6. Trouble Staying Asleep, Lying Awake and the Secret of the Meridians
Waking up at night is no problem for many people. They turn over and fall right back to sleep. Lucky people! For others, it’s a huge problem. As soon as they wake up, they are completely and totally awake. Whether it’s 1 am, 3 am 5 or 6 am, it takes them a couple of hours to fall asleep again. The result is lying awake for a long time, staring at the drapes, thinking with increasing irritation about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow: “I have to sleep, I need my rest, tomorrow I need to be fit, why can’t I fall asleep again!?”
If this happens every once in a while it’s not such a big deal, but an estimated 1 in 3 people in the Netherlands (NIPO, 1977) appear to suffer from problems with sleep, such as not sleeping through the night. That’s a lot!
Stay asleep with the MIR-Method
The MIR-Method contains some elements that will help you regulate your sleep better. Step 6 ‘Balance hormone system’. In the article about trouble with falling asleep, you read that it can have to do with a disturbance in the functioning of your Hypothalamus, a gray lobe in the brain that regulates the balance in your sleep/wake cycles by excreting hormones.
Shortage of Melatonin
Step 5 ‘Supplement all shortages’ involves supplementing melatonin (a sleep hormone), which helps you to stay asleep. Artificial melatonin is big business! It’s strange that so many people swallow melatonin, which is something the body itself can produce. Wouldn’t it be easier to tackle the causes so your body can produce this hormone itself?
The Other Steps
Step 7 ‘Fulfill basic needs’ includes the basic need for “Security” (see article 5). When you strengthen the feeling of security within yourself you will be able to sleep more peacefully. Steps 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9 support the other steps.
The Big Secret of the Meridians
Step 4 ‘Clear meridians’. This step helps when you wake up at night and aren’t able to fall asleep again. Step 4 is about the meridians. These are paths of energy in our bodies, which have been documented in Chinese medicine. Acupuncturists, shiatsu masseuses and foot reflexologists use them.
Each energy path has its own function. When these become disrupted, various physical but also emotional symptoms can develop. For example, a stiff neck, lower back pain, headache and poor sleep, or emotionally: indecisiveness, inability to cry or having a short temper. The meridians form a very interesting system because they are connected to one another, like a big circle of energy that goes round and round.
Meridian clock
Each meridian within that system takes a turn at being the strongest, each for two hours. During the night, some of these meridians are also active, namely:
– Gall bladder meridian between 11 pm and 1 am.
– Liver meridian between 1 and 3 am.
– Lung meridian between 3 and 5 am.
– Large intestine meridian between 5 and 7 am.
– Stomach meridian between 7 and 9 am.
If you wake up around the same time each night, look at the clock and remember the time. In the morning you can then check which meridian is involved and see if there are emotions you haven’t dealt with yet.
Basically, each meridian becomes disrupted by a specific major emotion:
– Gall bladder meridian: Frustration.
– Liver meridian: Anger (often repressed anger).
– Lung meridian: Grief, a lot of crying.
– Large intestine meridian: Not being able to let go.
– Stomach meridian: Worry and nervousness.
This means that if you’re lying awake at night, there is some emotion that you haven’t dealt with yet. If you do the MIR-Method at that moment, you will deal with the emotion. You say the 9 steps while stroking your hand. By stroking, you give your subconscious the signal that: “Everything is okay, there’s nothing wrong, you can easily let go of the emotion”. You give, as it were, “Peace” to your grief, to your anger, to your feelings of guilt. By recognizing it, the emotion feels seen and can lessen and disappear.
This also works for me. I usually sleep very well, but last week I woke up 3 mornings in a row around 6 am, the time for the large intestine meridian. The first morning that I lay awake I realized that I had a big decision to make. With “big” I mean that it was a decision of the emotions, which meant letting go of something. But I was actually attached to the idea of everything staying as it was. I didn’t want a change!
In short, I “couldn’t let go” of the old situation. I treated myself with the MIR-Method and fell asleep again. I needed to repeat it 2 more nights which taught me that it was tough for me to let go! Each morning that I woke up too early, I did the 9 steps and I slept through the fourth night again. A few days later I was able to make the BIG decision.
A good night’s sleep? The basis for good health!
I wish you a wonderful night’s rest, without interruption and with nice dreams!
Mireille Mettes
Question for you: what time do you usually wake up? Try doing the MIR-Method when you lie awake at night. Let me know below what happened!
P.S. Will you help spread the MIR-Method? You would do me a big favor by forwarding this article to other people! Feel free to post it to your Facebook page or send it via e-mail, Twitter or Linked-In! Use the icons on the left-hand side or below! Thank you!
P.S. Not familiar with the MIR-Method yet? Please go to the homepage. You can watch the video there and also the instruction video. Sign up for our newsletter and 6 weeks of coaching e-mails for extra support!
I’ve been this is method for almost a year now. Recently I added another #10 “Pain FREE & Healthy”. Works great for my problems.
Dear Kathy,
It is wonderful to see how you use your own words with the MIR-Method. In the Netherlands I also teach this. However, could you please put your words as the first step? Then your deepest wish is immediately embedded in the 9 steps. I am very happy to read that it works great for your problems!
Good luck!
Greetings, Mireille Mettes
I love synchronicity! Just a few days ago I was wondering why I was waking up at a certain time (4am). I’ve noticed even during the day, I will (this sounds weird) pull in a lot of air. Almost like I’m just not getting enough. I don’t have asthma and I work out a lot so it perplexed me. It’s as if my lungs were fatigued and I couldn’t satiate my need for air. Last night after doing some energy clearing (sat yam meditation) and saying ‘om’ while sitting in a bath, it really relaxed me prior to going to bed. I was able to get a full eight hours of sleep. When I woke up I saw your email and thought…what are the odds. I have done your MIR-Method and found it extremely helpful at a time in my life when I was experiencing pain from my childhood and having trouble letting go (NPD mother). The time in which I wake up…my grasping for air, makes perfect sense. I really appreciate the method and it’s extremely thorough. It works! Further, taking a moment for self-care does so many wonderful things (that rubbing your hand thing, while also affirming each method feels so loving toward yourself). Your post about this today is a reminder to me to start doing your wonderful MIR-Method again. Much gratitude for this…it continues to help me 🙂
Dear Sophia,
Thank you for letting us know! It is as you describe: that moment of self-care is actually an act of love towards yourself and your health. Am so glad it feels good for you and helped you through that painful period in your life. What does an ‘NPD’ mother mean?
Thank you for sharing!
Greetings, Mireille Mettes
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Dear Hanna,
All right, that is quite a challenge! Even more respect how you have managed to get your life back!
Lots of luck!
Greetings, Mireille Mettes
Hi
Very interesting article. I wake up between 3 and 4am every night (and can’t sleep again!!!). However, we have just put the clocks forward. Before that, it would have been between 2 and 3? How do I know whether it is the lung or the liver issue that I have?
Dear Guy,
When you use the MIR-Method you inside clock adapts quickly to the new time. So when you wake up between 2 and 3 you have to watch the liver meridian.
Good luck!
Greetings, Mireille Mettes
Dear Mireille,
Thankyou for the MIR method , and freely sharing with the world.
I came across it through a friend and have started doing it since a week. I am experiencing a lot of things in my body and it’s interesting.
I started reading up more and found this site where different imbalances of the body are listed. Looks like this is a one stop shop for all illness.
I am going to work on myself and will surely share my experience with all.
Can this method help my son who has a sleep disorder called sleep apnea ? This means he is a heavy snorer and wakes up many many times in the night as he forgets to breathe. He uses a machine to breathe regularly . It’s not a comfortable way to sleep, hooked to a mask all night.
Regards,
Ameeta
Dear Ameeta,
Thank you for giving the MIR-Method a try! Yes, it is possible that your son may find some relief with his apea. In Belgium, Europe, a lady has been able to let go of the machine for breathing at night! Hope you will want to give it a try and please make sure you keep doing it for several months, because the root cause of the apnea may be quite deep.
Good luck and please let me know how he is doing!
Greetings, Mireille Mettes
I want to help me old father whois about 83 years. he sleeps in day time and is awake at night and wants someone to tell him what to do. I stay away from him. How can I help him please tell me.
Dear Archana,
You can do the MIR-Method for him, but only if he gives your permission. Read here how you do it: go to the Questions and read question nr. 5.
Good luck!
Greetings, Mireille
Dear, i would be even more helped if i can download your guidance, so i can find it back quickly as many times as i need it. Am passing on Your website to all my friends who are in dear need of help. You will probably also get a cry for help from my german friends
Dear Isha,
What exactly would you like to download? Videos? Pictures? Words? The book? Just let me know and I will help you with it.
What country are you from?
Greetings! Mireille Mettes
Dear mireille, actually i would like to download your advises and explanations. Originally i am from indonesia,live in germany, but have dutch passport. Soon i will immigrate to tenerife, spain, because of health problems.
Lately i had twice during the night pains in the abdominal area. Probably because of stool passing from rising intestine into big intestine. I hold Bach rescuedrops bottle in my hand and it disappears. Time is 3.30 am each time. How does that fit with meridians activity? You can also correspond with me in dutch, if that is better for you. Thank you Mireille. Love, isha
Dear Isha,
Your abdominal pains have to do with old grief. It is in the Lung meridian time. When you wake up at that time, old grief is letting go. You can download anything from the website.
Good luck!
Greetings, Mireille Mettes
Mirelle ~~~ I just want to express appreciation for these articles. They are always so informative and helpful. I feel very fortunate that I somehow “found” your website one day. Your work is a blessing to all of us. Thank you! ~~~Patti
Dear Patti,
Thank you for your kind words! It is so wonderful to receive so many positive reactions which help me keep up the work. Thank you for receiving it!
Greetings,
Mireille Mettes
Thank you so much Mirelle for all your tips! I am going to try the sleep one tonight.
Dear Katharine,
I truly hope you will benefit from it! Let me know how it goes! Sleep tight!
Greetings, Mireille Mettes
Why are all the steps not listed ???
Dear Joan,
In this article I addressed the ones that are specifically working for these sleeping problems. All 9 steps work together, so to address these sleeping problems, just go through all 9 steps.
Good luck!
Mireille Mettes
Mireille,
thank you for this post. I have had poor sleep for years from being on high alert while caring for my husband who had Parkinson’s and needed my assistance pretty much 24/7.
I am going to try the 9 step MIR when I wake through the night and can’t get back to sleep. I’ll see how it goes.
blessings
margaret
Dear Margaret,
Thank you for trying. It is just as you describe: being alert at night can in the end cause sleeping problems. I truly hope the MIR-Method can give you back your relaxation at night.
Good luck and blessings too!
Mireille Mettes