Kerrie has struggled with insomnia for 20 years and decides to try Paul McKenna's sleep program to address her sleep issues. The program involves establishing a relaxing pre-bed routine, avoiding stimulants before bed, getting daily exercise, and using relaxation techniques and hypnosis to fall asleep. Over the course of a week, Kerrie works to implement the tips, such as listening to a hypnosis CD each night. Her sleep improves throughout the week, with longer sleep durations and fewer nighttime awakenings. By the end of the week, Kerrie feels her insomnia has been resolved and she has found a way to get better quality sleep.

1. THE CHALLENGE
Hypnotist Paul McKenna believes
everyone can achieve a good night’s
shut-eye by following his simple
instructions. I’m hoping that if I stick to the tips in
his book I Can Make You Sleep and accompanying
hypnosis CD, I’ll be able to rid myself of insomnia.
Paul sets out ‘the golden rules of sleep’ in his
book. I’m instructed to get up half an hour before
my normal waking-up time, go to bed when I’m
feeling sleepy and not take any naps during the day,
which I am guilty of because I’m so tired. I’ll need to
get a minimum of 20 minutes’ exercise a day, stop
drinking alcohol, cut out caffeine after 2pm and
finish eating at least three hours before I go to bed.
There’s also a big emphasis on creating the
right environment to get a restful sleep. So I’ll
keep my bedroom dust-free and dark, and make
sure it isn’t too hot or cold. I’m banned from
clock-watching while lying in bed, and I must
switch off the TV one hour before retiring for the
night and listen to the hypnosis CD every evening
before sleeping. There are also relaxation exercises
to do if I’m lying awake in bed for more than 20
minutes. These will be really good for me because
I’d usually get up and work on my computer,
which makes it harder to get back to sleep.
One of the things I find interesting is that Paul
says it’s not about how long you sleep for, it’s the
quality of your sleep. He says research has shown
we don’t necessarily need eight hours’ sleep every
night. In fact, some people get by on only five or six.
Day 1
Today is my day off, but I get up at 8.10am because
I have lots of things to do. As well as my freelance
styling jobs, I work part-time in a Diesel shop
and don’t always have time to myself to get things
done. I’m feeling excited, yet anxious about
completing the programme.
The book recommends avoiding processed
food and eating as much fresh produce as possible,
so I cook a dinner of Chinese belly pork, noodles
and vegetables. I eat at 7pm to keep to the rules
in the book of not eating more than three hours
before going to sleep. Later, I go to bed at 12.30am,
and listen to the hypnosis CD, which involves
me counting backwards from 300, before drifting
off around 1am. I wake up at 4am needing the loo
and I can’t get back to sleep, so I end up searching
for rooms to rent and jobs on the internet. I trail
through Facebook and Twitter, write a poem,
and I read a little more of the Paul McKenna
book. I’m still getting to grips with it, so I don’t
do any of the relaxation exercises.
Hours of sleep: 4
Times woken up: 1
Quality of sleep: Very bad
spiritanddestiny.co.uk January 2015JANUARY 2015 spiritanddestiny.co.uk
Mind, Body & Spirit
Sleep
better
Challenge
THE PROBLEM
I’ve had sleep
problems since I
was seven. As I got
older, I assumed
I was just a night
owl. I’m a creative
person and I’d
always get inspiration for things at
2 or 3am, so it was common for me
to be lying awake until this time,
especially at university. I’d struggle
to get up in the morning, but I’d
just put it down to my body clock.
I recently moved to London to
work as a stylist – my dream is to be
a presenter on QVC, the shopping
channel, and to do that you to have
a successful blog and be active in the
fashion world. But these things have
been sidelined because I’ve had to
start a retail job. I only get about four
hours of broken sleep a night and
wake up worrying about money and
finding a new place to live, because
I’ve got to move house soon. I can’t
function properly and because I’m
so tired I often have accidents.
I’ve tried various things to help
me drift off, including having a bath
before bed, meditating and sleeping
tablets. My insomnia is holding me
back from making the most of the
opportunities open to me in London.
One week to a blissful
night’s sleepKerrieNewton has been an insomniac for 20 years. Could Paul McKenna’s
hypnotism CD banish her sleepless nights?
Day 2
This morning I’m shattered because I had so little
sleep and today I go back to work at Diesel, which
is tough. But I’m happy when I get a job starting
next week as wardrobe assistant on a new ITV
show called The Real Housewives Of Cheshire.
I commit to making three pushes to help me
sleep. The first one is to get up 30 minutes earlier
than usual to help reset my sleep pattern. Secondly,
I go to bed when I’m tired, and finally, I don’t allow
myself a snooze during the day. On the way to
work I’d usually sleep on the train, but now I resist.
I go to bed at 11.45pm, worry for 15 minutes,
pull myself together and listen to the CD before
falling asleep. During the night I wake up, and
instead of checking my phone I practise a technique
in the book where I visualise the ocean and go to
sleep. I wake up at 6am, and fall back to sleep until
my alarm wakes me at 8am – it’s a revelation.
Hours of sleep: 7hrs 20mins
Times woken up: 1
Quality of sleep: Good
Day 3
I slept deeply last night, and again I decided against
napping on my way to work. Instead, I did one
of my own meditations. Getting up 30 minutes
earlier made me feel more positive about the day.
I get a job assisting on a photo shoot with a stylist
– operation Kerrie Newton Fashion Stylist is go!
Every night before bed I’d usually have a glass
of wine, but I’ve been replacing this with herbal
‘Interestingly, Paul says
it’s not about how long
you sleep for, it’s the
quality of your sleep’
Better sleep equals a more
productive day at workUnprocessed foods
are on the menu
A little light
bedtime reading
for Kerrie
Getting into the zone by
listening to the hypnosis
CD every evening

2. spend all day in my sick
bed, even though Paul
says you should only
use the bed for sleeping
or having sex – or
listening to his CD!
At night, I’m still stressed out because
I’m worried about finding work and somewhere
to live so I use the tapping exercise to calm myself.
I use a systematic relaxation technique before
bedtime, which involves going through areas of
the body and saying out loud, ‘Now I relax my
eyes,’ and, ‘Now I relax my feet,’ etc. I added in,
‘Now I relax my scalp,’ because I feel that I have
a lot of tension there. I go to sleep at around 11pm.
Hours of sleep: 11hrs 25mins
Times woken up: 0
Quality of sleep: Good
Day 6
I wake up at 10.30am just before my alarm
goes off, feeling much better and refreshed after
having over 11 hours of sleep. It seems this is
the amount of sleep I need to function well! The
book recommends keeping your bedroom and
your bed sheets clean, so because I’ve been ill,
I change the bed and have a tidy-up.
This book is brilliant because it’s having
a positive effect on my sleep and is making me
see my bedroom routine in a new light. I’ve
been making sure my room is as comfortable as
possible and have been wearing a sleep mask to
cut out any light that could keep me awake. I don’t
feel tired until around 12pm, so I do the systematic
relaxation and tapping, listen to the CD and fall
asleep at 1am.
Hours of sleep: 7
Times woken up: 0
Quality of sleep: Good
Day 7
Last night I slept so soundly. Going to bed
when I’m actually feeling tired is making a big
difference. One of the tips I’ve found really effective
is changing the way I use my inner voice to talk to
myself. Whereas I used to berate myself in a stern
voice about not being able to sleep, I’ll now tell
myself off in a less serious tone. It lightens things
up and stops me stressing out. I’ve also taken time
out during the day to process my worries rather
than dwelling on things at night before bed.
I have a busy day working on a photo shoot.
I meet a photographer who has trouble sleeping so I
recommend the Paul McKenna book and CD to her.
Hours of sleep: 5hrs 40mins
Times woken up: 0
Quality of sleep: Good
Kerrie’s verdict
Completing this challenge has been enlightening
and has helped me focus properly on my career in
a transitional period of my life. I’ll continue using
the techniques I’ve learnt, and I don’t see myself
as an insomniac any more. When you don’t
sleep it’s all you can think about and you’re
constantly tired. But since doing this sleep
challenge I’ve felt re-energised, and as a result
I’ve had more styling work. I’m so
delighted that I’ve been able to create
a new sleep story. I feel awesome!
January 2015 spiritanddestiny.co.uk
Mind, Body & Spirit
tea. Since moving to London I’ve
realised I’ve been relying on alcohol to
relax, but actually it’s been disrupting
my sleep, so I’ve found not drinking
surprisingly easy. Plus, I’m getting
to the point where I look forward to
going to bed and listening to the CD.
Hours of sleep: 5
Times woken up: 2
Quality of sleep: Average
Day 4
My sleep was disturbed last night
and I woke up twice. At 4am, I try
a technique where I tap various
points on my body, such as above and below my
eyes, under my armpits and collarbone, and then
hum the first couple of lines of Happy Birthday to
reduce my stress. I’ve been finding it helpful, but it
doesn’t work this time.
In the morning I do a ‘value yourself’ exercise that
Paul recommends, where you focus on one lovely
thing to do for yourself that day. It makes me realise
I want to quit my part-time job at Diesel, so I email
them my resignation. Instead, I’ll apply for office
temping jobs, which fit in better around my styling
work. As part of my exercise, I take a 20-minute
walk, which makes me feel good, and I fall asleep
at 1.30am after listening to the hypnosis CD.
Hours of sleep: 5hrs 30mins
Times woken up: 3
Quality of sleep: Poor
Day 5
I wake up feeling really sick today with an aching
body, sore head and stinging, tired eyes. I have to
I Can Make You Sleep by
PaulMcKennaispublished
by Bantam Press, priced
£5.49.Formoreinformationvisitpaulmckenna.com
Want to find
out more?
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‘I feel better after having
11hours’sleep.Itseems
this is the amount I
need to function well!’
Kerrie swaps her
glass of wine for a
calming herbal tea
A tapping technique
helps Kerrie chill out
An eye mask shuts
out peripheral light
for extra shut-eye
Changing the
bed sheets to
create a healthy
environment