You should go to bed early, but not sleepy or tired. There are many tricks you can use to relax your mind and body to make it easier to fall asleep. If sleeplessness is an ongoing problem, start changing your routine to make it easier for you to fall asleep at night. See step 1 to get started.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Relaxing the Body
Step 1. Set the room temperature
The room temperature should be slightly cooler than what is comfortable for you. This will make you more sleepy. But do not let you get cold, especially the feet, to avoid this, use socks. You may have to take your socks off in the middle of the night, but this is better than staying awake because your feet are cold.
It can take a few hours to cool down after a workout, so make sure your body temperature is within the normal range when you go to sleep
Step 2. Adjust the lighting of the room
If you prefer a completely dark room, shut out all light sources such as alarm clocks or all other electronic equipment. If you like to sleep in dim light, wear a blindfold or lower the lighting until you're comfortable. Do not sleep with the lights on because it will disturb your sleep.
Step 3. Set the sound level
Consider turning on quiet sounds such as the sound of an engine or a fan, which have been shown to make people fall asleep more easily. The ticking sound of the clock can also help you. If you prefer everything quiet, turn off all sound sources.
You can also wear earplugs before going to bed. It will take a while to get used to it, but they can help you drown out the sound. They are also very helpful if you share the bed with a friend who might wake you up
Step 4. Adjust your sleeping position
Keep your back straight, and make sure your neck isn't too low or too high. Avoid sleeping on your stomach. If you like to sleep on your side, place a small pillow between your knees to keep your waist in a natural position. Even switching positions from right to left can put you to sleep if you stay awake in the long position.
Step 5. Make your bed more comfortable
Swap the pillow for a more comfortable one. Or if your mattress is not comfortable, swap the bed or cover it with a soft surface such as foam. The more comfortable your bed, the easier it will be for you to fall asleep.
Step 6. Exercise a maximum of 3 hours before going to bed
Take a run, or go to the gym so your fall rate will beat faster. This will make you more tired. However, if you do less than 3 hours of exercise, you will actually have trouble sleeping because your adrenaline is pumping. Exercising right before bed, you will actually have more difficulty sleeping than before.
Step 7. Avoid alcohol or caffeine before bed
While a glass of wine can make you sleepier, consuming alcohol can actually disrupt your sleep cycle and keep you from getting a good night's sleep. If you want, drink it 2-3 hours before bedtime, or ideally during the day because it takes about 8 hours to get rid of the effects of alcohol and caffeine so you don't feel so tired when you want to sleep.
Step 8. Drink cherry juice
Or snacks and other foods rich in melatonin, which will help you fall asleep easily. While you should avoid eating right before bed due to digestive issues, eating the following foods a few hours before bed will make your sleep easier:
- Barley
- Tomatoes
- Rice
- Sweet corn
- Oats
- Orange
- Banana
Step 9. Curl your toes
When in bed, arch your toes for a few seconds and relax them, then repeat. This will help you relax your mind and body, so doing this ten times can help you fall asleep even when you're not.
Step 10. Drink herbal tea
Herbal teas, such as chamomile or peppermint are great for relaxing the body and mind, as well as making you feel tired and relaxed. Drink a cup an hour or two before bed, not too much or you'll wake up wanting to pee at night. If you make drinking tea a routine before bed, it will make it easier for you to fall asleep.
Step 11. Eat lighter and healthier dinners
Avoid spicy or heavy foods that are rich in sugar as they can leave you feeling more refreshed and uncomfortable throughout the night. A healthy and balanced diet is enough to make you sleepy. Make sure you eat at least 3 hours before bedtime so your body has time to digest it. Here are some suggestions of food choices that you can eat at night:
- Light pasta with cheese
- Japanese tofu with cuscus
- A glass of warm milk with oatmeal
- Salad of kale, salmon and vermicelli
Part 2 of 3: Calming the Mind
Step 1. Create boredom
This varies from person to person, but whatever the activity, it should put your brain to sleep, not refresh it. Slow and quiet music can be tried. You can also try reading something boring. You can also try several types of games such as Solitaire or Sudoku. Do anything that will bore you.
Step 2. Do breathing exercises
Try belly breathing, or a one-minute breathing exercise. Close your eyes and focus on the breath in and out. While doing this, imagine each part of your body relaxing one by one. Focusing on your own body will keep you from thinking about anything else.
Step 3. Visualize something relaxing and repetitive
For example, imagine warm, small waves splashing against your body at regular intervals to coincide with the flow of your breath. Meditate to calm yourself down. Don't choose anything too exciting, or you'll start to get excited again. Draw a quiet beach or a beautiful flower garden. Imagine yourself walking there.
Think of one of the most beautiful and serene places you have ever been. This will help you to relax
Step 4. Read something
Reading can relax your mind and release you from what was bothering you that day. Read something light and less gripping, such as today's news or nonfiction historical writing. If you're reading something gripping, it will either keep you awake or keep you from reading.
Challenge yourself to read something really boring like your chemistry notes or another country's economic report
Step 5. Turn off all visually stimulating things an hour before bed
Put away the iPad, phone, computer, and turn off the television. Your eyes will begin to rest and stop seeing all the images that keep you awake. Stop being a sleeper while watching television or holding the phone, as it will only make you more awake when you go to sleep.
Step 6. Listen to the meditation recording
There are many meditation recordings you can listen to to help relax your body towards the end of the night. Look for this footage on YouTube for example. Alternatively, you can also take advantage of apps like Headspace or Calm which can provide meditation guides for a fee.
Step 7. Stick to the 15 minute rule
The rule is simple: if you've been in bed for 15 minutes and you haven't slept because you're not sleepy, try another method. If you continue, you will find it harder to fall asleep and even more awake than before. Try other things like reading magazines, walking in the room, drinking herbal tea, sit ups. Do something new and you will start to get sleepy.
Whatever you do, make sure the lights stay dim
Step 8. Avoid heavy conversations before bed
Five minutes before bed is not the right time to start a heavy conversation with your partner or friend. If you live with other people and need to talk before bed, keep the conversation as light as possible. Otherwise, the conversation will make you more awake and more difficult to sleep.
If you live with someone who likes to have heavy conversations before bed, schedule to talk to them 2-3 hours before bedtime, if possible
Step 9. Think about what you did that day
Another way to calm your mind is to look back on what you did that day, down to the little boring things. Start with how many spoonfuls of oatmeal you ate today to why you forgot to brush your teeth just now. Try to break it down hour by hour and see how specific you can get and what you end up remembering. Usually this will make you bored and sleepy.
If you have already memorized your day and are still awake, try to remember your week. This is certainly more boring is not it?
Part 3 of 3: Developing a Routine for Easier Sleep
Step 1. Find your bedtime routine
If you want to be sleepy when you want to sleep, so you have to find a routine that helps you fall asleep and start half an hour before you close your eyes. This includes light reading, listening to classical music, reading the newspaper, or engaging in other light activities that help you forget about your problems and begin to recognize that your body needs sleep.
Once you've found the routine, stick to it, and if you need to go to bed early, do it earlier
Step 2. Go to bed at the same time every day
You may not be sleepy because you have to fall asleep 3 hours earlier than usual. If you want to make it easier, you should go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. That way, your body will get used to falling asleep at the same time every day and waking up at the same time every day.
Step 3. Only use your bed for sleeping and sex
If you want to sleep regularly, even when you're not sleepy, you shouldn't watch TV in bed, talk to friends in bed, or do anything other than sleep and have sex in bed. This will make it easier for you to fall asleep, instead of feeling excited about calls from friends or work you have to do.
Find a place in your home or room specifically for work. This will help you save relaxing things for your bed
Step 4. Get some sunlight as soon as you wake up
Once you wake up, immediately point to the window or balcony. These rays of light from the sun will tell your body's biological clock to wake up. This biological clock will also help you to fall asleep 14-16 hours after that, helping you to stabilize your waking and sleeping routine.
Step 5. Set aside some "worry time" in the day
If the reason you're awake at bedtime is because you spent two hours worrying about your relationship, health, or work, you need to put those things aside for a moment to think about it later. This may sound weird, but if you say, "I'll think about this every day at 5-5:30 pm" and do something other than worry, like write down or say it out loud at that time, you can get rid of it.
If you wait for bedtime to think about this, of course you will stay awake for a long time
Step 6. Avoid taking a warm bath before going to bed
Many people think that a warm bath makes it easier for them to fall asleep, but this is wrong. A warm bath will raise the body temperature, and the time it takes to normalize again is 6 hours. The higher your body temperature, the harder it will be for you to fall asleep. So avoid taking a hot shower before bed.
Step 7. Leave your pet outside the room
Another way to develop a healthy routine that keeps you awake is to stop letting your cat or dog share the bed with you. Although you may really like it, but research shows that this only makes it difficult for you to sleep and even wake up at night.
You may think that cuddling your pet cat or dog will put you to sleep. This is totally wrong
Tips
- Sleep with a big pillow or a big doll, because no one likes sleeping alone.
- Hug your doll, close your eyes, and think about what makes you happy.
- Clear your mind of all thoughts, try to think positively and visualize a calm atmosphere.
- Had a dream. This will keep your mind away from worrying and making you sleepy.
- Go to the bathroom first to prevent you from getting up at night.
- Lie down and relax. Close your eyes and clear your mind.
- Surround yourself with calm and peaceful things that help you fall asleep.
- Make your pillow softer, so you can sleep more easily.
- If you wash your hair, make sure your wet hair doesn't press against your neck or you can blow dry it. Wet hair is cold and prevents you from sleeping.
- Keep your body still and sleep in a comfortable position.
- Don't drink a lot of water before bed.
- Do not place electronic equipment that can interfere with your surroundings, except to listen to the sound of the air conditioner.
- Drink a warm drink an hour before bed. Avoid coffee or other caffeinated drinks. Warm milk is the best choice.
