For many people, falling asleep is not as easy as putting your head on the pillow and closing your eyes. Various affairs and worries keep the mind busy so that they cannot rest peacefully and have difficulty falling asleep. The good news is that there are some tips to help you fall asleep quickly and improve your sleep quality, such as relaxing and establishing a nightly sleep routine.
Paul Chernyak, professional counselor, says:
"The effectiveness of various techniques and exercises so that you can fall asleep is largely determined by the ability to calm your mind and relax yourself. When you practice, you just need to relax and withdraw from the daily grind."
Step
Method 1 of 4: Fall asleep Faster
Step 1. Perform abdominal breathing while breathing deeply in a calm and regular manner
Place your palms on your stomach and take a deep breath for a count of 4. Make sure your chest doesn't move when you do belly breathing. Hold your breath for a count of 7. Exhale slowly for a count of 8.
Breathe deeply while counting and imagining a calm atmosphere
Step 2. Perform progressive muscle relaxation
Begin relaxing from your toes to your head by tightening and relaxing one muscle group at a time. After taking a deep breath, tighten your leg muscles for 5 seconds while exhaling slowly and imagining the tension coming out of your body to relax you.
Relax for 10 seconds then tighten and relax your ankles. Continue relaxation by tightening and relaxing muscle groups one by one from the calves, up to the thighs, chest, neck, to the face.
Step 3. Turn your mind to imagination, instead of trying to sleep
Drowsiness will disappear if you force yourself to fall asleep quickly. Don't keep thinking about sleeping. Imagine relaxing things. For example:
- Visualize the house or room you dream of.
- Imagine a quiet place while enjoying the relaxing sights, sounds and smells.
- Compose a story that makes you feel good, instead of imagining exciting adventures.
Step 4. Block out disturbing sounds
Noise or thinking about problems makes it difficult for you to fall asleep and affects sleep quality. Listen to radio shows or meditations that don't require much thought to block out quiet distractions, such as vehicle noise or anxiety. Listen to events that are delivered calmly, rather than fiery. Choose a show that you enjoy, but that doesn't keep you awake because you want to listen to the end. For example, lie down and listen to:
Audio Bible Reading followed by meditation to the accompaniment of soothing music.
Spiritual lecture recording delivered by religious leaders or spiritual book writers.
Soft classic song by Mozart or Johann Strauss.
Step 5. Meditate to calm your mind and relax your body
As you breathe deeply, calmly and regularly, think about things that make you feel calm, such as clouds, the sound of waves on the beach, or places you loved as a child. After lying in bed, let your thoughts pass like a cloud in the sky or a tidal wave of the ocean to relax your muscles again.
You can meditate independently, follow guidelines from a website, or use an app, such as Insight Timer which helps you do guided or timed meditation.
Step 6. Take supplements so you can sleep well
Many supplements that make you easy to sleep. Consult your doctor before taking supplements, especially if you have health problems, are taking medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- The body produces melatonin which triggers drowsiness naturally. To improve the quality of sleep, you can take melatonin supplements that are sold freely in pharmacies and drug stores. Take melatonin supplements at a dose of 3 mg/day, but 0.3 mg/day already gives the desired results.
- Valerian has long been used to treat insomnia and anxiety at a standard dose of 600 mg/day.
- In addition to taking tablets or capsules, drink tea chamomile warm before bed to relax. Brew 2 packets of chamomile tea, but make sure you brew a caffeine-free herbal tea.
- Like other antihistamines, Chlorpheniramine Maleate can trigger drowsiness so it is often used to treat insomnia. However, don't continue to rely on antihistamines to get to sleep, especially if you don't have allergies or the flu.
Step 7. Get out of bed and do something relaxing if you can't sleep
Instead of lying back and forth in bed for up to hour unable to fall asleep, step out of the room to relax while reading a meditation, taking a warm bath, playing some quiet music, or eating a small snack. Do this activity 15-20 minutes or until sleepy and then lie back in bed.
- When leaving bed, keep the bedroom lights dim and don't stare at the screen of your cell phone, computer, TV, or other electronic device.
- If you continue to lie back and forth, you will associate the bedroom with stress, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
Method 2 of 4: Avoiding Noise and Light
Step 1. Dim the room lights 2 hours before going to bed at night
Bright light after sunset sends a message to the brain that the sun has risen. This inhibits the production of hormones that make you fall asleep. Dim the room lights if the light intensity can be adjusted or turn off the big light at the head of the bed and turn on the small light that is not too bright.
Other than that, if you need to use mobilee-mail, computer, or other electronic device, dim the light.
Download an app that automatically lowers the screen brightness at sunset.
Step 2. Don't stare at the screen of your phone, computer, or other device before going to bed
The screen of electronic devices emits blue light that makes the brain interpret it as daytime. As much as possible, do not stare at the screen of electronic devices at least 1 hour before bedtime.
- Plus, reading email, social media, and other websites keeps your mind active, making it hard for you to fall asleep.
- If you need to use your phone or computer before going to bed, dim the light and use a blue light filtering app.
- You may view screens that do not emit light, such as e-books with a backlighting feature.
Step 3. Use earplugs if the noise is persistent and difficult to avoid
Small earplugs or oversized earplugs to drown out noise make the bedroom quieter so you can fall asleep. If earplugs are bothersome, cover your ears with a blanket or small pillow.
Step 4. Hide the alarm
Put the alarm out of sight and don't look at the clock too often. You can't fall asleep if you keep checking the clock and then count, "I can still sleep 5 hours if I fall asleep right away".
- The glow of the digital clock keeps you awake.
- The ticking of the clock can be annoying too. Use a clock that doesn't disturb the peace.
Step 5. Turn on white noise so you can fall asleep in a noisy environment
White noise produces constant soothing sounds, such as the sound of raindrops, leaves blowing in the wind, or music without lyrics. Apart from buying a white noise player, you can download it from the website or using an app.
- If you're playing white noise from a website, make sure it's not interspersed with ads.
- Alternatively, the sound of a fan or air purifier can be used as white noise.
Step 6. Buy or make your own eye mask
If the dim lights still make it difficult for you to fall asleep, use a tie, bolster, or bandana to cover your eyes. In addition, you can buy eye masks online, at pharmacies, or supermarkets.
Install thick window blinds so that light from outside does not enter the room
Method 3 of 4: Creating a Cozy Atmosphere for Sleeping
Step 1. Sleep in a cool, clean, dark and quiet room
Try to keep the air temperature in the room around 21 ° C and there is good air circulation because hot and stuffy rooms make you feel uncomfortable and difficult to sleep. Clean the room regularly and change the sheets every 1-2 weeks or when they are dirty. A messy room and smelly bed sheets make you even more stressed and uneasy.
- In addition, use the bedroom only for sleeping. Don't work, eat, call, or do other activities in bed. In this way, you will associate your bedroom and bed with relaxation and sleep.
- Light pollution also affects sleep quality. In order for room conditions to be truly conducive to sleep, install window curtains that are thick enough to block light from outside, for example from lights in front of the house or other buildings.
Step 2. Take advantage of aromatherapy to relax
Drop lemon, chamomile, lavender, or marjoram balsam oil into a tub of warm water. In addition, you can use aromatherapy in the room by installing an essential oil diffuser, lighting air freshener candles, and spraying fragrances on the sheets.
- Use aromatherapy while relaxing before bed. Leave the aromatherapy diffuser on all night for a relaxing scent while lying down.
- If you light a candle, don't forget to turn it off before going to bed.
Step 3. Wear a comfortable nightgown
Instead of wearing clothes made of thick materials, such as flannel, wear loose-fitting clothes made of comfortable materials, such as cotton. Tight, thick nightgowns prevent the drop in body temperature needed for you to sleep. Soft and comfortable nightgown makes you feel relaxed.
- Your body temperature will drop if you sleep naked or wearing only your underwear. Do this step if you often feel hot when lying in bed.
- Use sheets that are soft and comfortable against the skin. Change the sheets if they feel rough or uncomfortable.
Step 4. Buy a comfortable mattress
If you are using a mattress that is worn or sunken, replacing the mattress can solve the difficulty of sleeping. Before buying a mattress, try it at the store by lying down for at least 5-10 minutes.
- Choose a mattress that is not too hard so that the body feels comfortable, but not too soft so that it can support the body well. Try all types of mattresses available in the store before making a choice, starting from the very soft to the hardest.
- By lying down for a few minutes, you can determine whether or not your body is comfortable when you sleep using the mattress you are trying.
- If the available funds are not enough to buy a new mattress, buy a comfortable mattress. Before covering the sheets, spread 1-2 thick blankets on the mat.
Method 4 of 4: Establish Good Habits Before Bed
Step 1. Do a routine before bed at night so that the body gets used to the sleep schedule
If you go to bed on a different schedule each day, you're not getting into the habit of falling asleep at a certain time. Form good habits before bed and apply them consistently so you get used to going to bed on schedule and falling asleep quickly.
- Start forming good habits before bed by relaxing before bed at night, not eating much just before bed, and not consuming caffeine at night.
- Another way to form good habits is to determine a sleep schedule and then apply it every day, for example going to bed at 11.00 at night and getting up at 07.00 in the morning. You may find it difficult to fall asleep when you start implementing this schedule, but you still have to get up early at the appointed time. Even though you are still sleepy, this method will make you fall asleep faster and get used to going to bed on schedule.
Step 2. Eat a healthy snack before bed if needed
You are advised not to eat large meals 3-4 hours before going to bed at night, but hunger makes you unable to sleep. If your stomach is rumbling, eat a snack high in protein and complex carbohydrates, such as bananas, avocados, nuts, peanut butter, or whole-grain crackers with cheese.
- Avoid sugary foods and pastries before bed. Sweet foods high in complex carbohydrates make blood sugar fluctuate so you can't sleep soundly.
- Protein and complex carbohydrates keep you full so you don't wake up in the middle of the night.
Step 3. Avoid caffeine or alcohol at night
Do not consume caffeine at least 6 hours before bedtime. Even if you want to drink alcohol just before bed, remember that alcohol can disrupt sleep cycles and reduce sleep quality.
- If you have trouble falling asleep, don't drink caffeine at least 8 hours before bed or break this habit altogether. For that, avoid products that contain caffeine, such as chocolate and painkillers.
- If you want to drink alcohol, try no more than 60 milliliters / day and do not drink alcohol before bed at night.
- In addition, drinking too much water can interfere with sleep because you will wake up in the middle of the night to urinate. You can prevent this by not drinking anything 1-2 hours before bedtime.
Step 4. Apply a consistent sleep schedule including on weekends
New habits will form if you go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every day. On weekends, try to go to bed and wake up at least 1 hour ahead of schedule on weekdays.
Waking up late on the weekends can mess with your sleep schedule, making it difficult to fall asleep when you want to sleep at night on weekdays
Step 5. Exercise 5 days a week, but don't train at night
Regular exercise makes you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly, as long as it's not done before bed. Make sure you are done exercising and doing high-intensity activities at least 3 hours before bedtime.
Exercise is useful for blood flow and produces hormones that keep you awake
Step 6. Don't sleep during the day
If you need a nap, limit it to 15-20 minutes and don't sleep in the afternoon or before dinner. This disrupts your sleep schedule and makes it harder for you to fall asleep at night.
Step 7. Do a relaxing activity, such as taking a warm bath, meditating, or reading a book about 30 minutes before bed
A relaxing routine before bed, such as reading a book, doing light stretches, enjoying calm music, or soaking in warm water sets the rhythm of your body so you want to rest on a schedule.
- If you want to read while relaxing, choose a book that doesn't make your mind more active, such as a devotional book or a collection of poems.
- If you read e-books, choose reading that does not emit light. Use a light-filtering or light-blocking application if your e-book or device screen emits light whose brightness cannot be adjusted. If you have chronic insomnia, it's a good idea to read printed books instead of using a device that emits light.
- After a warm bath, your body temperature will drop slightly so you fall asleep quickly. Drop some lavender oil in the water to make you feel more relaxed.
Tips
- Consult a doctor if you have chronic insomnia or are unable to function properly due to lack of sleep.
- Sleeping with your pet may feel good and you'll fall asleep easily, but it's best to leave it outside if your pet can't sit still.
- You will be sleepy at night if you are active throughout the day. So, try to keep yourself busy while living your daily life.
- If you can't sleep due to being disturbed by your roommate, discuss the matter with him or her. If he snores or triggers other problems, but there is no solution, it's better for the two of you to sleep in separate rooms.
