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Managing
with mindfulness
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Facilitator Master
: Jayne text styles
Dunsbee

02 June 2020
 Objectives
► Understand:

► Sleep - what’s going on?

► Insomnia - what it is, what causes it
► Mindfulness - what it is, how it can help insomnia

► Experience - mindfulness for yourself

► Gain - tips and resources to help you better manage sleep

2
 How is YOUR sleep?

3 02 June 2020
 Sleep aligned with Circadian Rhythm

► Internal ‘body clock’ = Circadian Cycle

► Melatonin manages 24 hour ‘sleep-wake’ cycle

► Our ancestors were connected to natural rhythms

► Lost much of this connection in our modern lives

4 02 June 2020
 Sleep is made up of different stages …

Awake Let go of day, transition into sleep

Stage 1 - light sleep 5%

Muscle twitches / ‘falling’ asleep

Stage 2 – ‘true’ sleep 45%

Non- Transition through this
REM
Stage 3 - Deep / Slow Wave Sleep (SWS) 25%
Hard to wake from
Brain waves slow
Restorative

REM Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep 25%

Brain actively processing information
Dreaming occurs

5 02 June 2020
 Sleep comprises a number of cycles:

Slow Wave Sleep

(SWS)

Length of SWS and REM periods change as the night goes on:
1st part of night - longer SWS, shorter REM periods
2nd part of night - shorter SWS, longer REM periods; longest REM just before waking

6 02 June 2020
 Quality of sleep more important than quantity

Our brain performs vital functions during Deep (SWS) and REM sleep which are vital for our health and
wellbeing

Physical (mainly during SWS):

► Boosts immune system
► Repairs muscles and joints
► Cleans away waste products

Cognitive (mainly during REM):

► Enhances memory and learning
► Sifts out and ‘forgets’ irrelevancies

7 02 June 2020
 * Recommended sleep duration for healthy adults = 7 – 9 hours:
► 5 x ~ 90 min cycles = 7.5 hours
*National Sleep Foundation

Our night’s sleep is in 2 parts!

► We have a natural pause, roughly halfway through

8 02 June 2020
 Any insights on YOUR sleep?

9 02 June 2020
 Insomnia = disruption of sleep cycle:

Defined as difficulty in:

► Fallingasleep (onset)
► Staying asleep (maintenance)
► Waking up too early

Very common:
►~ 30% of people experience insomnia

Nobody sleeps perfectly every night of their lives

► Regulation across multiple nights more important than any single night’s sleep.

10 02 June 2020
 2 types of insomnia:

Acute:
► Briefand transient
► Often triggered by specific life events

Chronic:
► Can occur several nights per week
► Can last for weeks or month

Can create an unhealthy cycle …

11 02 June 2020
 Many possible causes

► Physical, e.g. pain

► External distractions / noise

► Shift work, jet-lag

► Disrupts Circadian Rhythm

► Commonly triggered by stress and anxiety

► Mind won’t switch off – ‘Racing Mind’:

► Too alert and distracted to fall / stay asleep
► Thoughts about the past or future
► Emotions
► Inner dialogue / ‘mind chatter’

12 02 June 2020
 We can make this worse …

► Getting frustrated by a “racing mind”

► Becoming obsessed by watching the clock

“For most people, the harder
► Worrying about the consequences of not they try to fall asleep, the less
falling asleep
success they have”

Scott Campbell, Weill Cornell Medical College

13 02 June 2020
 Poor sleep can impact on daily life:

► Low energy
► Difficulty concentrating
► Irritable / snappy
► Making rash / risky decisions
► Or unable to make a decision ..
► Lackof empathy – less kind
► More sensitive to pain

►Other??

14 02 June 2020
 Unchecked, can lead to health issues

Linked to many physical disorders, including:

► Obesity
► Diabetes
► High blood pressure
► Heart disease
► Lowered immune system

Emotional health issues include depression

and anxiety disorders

15 02 June 2020
 Mindfulness can help

16 02 June 2020
 What IS mindfulness?

Noticing what’s here,

in and around the mind and body,
in the present moment
… simply accepting what’s here, without judging

► Type of meditation
► Fitness training for the brain

17 02 June 2020
 Mindfulness ‘works’ - evidence:

Positive brain changes after practicing regularly for a number of weeks

► Brain ‘rewired’ – neuroplasticity

Stimulates ‘relaxation response’

► Counterbalance stress reaction to ‘threats’

Numerous benefits to physical and mental health:

► Decreased b.p., heart rate, stress, anxiety
► Reduced diabetes, IBS, cardiovascular issues
► Increased positivity, optimism, sleep, energy, well-being
► Enhanced memory, personal effectiveness, resilience

18 02 June 2020
 Body Scan Practice

Formal mindfulness practice:

► Come off autopilot

► Be fully present

► Strengthen your ‘attention muscle’

► Focus where you want it
► Changing focus of attention

Can be helpful in bringing about relaxation and sleep

19 02 June 2020
 Tips and practices to enhance
sleep

20 02 June 2020
 Develop a regular mindfulness practice

► Proven to stimulate parasympathetic NS and increase duration /

quality of sleep
► ‘Relaxation response ‘ = calm

► Mind becomes settled:

► Learn to manage internal noise
► Relax into restorative Pre-Sleep > sleep

► Practicing at bedtime can ease you into a good night’s sleep

► Mindfulness increases and regulates melatonin production /

Circadian Rhythm

21 02 June 2020
 Let go of striving …

► Stop watching the clock

► Don’t fear not sleeping
► Give up trying to empty the mind

Accept you can’t sleep right now

► Switches off stress reaction

Move to a different room

► Try a relaxing activity, eg reading, till tired
► Bed = sleep, not strive

Practice mindfulness - helps mind and body settle and relax, naturally

22 02 June 2020
 Stop holding on to your ‘to do’ list

► Download everything that’s on your mind to free up

your ‘brain bandwidth’
► e.g. create a Mind Map

► Just before bed, capture any ‘to-do’s’

► Recommend LHH Mind-Mapping course

23 02 June 2020
 Manage your tech …
Switch it off before bedtime - 2 hours is recommended! 
► Content can trigger stress and anxiety
► ‘Blue wavelength light’ Inhibits melatonin production

“Extended use of electronic

media can disrupt sleep and
exacerbate sleep disorders.”

American Medical Association

24 02 June 2020
 Set yourself up well for sleep …

► Ensure your bedroom supports good sleep:

► Cool - with fresh air
► Comfortable
► Dark - eye mask / blackout blinds
► Quiet

► Lighting which simulates natural light can be helpful

► Wake up gently

25 02 June 2020
 Re-align with your natural rhythm

If Circadian rhythm out of synch, we stay in alert ‘daytime mode’

► Keep your sleep times regular!

► Avoid cutting down sleep to get more things done / long lie-ins,
to compensate!
► TRY shifting sleep time by a complete 90 minute cycle

► Spend time outdoors

► Increases natural light, re-synchs circadian rhythm
► Natural de-stressor!

26 02 June 2020
 Managing sleep with mindfulness - resources

To help you develop a regular mindfulness practice:

Structured 8 week course:
Self-guided via book or app: “Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world” by Prof Mark Williams and Dr Danny Penman
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Books/dp/074995308X
Free practices via Soundcloud, YouTube and website: http://franticworld.com/
Guided practices via apps:
► Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/
► Calm: free trial: https://www.calm.com/

Useful information:
► Video: Sleep Smarter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq28WJpZfLg
► Website: National Sleep Foundation: https://sleepfoundation.org/
► Book: Teaching the World to Sleep, David R. Lee: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Teaching-World-Sleep-Psychological-Behavioural/dp/1782203451
► Lumie Wake-Up light: https://www.lumie.com/

Meditations to promote sleep:

► Body Scan from Frantic World: https://soundcloud.com/hachetteaudiouk/meditation-two-the-body-scan
► Calm Sleep Stories - Steven Fry’s ‘Blue Gold’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mGifCwig8I

Contact Jayne at Jayne.Dunsbee.external@lhh.com

27 02 June 2020
 About us

Lee Hecht Harrison helps companies simplify the complexity

associated with transforming their leadership and workforce so they
can accelerate results, with less risk. We do this by helping their
employees navigate change, become better leaders, develop better
careers, and transition into new jobs.

As the world’s leading integrated Talent Development and Transition

company, we have the local expertise, global infrastructure, and
industry leading technology required to simplify the complexity
associated with executing critical talent and workforce initiatives,
reducing brand and operational risk. Teams in more than 60 countries
around the world leverage our proven programs and global
experience to deliver tailored solutions to clients that align talent with
the needs of their business.

28 02 June 2020