Societal norms have got most of us stuck in a place of rigidity, we humans tend to bottle up and brood over stories of the past, and most of this brooding comes when we lay our heads on our pillow after a long day. This has got to be the most detrimental thing we can do to ourselves, it affects our sleep, our health, our relationships and even other areas of our lives. It is said that a night of lost sleep can never be made up to rejuvenate the body. The circadian rhythm when disturbed can have disastrous effects on your body, brain and overall functioning.
How long do you take you to fall asleep?
What is your sleep latency?
Do you prepare your mind and body for a good nights rest by relaxing?
Falling asleep instantly or even a couple of minutes after you get into bed is atypical. Most people fall asleep within 10 to 20 minutes of getting into bed, sometimes it can take longer and that’s alright.
However, if you struggle with sleep deprivation or insomnia, falling asleep can feel like a chore and leave you feeling irritated and helpless.
There are a few proven ways —
to help better your sleep habits,
fall asleep faster,
most importantly stay asleep.
The perfect temperature- experiment to see what temperature helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. If your room is too hot or too cold, falling asleep may be difficult. You need to play around with different room temperatures to see what suits you and your body temperature that feels the most comfortable.
Get comfortable- A comfortable mattress and bedding is the key to good sleep. The quality of your pillow is very important. It can affect the curvature of your neck. A weighted blanket might help reduce stress and promote sleep as well. Lastly, the pajamas you wear should be extremely comfortable, almost like a second skin as they too can affect the quality of your sleep.
Watch what and when you eat- what you put in your body affects your sleep. High carb meals will help you fall asleep faster but it won’t be a restful night. High fat meals promote more restful sleep. Caffeine and too much sugar, found in coffee and chocolate, is notorious for keeping you awake. Limit your caffeine intake. If you do like a warm cup of something, opt for warm water or a nice herbal tea. You are what you eat and what you eat can affect how you sleep. Also try sleep-enhancing supplements like melatonin and magnesium they can help you fall asleep faster by boosting the production of sleep hormones or by calming brain activity.
Avoid napping during the day- people who suffer from insomnia tend to sleep during the day. Know that power naps can promote alertness but can often affect your sleep at night.
Exercise during the day- Physical activity is extremely beneficial for healthy sleep, and improving the quality of your sleep by boosting the production of serotonin in the brain and decreasing your stress levels by reducing cortisol levels. Not only does exercising release toxins and endorphins but it also tires the body, making it crave sleep. Practice yoga, meditation and mindfulness especially before bed time- Meditation can enhance your melatonin levels and help you reach a state of mind where it is easy to fall asleep. Mindfulness helps you focus on the present, accept what you can change and what can not, helps you worry less and fall asleep faster. Other forms of exercise can be done on waking or during the day.
The 4-7-8 breathing method- Developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, is a simple breathing method that promotes calmness and relaxation.
- Place the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth.
- Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
- Close your mouth, inhale through your nose and count to four silently.
- Hold your breath, and count to seven in your mind.
- Open your mouth and exhale completely, making a “whoosh” sound again and count to eight.
- Repeat this cycle for a couple of times.
It is a simple but extremely powerful method based on yoga breath control techniques, which relaxes the nervous system, also helps you unwind from your day and calm down before bed.
Follow a routine- Setting a sleep schedule often helps you fall asleep faster. A seven to nine hours of sleep every night is optimum for an adult, Set a time to sleep and wake up everyday and begin winding down an hour before that set time. Get sleep ready, follow timings and your health will shine.
Counting down- slowly counting backwards from 100 is a widely used method to fall asleep. This works by distracting the individual from anxious thoughts and shift the focus into meditative mode.
Listen to relaxing music- listening to music before sleeping can drastically improve the quality of your sleep and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. White noise or even blocking out all noise is another option that works.
Avoid looking at your clock- it’s normal to wake up in the middle of the night if you need to use the loo or if your body automatically wakes you up. However, the fear or the inability of falling asleep can ruin a good night’s sleep. With each passing minute the anxiety of not being able to fall asleep gets worse. So my advice to you is.. don’t look at your clock, just keep your eyes shut and focus on your breath, before you know it, you will be asleep and the alarm ring will be your wake up call.
Reduce your stress- How often are you tucked in bed ready to sleep but your mind just doesn’t switch off? Stress is one of the main causes of insomnia and lack of sleep. Use the power of paradoxical intention by forcing yourself to stay awake, this will tire you and you will destress so you can get a good night’s sleep.
Turn off all electronics- using your electronics before going to bed is terrible for your sleep. Electronic devices emit blue light which is known to suppress the production of melatonin in your body. Using your devices keeps your mind active and engaged instead of promoting a relaxed state of mind. If you do need to use your devices before sleeping, consider wearing blue light blocking glasses and turn your device on night mode. Instead Practice writing or reading something before bed it is a great way to streamline your thoughts before bed. It helps you focus on positive thoughts, create a happy state of mind and reduce stress.
Try aromatherapy- aromatherapy and essential oils are commonly used by people who have trouble falling asleep. Scents like lavender, damask rose and peppermint are used to promote sleep.
Conclusion
A good night’s sleep is so very important for everyone. Strengthen your physical actions to help you in difficult times, it will show up when your emotional agility needs a boost and help to find gentle acceptance to life.
