If you are tired of lingering for hours in bed until you fall asleep, here are the ten best ways to fall asleep. There is probably nothing more disturbing than insomnia. Yet although we might not have insomnia that often, even one night of tossing and turning is too much given our growing understanding of the importance that adequate sleep has on maintaining our health.
The good news is that poor sleep isn’t hard to revert. Some good habits can really help you relax before going to bed, such as a glass of a hot drink or a warm bath. Nevertheless, some habits should definitely be avoided, such as having too many caffeinated drinks, or being overly stressed. Some bad habits can even compromise our health and limit our lifespans. Taking a look at 7 Bad Habits that Age You Beyond Your Years, not only is inadequate sleep on the list, it is clear that the other listed items often don’t help with sleeping either.
According to National Health Organizations’ surveys, sleep disturbances are getting to be very frequent worldwide. And consequently, the consumption of sleeping pills has increased as well over the past decade. Nevertheless, there are some natural solutions to this problem that will help you avoid the use of pills and drugs. There are several ways to trick yourself into sleep and fight off your insomnia. Here are the ten best ways to fall asleep; check it out and start relaxing!
No. 10 Make Your Room Cozy
The first thing to do when trying to fall asleep is to make your sleeping place comfortable, dark, and pleasant. The temperature should be between 16º and 20º C. Adjust the lightning so as to make it perfect for you, but be sure to turn away from any direct light sources. And of course, nix annoying noises and adjust any sound to suit your needs: while some people prefer to sleep in total silence, others need some ambient noise to fall asleep.
The nine best ways to fall asleep are coming up. Don’t spend another night without them.
No. 9 Relax Your Body
A good way to start relaxing is lying on your back and breathing slowly through your nose. Then, try relaxing techniques such as the “squeeze and release” of different muscles, from toes to neck. You can also try the “hum” technique. In order to hum, you need to sit in a comfortable position, with eyes closed, and then start breathing through your nose and sending the air to your chest and not your abdomen. When exhaling the air, try to hum, making your chest and throat vibrate.
No. 8 Bring Your Day to Mind
Remember your day and rewind it, taking into account details and scenarios. This evokes a narrative sequence inside your mind that helps you prepare for entering the sleeping zone.
No. 7 Make a List
Very often, one of the things that keeps us awake at night is the feeling of concern, the fear of forgetting something. In order to avoid these once you are already in bed, before you go to sleep write down on a list what you need to do the next day and shouldn’t forget.
No. 6 Roll Your Eyes
A good way to relax the eyeballs is to roll them. Close your eyes and roll them up three times. This helps stimulate what you naturally do when falling asleep, and induces the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone.
No. 5 Take Valerian
A natural sleeping remedy for insomnia is a Valerian infusion. This herb helps with getting a deep sleep, and increases the speed of falling asleep. If you take it in the form of pills, the average dose is between 200 to 800 milligrams before bed.
No. 4 Force Yourself to Stay Awake
It has been proven that when trying to stay awake, the mind actually eases its concerns. It is called the sleep paradox, and helps induce sleep, “tricking” the brain into sleeping.
No. 3 Use Aromatherapy
Lavender is a proven sedative for anyone smelling it. Filling your room with lavender scent will help promote sleepiness.
No. 2 Yoga and Meditation
Doing smooth yoga positions before getting into bed is very relaxing and helps provide a good sleep. Easy stretches improve blood circulation, and the diverse yoga positions help relax muscles. Then try some quick meditation, closing your eyes for five minutes, keeping your mind blank, and only paying attention to your breathing.
No. 1 Try Self-hypnosis
One of the best ways of falling asleep is using self-hypnosis techniques. A hypnotic induction is achieved through slowly repeated suggestions. Imagine yourself in relaxing situations, like tropical paradises, the sound of water, and the warmth of hot sand under your feet. Once you’re entirely relaxed, you should repeat a pleasant word to yourself like a mantra, until you drift off. You should start falling into a deeply relaxed state, eventually leading to sleep.
