Tips from seven different sleep experts.
The website Scienceofus sought advice from various sleep experts and that resulted in these tips. Remember for the next time you toss and turn in bed.
1. Distract yourself with useless lists
The most important thing about falling asleep is that your mind is calm. Worrying certainly doesn't help. So try to think of something else. Something you don't worry about. Set up a holiday home in your mind or put together the ideal line-up for your own festival.
2. Try to stay awake
Thinking about sleep, how many hours you can sleep and hoping that you will fall asleep quickly, is actually a recipe for not falling asleep. Give yourself the order to stay awake. Chances are you will get tired soon enough. When you are at peace with the idea of staying awake, you calm down and from that you can fall asleep.
3. Get out of bed
Don't keep turning in bed. The best way to relax is to get out of bed after twenty minutes. Do not immediately switch on all the lights, but keep the light dimmed.
4. Write down what interests you
This tip can easily be combined with tip 3. Write down everything that comes to your mind, what worries you, what you still need to do. Put it on paper and write it out of your head. We worry most about things that can happen. Most things will never really happen. There may be other problems, make an action plant for that.
5. Do breathing exercises
Meditate or do breathing exercises that calm you down. Do you have no experience with breathing exercises? Try to exhale longer than you inhale and pause between each breath. Count to five as you exhale. Keep your mind on the exercise and keep it up for at least ten minutes.
6. Accept that you can't sleep
Acceptance is the first step.
7. Think about how to see as much sun as possible in the morning Sun in the morning hours helps your body to adjust its internal clock. Try to go outside more in the morning, it can help you fall asleep at night.
