Simple and effective things you can do that are better than counting sheep.
Having trouble falling asleep? Well, the less you worry about it, the better. This is seriously not something to be alarmed about. Based on a recent study, a staggering 79% of Americans don’t get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep each night. See? You’re not alone.
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There are many reasons why this could be happening. These, of course, includes the basics like your gender, weight and age. This can also be attributed to your lifestyle. Do you find yourself dealing with more anxiety than usual? Do you drink copious amounts of coffee during the day? Is your partner’s chainsaw-like snoring keeping you up? Do you get enough exercise?
Whatever is causing your sleeplessness, you can try these very simple steps to help you get that well-deserved shut-eye. These have been proven to relax your body or create a more sleep-conducive environment.
Adjust your bedtime
If you have work and you have to be in bed at, say, around 8 or 9 PM, try to push that back a little further to 10 PM. Worrying about a specific time when you have to go to sleep might be contributing to the anxiety that you’re feeling. This very understandable. Naturally, you want to be well rested for the following day, but allowing yourself an extra hour or two might just be a trick to lure your mind into sleep.
Using up every last bit of your energy might just be the thing that you need, so why not watch that next episode of the show that you’re binging on Netflix or read that next chapter of the novel you’re reading. It helps to keep your mind occupied, instead of just lying awake and worrying.
Learn how to get a full night’s sleep in only 4 or less hours – click here
Don’t just lie there
Your bed is a place for sleeping. This should not be where you think about your tasks for the next day or how you’re going to pay off that student loan. Train yourself to think of your bed only as a place of rest and relaxation. When your sleeplessness kicks in, get out of bed and do something.
This may seem like a hard thing to do, especially if you’ve already settled and tucked yourself in, but getting up and doing something for 10 minutes is way better than worrying in bed for hours. Try to do something that will distract you and stimulate your brain. It’s also better if you stay away from screens. Think your Instagram surfing helps you go to sleep? It is quite the opposite.
Clean the kitchen or tidy up the living room. These are way better alternatives to checking social media. This way, you’ll also have something nice to wake up to in the morning. It’s not cool to be spending 10 hours in bed and only sleeping for half that time. You might as well be up and doing something that’s more worth your time.
Get rid of your clock
Watching those glowing numbers in the dark go by is certainly not helping you go to sleep any faster. Before you know it, the sun is coming up and you’ve only just spent the past 8 hours watching a riveting (not) number show with eye bags to show for it.
Don’t worry about the time so much. Your goal here should be to reduce your stress. That is the only way you’ll be able to fall asleep. Put your alarm clock in a drawer and keep all your devices where you usually check the time. This will do you good in the long run.
Chill out
Sleep is next to impossible if you’re uncomfortable. Sweating and sleeping don’t really go together.
Also, the body is running on what is called a circadian rhythm. These means that our bodily functions are moderated by external cues such as light and temperature. This is why sleep is the last thing on your mind when the sun is at its highest peak.
Studies show that your body temperature actually drops slightly when you’re falling asleep, so it helps to aid that along by cranking the AC up or opening a window. Try to make your room dark and cool. This is the best way to get relaxed. Don’t expect to be getting any sleep with the lights or TV on. It helps to be in total darkness because this gives your brain the go signal to sleep.
Learn how to get a full night’s sleep in only 4 or less hours – click here
Add a warm shower to your nightly routine
It helps to train your mind to think that there are certain things that you do before going to bed. This forms a habit, which makes your mind anticipate that sleep is going to come soon. The more consistent you are about this, the easier it will be for you to fall asleep.
A warm shower actually aids the previous tip. Remember, you want your body temperature to go down a bit. Well, taking a warm shower actually accomplishes this. Once you get out of a warm shower, your body will acclimate to the colder temperature of your room, lowering your body temperature significantly faster.
If you’re like most people, showering is very relaxing. This is a nice little treat you can do for yourself before you go to bed. Use your luxurious shower gels and scrubs and really get yourself cleaned up. This will make you feel and smell good with the added bonus that you know you’re really taking care of yourself.
Warm your feet under the sheets
This is a nice little trick. Wearing socks or putting a hot water bottle by your feet has actually been proven to lower your body temperature. This forces the blood flow down to your legs, leaving your upper body cool and more comfortable.
It’s no wonder that one of mom’s sickness remedies is a pair of woolly socks. If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t mind wearing socks to bed, this might just work for you.
Learn how to get a full night’s sleep in only 4 or less hours – click here
Take advantage of the mammalian dive reflex
Cold water has a powerful effect to slow animals’ hearts. This has been shown to be the case with seals. You don’t have to plunge yourself in a tub of cold water if you don’t want to. Simply immersing your face in very cold water will do the trick.
This can be especially helpful if you’re stressed out. Why? Astonishingly, your body resets when introduced to cold water. This causes the blood to flow from less important parts of your body to your vital organs. This leads to a lowered heart rate and blood pressure.
It turns out that there is a reason why we always see anxious people splashing their faces with water in the movies. Now you know.
Try this sleep hack
This is called the 4-7-8 exercise. It’s insanely easy to do and doesn’t take any time at all. A lot of people who practice yoga do this, but it’s recommended that you try this out while sitting or lying down.
This was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil, a guru of holistic health and integrative medicine. The first thing that you need to do is find that soft bit of tissue right in between your two front teeth. Firmly place your tongue on that area.
Now, I want you to open your mouth slightly and exhale around your tongue.
Purse your lips a little and make a whoosh sound as you exhale. Then close your mouth and breathe in through your nose. This should take four counts.
Now, hold your breath. This should reach up to seven counts. After this, very slowly release your breath through your mouth (make that whoosh sound) as you count to eight. Pretty easy, right?
This is the whole cycle. Repeat this until you fall asleep. This is said to only take about a minute.
The key step in this cycle is holding your breath. This retrains your lungs for its oxygen intake. The overall effect is similar to that of Pranayama, which reduces stress and anxiety.
Learn how to get a full night’s sleep in only 4 or less hours – click here
Try Herbs for the sleepless
I learned this trick from a friend I had in college. Lavender was her signature scent. If I started smelling lavender, I knew she was nearby.
She always had a small bottle of lavender oil on her nightstand and I asked her why. She said it helps her go to sleep by dabbing a few drops of it on her pillow or simply just smelling it straight from the bottle. I thought this was just a cute little thing that she did, but it turns out that this is backed up by science.
Studies show that this herb has a relaxing effect. In fact, there is a bunch of sleep inducing herbs that you could try out to see what will work for you.
Chamomile, for example, has been always said to reduce inflammation and decrease anxiety. Other herbs you can try are valerian root and linden flower.
But what if I don’t like sheep?
I don’t know what is so relaxing about counting sheep. Last time I checked, I don’t seem to have any secret fantasies of being a sheepherder. If you’re too lazy to try these techniques, try to think of some scene that actually gives you pleasure. This may be a beach or a nice cozy cottage. Think about a scenario that has no ways of going off the deep end. Imagine a place or a situation where it’s all rainbows and butterflies. Trust me, this will get to sleep much faster than going one, two, three…
Satie and Chopin, your new best friends
If the silence is what is bothering you, it doesn’t hurt to try listening to some slow classical music. Satie’s GymnopÈdie No.1 or Chopin’s Nocturne No.2, Op.9 are your best bets. Anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour before you go bed, pop those earphones in and let your mind soar to man’s greatest musical masterpieces.
If this isn’t enough motivation, this might also help you if you’re feeling particularly down or you didn’t have such a nice day.
Learn how to get a full night’s sleep in only 4 or less hours – click here
Plan a surprise date for you and your loved one
Okay, this might just be an excuse to turn the lights off, but it’s worth a shot. Instead of just eating takeout for dinner in front of the TV, why not set the table, light some candles and have a conversation about your day?
This will give you an chance to reconnect, but this will also give you break from your phone and those pesky LED lights. Letting your eyes acclimate to a dimmer setting will prepare your body for a more restful night’s sleep and I’m sure your partner will appreciate it too.
Breathe, breathe, breathe
The next time you’re feeling particularly stressed, pay attention to your breathing. I guarantee you that you’ll notice that your breathing is more shallow and quicker. Once I figured this out, I became more mindful of my breathing and sometimes I think of activities that would help aid my breathing.
Swimming is a good example of this, but you might not be in a swimming sort of mood just before you go to bed. If you’ve got kids or grandkids, blowing bubbles with them might be a good idea. This may seem silly, but any activity that requires deep breathing will surely help you calm down and relax.
Get scientific
The National Sleep Foundation has got your back on this one. This technique involves slowly tensing then relaxing each muscle in your body until you fall asleep. Start with your toes and end with your neck and head or vice versa.
Not only does this unknot your knots and stretch out the kinks, this also requires some level of concentration which helps you not think about other pressing things that you have to deal with the next day.
This might not seem like a lot and you might need to do this alongside with some other method in this article, but it certainly helps if you want to catch some Z’s.
Practice acupressure
This sequence begins with your feet and ends with your head. It helps to be systematic about this if you want this to be a part of your nightly routine. Not only will this improve your sleep, this will also relax your muscles and even soothe discomfort from injuries or even chronic pain.
Learn how to get a full night’s sleep in only 4 or less hours – click here