice how your body temperature is adjusting perfectly. Even though the water feels wonderfully comfortable around you, your core temperature is lowering slightly, just as it naturally does when your body prepares for deep sleep. As you drift deeper, something fascinating is happening inside your body. Your stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline, are gently decreasing, washing away like salt dissolving in these peaceful waters. At the same time, your body is producing more of those wonderful chemicals called neurotransmitters. Think of neurotransmitters as your body's natural messengers of calm. They're tiny chemical signals that tell your brain and body, it's time to rest. In the gentle distance, you begin to notice the most enchanting sight. Bioluminescent dream fish are swimming gracefully through these middle depths. They glow with their own magical inner light, pulsing softly like living jewels. One floats past with a soft golden light emanating from within, its whiskers trailing sparkles of stardust.Watch as a small school of tiny dream fish swim by, each one no bigger than your thumb. Glowing like floating fireflies in shades of lavender and mint green. These whimsical creatures are the guardians of dreams and memories. Some carry the essence of peaceful sleep on their delicate fins. Others hold fragments of beautiful dreams. A sunset you once watched, a moment of happiness, feeling of being completely loved and safe.You notice a large sea turtle swimming gracefully by. This ancient fellow traveler moves with such wisdom and calm, its kind caring eyes meeting yours for just a moment. You share this peaceful world of sleep together and there's something deeply comforting about its presence here.Your nervous system is shifting into its deepest state of rest. That hyper vigilance, that constant scanning for problems or dangers, is finally switching off. Your mind no longer needs to stay alert, no longer needs to monitor everything around you.You can simply be here, perfectly safe and perfectly relaxed. Notice how your perception of time is changing. Minutes might feel like hours or hours like minutes.Time becomes fluid here in these depths, just as it does when you're drifting towards sleep. There's no rush, no schedule to keep, no urgency of any kind. Continue your descent into the deeper waters. The electrical activity in your nervous system, all those rapid fire signals that were keeping you alert, is slowly slowing down. Instead of quick sharp bursts of activity, your nervous system now pulses with slow, gentle rhythms, like the deep currents of the ocean itself. Your breathing has become so natural, so effortless.Your heart continues its slow, steady beat. All the chemical changes that prepare your body for sleep are happening naturally, automatically, perfectly. Now you're descending into the deepest parts of this ocean of sleep. Here in the profound depths, the darkness is complete and velvety, darker than dreams themselves, the very color of deep sleep. Every system in your body has downshifted into its most restful state. Your nervous system hums with the quietest, most peaceful activity, just enough to keep you breathing, keep your heart beating in its slow rhythm, but nothing more. This is where your nervous system can experience complete rest. Your body enters its deepest healing state, with all stress completely dissolved away in the vast, peaceful water around you. Feel yourself settling gently onto the soft ocean floor.The sand beneath you is fine and warm, molding perfectly to support your body. You are cradled here in perfect safety, covered by layers of peaceful water. A final few dream fish drift past overhead, their gentle glow casting soft patterns on the starfish scattered sand. One carries dreams of tomorrow's possibilities, another holds memories of love and comfort. They swim peacefully through this deep space, guardians of the threshold between waking and sleeping, between consciousness and dreams. Rest here now in these ancient depths, perfectly supported by the warm sand beneath you.As you rest here so peacefully, you begin to notice that this soft, warm sand feels remarkably familiar. It's the same comfort, the same perfect support that you know so well. The soft sand beneath you transforms seamlessly into your own mattress, perfectly molded to your body.The peaceful darkness of the ocean depths becomes the welcoming darkness of your own bedroom. You're back in your own bed now, but you carry with you all of the deep peace of the ocean of sleep. Your nervous system remains in that profound state of rest.Your breathing continues slow and rhythmic. Your body stays perfectly relaxed, supported completely by your comfortable bed. And the dream fish continue to swim gently through your consciousness, ready to carry you into the most peaceful sleep.There's nothing you need to do now except rest here, allowing sleep to arrive naturally, gently, like the tide returning to shore. Rest now, cradled by comfort, surrounded by the deepest calm. Sleep will come when it's ready, rising up from these depths like a gentle current, carrying you into dreams as vast and peaceful as the ocean itself. Feel the wonderful weight of your limbs now, heavy and relaxed against your comfortable bed. Notice how your body is settled completely into the soft surface. You've done so much today.You gave your best effort to everything that came your way. You handled challenges. You made decisions.You cared for others and yourself as well as you could. And now you've earned this time of complete rest. Tomorrow you'll wake refreshed and ready with energy to handle any and all challenges that come your way.But tonight, right now, you need nothing more than to simply be here, resting in this perfect peace. Let yourself drift now like a leaf on gentle water. You are exactly where you need to be.I'm Suzanne, and this is your ticket to Snoozeville. Sleep well. Sleep now.Sleep deeply. Sleep well.