Dream Prompts

Using Imagination for Restful Sleep

By: Lisa Love

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

Years ago, I would lie awake for hours, trying to fall asleep. I felt incapable of quieting the anxious wanderings of my mind. Time and time again, my thoughts would return to painful regrets and stressful ambitions. Knowing full well that my nighttime hours were dwindling (and that I would not have had enough sleep to rejuvenate my body in the first place), I would torture myself by looking at the clock and trying to force myself to fall asleep. If I woke up in the evening, I would have the same problem. I lost innumerable hours that could have been used for sleep, work, study, exercise, entertainment—the list goes on. And my daytime stress levels soared.

We live in a demanding, stressful world; as a result, sleep is an obstacle for many of us. I remember the feeling of hopelessness when I would lie in bed.

I tried over-the-counter sleeping medicine, knowing I should not take any medicine long-term if I can help it.

I tried exercising at the right time.

I tried decreasing my caffeine intake.

But I was yet to stumble upon the true, healthful cure for insomnia: Dream Prompts.

One evening, someone I loved suggested I try something. He said, “Imagine a beautiful place where you want to be, and let that turn into dreaming.” I imagined every detail of a tropical paradise, the feel of the soft white sand and warm summer sun on my skin, the flowing, rhythmic song of the whispering ocean, the vibrant azure sky and the swaying, rustling fronds of surrounding palm trees.

And I fell asleep.

When I focused on being immersed in a utopia of my own imagination, every distraction and every ounce of stress fell to the wayside. I was instantly at peace, and my tired body did the rest. I’d found a cure for my sleeplessness. I cannot express the joy that I felt the next day and have felt ever since.

We sleep for a good portion of our lives; to take mastery over that time is amazingly gratifying and empowering.

Suddenly, I had new control over my body, spirit, and—subsequently—my life. With my extensive background in English language studies, creative writing, reading literature, and traveling, my mind readily formed dream prompts every night, and so every night I dreamed as children dream and slept as children sleep, in peaceful serenity. Since the first night that I practiced Dream Prompts, I have been able to fall asleep at my whim, regardless of whatever permeates my waking hours.

I wrote this book so that I could share a simple solution to sleeplessness with all who experience what I have experienced. During times of high stress, these techniques are highly effective in calming the mind, body and soul. I have several other recommendations that have helped me to become a calmer, more controlled person, during both sleeping and waking hours.

So please, before tonight's restful slumber, lay yourself down with a Dream Prompt, read it silently or aloud, or ask a loved one to read it to you (or read these lovely bedtime stories to little ones. The audio versions are coming soon, too.

As you immerse yourself in these portals to your own little worlds, concentrate on the pictures that come to mind. Relax, enjoy the imagery, and imagine yourself drifting away into your own fairytale. Allow Dream Prompts to prompt you into beautiful, peaceful dreaming, as you extend each Dream Prompt with your own imagination, and truly see yourself being in the most serene locations you could ever wish to be.