For the past two weeks I have been having a difficult time falling asleep ( started a logner time ago but lately i have been feeling them all the time). My main distractions are the neutral sensations on my face ( like I would be wearing a mask ) feeling the blood pulsing in my jugular, ears and mouth and also some slightly pleasant sensations in my abdominal area, on the sides especially and sometimes on the cest as well. It doesn't bother me during the day, only feel them when I am very relaxed and when I practice. Do you guys have any idea what this might be or how I should approach it ? 

Hi,

I'm glad you are being aware of sensations.

Unless there is significant pain somewhere, I wouldn't think about the reasons for the appearance of certain sensations. Approach all sensations with a balanced mind. We can't get rid of anything.

Be happy!

Now they are even more intense and I start to feel them even while reading, especially in the abdominal area. What do you mean by aproaching them with a balanced view ? Should I just ignore them ? Observe them ? Note the thoughts that arise when they apear ?

Alright, I have also struggled/still struggling with this, but let me first check if I understand what is going on.

You have a difficult time falling asleep. Because of the ¨distractions¨ which are slightly pleasant. These ¨distractions¨ don´t bother you during the day, but only during the night when you ¨want¨ to sleep. Is this what is the case?

If this is the case, do you then understand that ¨wanting¨ to sleep is the problem here? Why doesn´t it bother you during the day? Because then it isn´t a hindrance to something you want.

So how to approach this. First you see the sensations as distractions, why? Sensations are sensations. It is only a distractions if you make it so, because you want something. Wanting to fall asleep is not going the magically let you fall asleep, worse, it is going to keep you awake. To fall asleep, you have to let go of control. To do this, you just let the ¨wanting¨ be there, don´t indulge in it. It doesn´t matter if you stay awake all night! Even better, then you have the unique opportunity to meditate and deepen your practice. The mind is quite interesting at this time. If you fall asleep, it is also no problem.

The sensations are slightly pleasant for you, so indulge in them. Enjoy them, just observe them very gently. Stay with these pleasant sensations without using to much effort.
If these sensations become to intense, just allow these to do its thing while you remain in a space of stilness and centeredness. It can feel a bit like sitting in the eye of a hurricane =)

Another thing that can help a lot is to consciously surrender, as much as you can, to the process that is unfolding, and bring equanimity to the experience.
Don´t note. Just relax. Just be. Surrender. Just allow these to do its thing while you remain in a space of stilness and centeredness.

Thank you for your answer. That's it.
I have lately relised my subconscious tendency of being in control while practising, as my attention would soemtimes go back to the breath to make sure i'm still breathing. This might have to do with my moderate generalised anxiety. Also I have had the feeling that sensations/emotions want to manifest but something is holding them back, like stragleing them and I would sometimes feel that in my stomach, chest and neck. 
But all this letting go of control surrendering and relaxing sound pretty simple in theoryb but when I have to do it I might be trying too hard and craving too much for it to happen. Do you tink I should practice letting go,surrendering etc daily, besides my noting meditation? I guess if I just do it everytime before sleep should be fine. Do you think mushrooms could help with this ? I have never tried them but I heard about it being helpful for some people. I guess it would be better if I could learn this lesson without using them, but this might be a shortcut. For how long have you been dealing with this ?
Also I haven't been able to cry for the past 15 years and only lately I have realised it and tried to let the sadness grow and do it, but I could't do it. I had some views that it's a sing of weakness and also some society implemented ideas that men shouldn't cry, which are gone now, but I guess my subconsious is not convinced about it yet.
Another thing I remember is that while trying to relax and let go I also get a feeling of suffocating in my chest. A few months ago while practising I got to a point where I couldn't feel my breath and I experienced fear and panic. Might have to do with that memory.

I notice much anxiety, restlesness and trying to controle things in your post.

You are searching for something to do, to relieve you from the sensations, restlesness,suffocation, etc. But the searching itself is causing a lot of these things.

So my instruction to you:
Sit and don´t do anything.
Yes, but I have to note. No, you don´t.
Yes, but I have to concentrate and focus. No, you don´t.
Yes, but I have to stop craving and stop trying so hard. No, you don´t,
Yes, but I have to relax and let it all go. No, you don´t.
Yes, but then I fall asleep, I dwell in thoughts, I become dull, I ..................................
Doesn´t matter. Sit and don´t do anything.

Thank you so much. Feels like the best advice I was ever given. I will try to do this as often as I can. Las night I just stayed like this for a while and I had some interesting experiences, like sounds in my ears, pleasant sensations of things disolving on my chest, at some poin I was lying in bed and I had the feeling that I was standing, then I wasn't quite sure where my body was in relation to space around me, had the feeling of being bigger, smaller and felt like I was surrounded by some kind of a shell. When those sensations arose I also noticed a bit of fear of the unknown way they would manifest and at that point it would stop. Quite interesting experiences. I also noticed some vibrations in my hands and feet and a lot of itching on my face.