We've all experienced it. Life spins faster and faster and so do the thoughts. When it's time to sleep, your body doesn't want to, even if you feel sleepy. Fortunately, there are many techniques you can use to help the body relax and eventually fall asleep. Most of the tips mentioned:leave the cell phone out of the bedroom, don't watch TV for hours before going to bed, and keep it cool and comfortable in the bedroom. But honestly, how easy is that? Maybe the hours before bed are the only ones where you can relax and watch a good series or scroll through the Instagram feed. That said, it may still be worth a try if you suffer from major sleep issues. But with the tips below you will come a long way.
Train both your body and your breathing by doing the gentle movement patterns of yoga right before going to sleep. Stress hormones drop, the body feels soft and breathing becomes calm. Depending on how complicated yoga you practice, you will also have to focus all your attention on the exercise you are doing and then there is no room for worrying. Perform a workout as bedtime approaches, then move on to the next item on the list.
To fall asleep, the body temperature must drop. It may seem paradoxical that we then imagine a warm bath right before bedtime, but the fact is that what happens when the body gets really warm is it activates its own cooling system. After the bath or shower, your body temperature drops and it's time to go to sleep.
When we get stressed and think about things, our bodies can have a hard time unwinding. Hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline pump around in the blood. In other words, a pure survival mechanism that kicks in when our brains think we are in danger. The whole purpose is that you don't fall asleep, but instead prepare for survival. As the body enters this phase, our breathing also changes. Breathing becomes shallower and faster, which can lead to a lack of oxygen in the brain. Something that in turn makes us even more stressed and gives us even more anxiety. Breathing techniques allow you to gain control over these mechanisms. Take a long, deep breath – feel yourself breathing all the way from your stomach to your lungs. You can use the breathing technique 4-7-8. Inhale and count to four slowly, hold your breath as you count to seven, and exhale as you count to eight. Repeat until you feel your breathing calm. You should always feel your stomach move out on the inhale and flatten on the exhale.
It sounds difficult, we know! But it's not that hard once you get started. And the more you practice, the better you get. Meditation makes us focus, learn to let go of control over our thoughts and accept that they are there. If you've never meditated before, it can feel hopeless at first. You expect silence and instead realize that your head is full of thoughts and feelings. But that's just how it should be. It is when you accept the thoughts and feelings, notice that they are there and choose to let them pass that meditation works best.
This is one of the most important points when it comes to practicing being present. As with meditation, it may take you a while to fully master the technique, but again, there are a number of apps that you can take advantage of. Body scan means that you lie down comfortably in an undisturbed room. You then need to scan your body and pay attention to how it feels. Start at the bottom of the toes, how do they feel? How do your feet feel? Are they heavy against the sheet, do they tingle or maybe itches? Just pay attention and move on, don't value what you feel. Then continue up the legs, buttocks, back and stomach, then move out towards the arms and hands. End with the head, how does the face feel, is it relaxed or tense? Body scanning is an age-old technique to let our body and brain relax and focus on the here and now.
I hope some of these tips help you find your way to sleep better. Good night!
