What is Tapping and How Can It Help Me Sleep?

What is Tapping?

Perhaps you’ve heard of something called “tapping.” And maybe you thought to yourself, “what on earth is that?” Tapping all over my body? Why?

I agree it sounds a little out there but friends, tapping is one of the coolest mind-body techniques I’ve ever learned! I love it so much I tapped my way back to good health and great sleep.

There are many different styles of tapping but since I’m a certified eutaptics®/Faster EFT practitioner, that’s the one I’ll focus on for this blog.

The reason I’m such a fan of eutaptics®/Faster EFT is because it’s a collection of several cutting-edge techniques all rolled in to one. Robert Smith, the creator of the system, took the best of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and the science of neuroplasticity and created a process that truly is fast and easy.

Tapping is a powerful transformational tool that uses the mind-body connection to address thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and memories. Using Chinese acupressure points that correspond with the meridians of the stress response, tapping brings down stress and changes how we think about an experience.

Any sensation on the skin has to be made sense of by the brain so when we stimulate the skin, we stimulate the brain. There's a physiological correlation between the meridian lines and physical attributes of the body.

It also works by communicating with the subconscious. When something stresses you out, it's because the brain is reacting to resources from the past. It's being triggered by something you might not even be aware of. But you can change those resources. 

Ultimately, tapping allows us to take conscious control of the unconscious mind.

It’s fast, it’s easy, and it’s holistic.

How Does Tapping Help Sleep?

Quite simply, it's a major STRESS BUSTER!

Tapping is one of the most effective strategies out there for managing stress.

One of the 3 pillars of my Rewire Your Brain for Sleep Program™ is balancing the nervous system. At the heart of the nervous system is the fight or flight response. Tapping helps bring down the fight or flight response, which brings down cortisol, which helps us sleep.

Hallelujah!

I frequently talk about how what we do in the day is just as important as what we do at night. Because that cortisol thing? That tends to go UP at night instead of down in the case of chronic insomnia?  Well, if we manage those levels throughout the DAY, it becomes much easier to regulate at night.

(So we're not up at 3am cleaning the junk drawer due to high cortisol.) 

Keeping up with life's stressors as they come by putting ourselves back in alignment, allows us to feel sleepy when bedtime rolls around. We want to keep stress from accumulating because less worry equals less insomnia. 

The Faster EFT Tapping Points For Sleep:  

The Faster EFT Basic Recipe:

1. Notice how you KNOW you have the problem (feeling, image, sound).

2. Then, shift your focus and start tapping on each point. Feel the feeling of your fingers tapping on your skin and SAY:

       "Let it go."

       "I'm safe to let it go."

       "It's okay to let it go."

       "Just let it go."

3. Hold your wrist, take a DEEP breath in, blow it all away, and say "PEACE."

Video of the Technique:

Other Ways Tapping Can Improve Sleep

An overactive mind is one of the major challenges to not getting to sleep. Our minds take on a life of their own as we cycle through our problems, conversations, events of the day, or events that haven't even occurred yet, all of which keep us wide-awake.  

You can use tapping as a relaxation technique to clear the mind and calm the brain and body. Tapping acknowledges and releases whatever emotions are keeping you from falling asleep.  

So, in addition to tapping during the day, here are a few ways to use it at night:

1. Before Sleep - Allow yourself a few minutes to clear whatever stress, worry, or concern you are still carrying from the day. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a nice, deep, relaxing breath. Now, scan your body and notice anything that might be bothering you. As you notice whatever is bothering you, shift your focus and tap using the Faster EFT basic recipe. Do however many rounds you need to bring your rating down to a 0 or 1. This will improve the quality of your sleep. 

2. Once in Bed - If you find yourself unable to sleep, use mental tapping. Once you've physically tapped several times, the brain memorizes the feeling of the points so you can mentally tap with the same effect. 

With tapping, we are creating neural pathways that dissipate the anxiety that we might feel around sleep.

As always, remember that our bodies know how to sleep just like they know how to breathe. We just need to allow it to happen. 

Cheering you on,

Beth Kendall MA, FNTP

Holistic Sleep Coach

 

Health Disclaimer: The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.