Have you heard of the above phrase?

You can use the above to your advantage to help you in your sleep journey and get the best possible sleep!

It can be helpful to explore the meaning of this famous catchphrase, as it is highly empowering and can offer you great direction in how to succeed in anything you chose to focus on.

The science behind it is this:

Your brain is a fascinating, complex, yet-to-be-fully understood organ that has profound intelligence if you know how to use it, and how it works.

Three aspects are important to consider when it comes to our focus, these are:

Confirmation bias, neuroplasticity, and the reticular activating system.

Confirmation bias

In a nutshell this is our innate tendency to only gather evidence to suit or confirm our previously held beliefs.

With such a belief established, we then tend to subconsciously see & validate ideas that confirm this original belief, often ignoring & actively rejecting information that could disprove our original beliefs.

Humans tend not to be as objective as they may hope to be, and this phenomenon has been widely studied & established in the field of psychology. Interestingly, long before the field of psychology, this was observed and noted by the ancient Greeks c460-395 BC! Much later Sir Frances Bacon (1561-1626) wrote:

“The human understanding when it has once adapted an opinion – draws all things else to support and agree with it. And though there be greater number and weight of instances to be found on the other side, yet these it either neglects or despises, or else by some distinction sets aside and rejects …

Neuroplasticity

A definition: “Neuroplasticity is the brain’s capacity to continue growing and evolving in response to life experiences. Plasticity is the capacity to be shaped, moulded, or altered. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to adapt or create change over time by creating new neurons building new neurological networks.” Psychologytoday.com

How this works for you in the context of sleep: when you repeat thoughts, more neurological pathways are formed & reinforced around that thought. So, if you think positively or constructively about sleep or changing your sleeping habits, this will over time become the new normal and a habit.

Why is this an evolutionary benefit? Because the more you can automate well learnt, beneficial habits, the more you thrive, survive and do well in life. You use less energy on thinking when you can be habitual or ‘automated’ – your survival is optimised.

Reticular Activating System (RAS)

RAS is like a filtering system for the brain. It consists of a small bundle of neurones above your brain stem – the cells of which become triggered via your perceptions via your nose, ears, eyes & skin.

As a filter, it only allows in ‘important’ messages to reach your higher brain centres such as the pre-frontal cortex used for higher level decision making). It determines which bits of data/information should get your attention. With literally infinite amounts of information all around you, this system is designed to keep you from overwhelm or information overload.

It is a survival mechanism to filter through information efficiently, saving energy and creating automated short-cuts. RAS reinforces your current beliefs and determines what you will pay attention to, by filtering out the rest.

Keep in mind that what you deem to be important was established by your past experiences.

So how does this relate to sleep you might ask?

Here is an example:
Someone used to feel unsafe as a child to go to sleep for various reasons. That person has created a stressful relationship around sleep and their capacity to sleep. They may have learnt as a child that reading fiction books helped them to fall asleep which meant they read most of the night and were sleep deprived & exhausted by decided that was safer than the alternative. This became a belief; habit and the unconscious mind decided it is the best option. Now as an adult this is entrenched and feels impossible to change, no matter how hard they try. RAS will filter out any information that could change this learnt behaviour and keeps reaffirming the childhood decision.

The great news is that understanding this can help with changing old no-longer useful patterns of behaviour/belief. Your brain is changeable and what you focus on regularly can become your new habit. Know that the cause for resistance to change arises from this and that you can change it, through commitment and dedication. Persist with your new habit until it becomes a positive new habit.

Some things you might want to focus on:
Focus on the great benefits you will get in your life by getting better sleep.
Focus on how you can achieve it.
Focus on how good it will feel once you achieved it.
Focus on the possibilities.
Focus on the resources you have.
Focus on the small steps and actions.
Focus on the support you could have.
Focus on how you can make it easier for yourself.

Remember: what you focus on grows. So, focus on what you want, not on what you don’t want. It is like a garden you are looking after, and the parts you tend to are watered and nourished and thriving.