What Is “Cognitive Popcorn?”

Have you heard about “cognitive popcorn?” According to clinical psychologist, author, teacher, and the leader in integrative medicine approaches to sleep and dreams, Dr. Rubin Naiman, cognitive popcorn is the reason you struggle with insomnia.

It occurs when your mind produces uncontrollable thoughts that keep you awake, and it is one of the most common forms of mental “noise.” Other forms of noise that can interfere with your sleep include pain, discomfort, indigestion, or caffeine from drinking coffee too late in the day, and “environmental noise,” such as a snoring, lights, or a bedroom that’s too warm.

If you find it hard to turn down the “cognitive popcorn,” rather than turning to potentially dangerous sleep medications or over the counter antihistamines (side effects are mild and can include dry mouth, nose, and throat; dizziness, constipation; headache; and nausea), try the Essential Therapeutics Delta Sleep formula. This formula contains a synergistic blend of natural sleep inducing ingredients that reduce mind chatter, allowing you to fall asleep quickly and wake up the next day without feeling drugged and hung over.

Addressing sleep depriving “noise” starts with practicing good sleep hygiene.

Wait until you are sleepy before going to bed. If you’re not sleepy at your regular bedtime, try to relax your body and distract your mind by reading, listening to music, or some other activity. Try to wind down one hour before bed-avoid watching Pre-sleep rituals help to initiate relaxation each night before bed. A warm bath, light snack, or a few minutes of reading or listening to music can initiate good sleep. Avoid eating heavy meals near bedtime. If you’re not asleep in 20 minutes, get out of bed. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, leave your bedroom and find something else that will relax you enough to help make you sleepy.

Try to keep a regular sleep/wake schedule. Wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends and holidays.

Keep a regular daily schedule. Maintaining a regular schedules for meals, medications, chores, and other activities helps keep your body’s clock running smoothly. Get a full night’s sleep on a regular basis.  Get enough sleep every day so that you feel well-rested. If possible, avoid naps. If you have to take a nap, try to keep it to less than one hour and avoid taking a nap after 3 p.m.

Do not read, eat, watch TV, talk on the phone, surf the Web, do homework, or play board games in bed. The bedroom is for intimacy and sleep nothing else, disconnect computers, move workstations or projects out of your bedroom!  Also …

• Avoid caffeine after lunch, avoid grabbing a coffee after your lunch hour
• Avoid alcohol of any type within six hours of your bedtime.
• Do not smoke or ingest nicotine within two hours of your bedtime.
• Exercise regularly but avoid strenuous exercise within six hours of your bedtime. Regular exercise is good but do it earlier in the day.

Sometimes no matter what you do you can’t reduce the cognitive popcorn and falling asleep with all that mental chatter is almost impossible. Essential Therapeutics Delta Sleep formula is designed to calm that mental chatter, allowing you to quickly fall asleep. Delta Sleep can also be taken during the night to go back to sleep. And unlike sleep medications, it has NO side effects, isn’t habit forming and can be taken with other sleep medications.