EXCERPT: 'I Can Make You Sleep'

Read an excerpt from Paul McKenna's new book.

ByABC News via logo
September 10, 2009, 10:56 AM

Sept. 18, 2009— -- Paul McKenna, best-selling author of "I Can Make You Thin," has out a new book and CD set on the secrets of getting regular, deep sleep. "I Can Make You Sleep" uses methods that McKenna has developed over 20 years.

In McKenna's technique, the book and CD are designed to work together to reset your body's natural sleep mechanism. He says that his approach will increase the amount and quality of your sleep.

Read an excerpt of the book below, and head to the "GMA" Library for more good reads.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF REGULAR, DEEP, REFRESHING SLEEP

The system in this book and CD will make a huge improvement to your life. If you've suffered from insomnia or from disruption to your sleep then I have written this book for you! This system will do more than help you sleep longer, it will also significantly improve the quality of your sleep. Human beings spend approximately 30 percent of their life asleep so almost a third of your entire existence is about to become significantly better.

Every human being has a natural inbuilt ability to sleep deeply and for long periods of time. We are going to re-establish your sleep cycle so that you truly enjoy that natural ability.

Recent research has shown that we do not all need eight hours of sleep every night; some people only need five or six hours. However much you sleep, what matters is that you are truly rested and refreshed. As you use this book, together we will improve the quantity and the quality of your sleep. Whether your sleep gets longer or deeper or both, it will become more refreshing and satisfying so overall a third of your life is about to get better!

I know the frustration of not getting a good night's sleep and I know that I can help you. There are different ways that people experience sleeping problems or insomnia—some find it difficult to get to sleep, other people wake up frequently during the night, others wake too early in the morning. Some people have a mixture of all those difficulties and some people never enjoy feeling truly rested, however much they sleep.

For you this is all going to change, right now. Whatever your problem was with sleeping, from now on, your sleep will start to improve. One of the best things about this system is that you don't have to "believe" in it, you don't have to have willpower. You simply have to follow my instructions.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED IS HERE

The system you are about to use has taken over twenty years to develop. Everything that is in this book and on the CD is exactly what I would do with you if we were sitting together doing a personal session. In fact, during the reading of this book you may find yourself feeling sleepy.

There are two reasons for this. First, simply by reading about how your sleep can get better and deeper we are focusing your mind on sleep and activating all your unconscious associations to successfully falling asleep. Many people find that reading this book makes them feel a bit sleepy or that their attitudes toward sleep begin to transform, because it has been written in a special hypnotic language. The formula of the writing makes the brain begin to process ideas to reconnect to your basic ability to sleep. As you make sense of what I am saying your mind creates a specific sequence of ideas which puts positive suggestions into your unconscious mind.

I've worked with many people over the years helping them to change habits and the research into my techniques shows that they work for most people most of the time. However, I am always interested in why my approach doesn't work for some people and interestingly it's always the same reason: They didn't follow the instructions.

This can be for any number of reasons. Maybe they were distracted, or they tried the techniques just once or twice and forgot to repeat them. The point is if they don't follow the instructions they are not using the system. It is important to explain straight away that the system in this book and CD works by installing the habits of success in your mind. One of the methods by which we do this is repetition, so if you want to improve the length and quality of your sleep you must follow all my instructions—including the repetitions. If you don't follow them you are not using the system.

Many people find that their sleep improves radically within a few days. Even though this may happen to you, keep using all the techniques. Establishing regular, refreshing sleep is the result of changing many small processes that all add up to work together. Keep following all the rules until they become second nature and use the exercises as often as you wish, and after a few weeks you will find out which is your favorite way to go to sleep.

Sleep is a simple experience created by a multitude of complex factors. For a few people it is just one of the changes I suggest, or just one of the exercises, that makes a huge difference. And of course, most of the time we can't tell exactly which were the changes that were critical for your sleep improvement. That is why it is necessary to follow the whole system. After all, it doesn't matter if you do not know which change it was you made that makes you sleep better. All that matters is that you sleep deeper and longer and better and feel more refreshed, more relaxed, and more alert during the day. Some people find it helpful to reread this book many times as well in order to reinforce the learning.

We are going to start this book by changing simple habits and improving your sleep environment. Then later in the book I will show you some powerful psychological techniques that you can use to go to sleep and stay asleep longer and deeper.

RELAX, YOU CAN DO IT

If you have been unable to sleep it is not your fault. It's the fault of your programming. Your mind is like a computer and when you learn to do something you store it as a program in your unconscious mind. That is what a habit is. So being unable to sleep at night is simply the product of some bad habits.