Many people can not sleep when faced with certain conditions. Even though they were lying to the left, to the right, patting the head pillow to make it softer, they were still not sleepy. In fact, they did not have time to close their eyes because they were trying so hard to fall asleep. If you experience the same, don't worry! You just need to calm your mind and relax yourself so that you are sleepy and fast asleep. In addition, consuming certain foods and drinks makes it easier for you to fall asleep. Mental rest, relaxation of the body, a good diet, and regular exercise are ways to send signals to the body to calm down, stop activities, and let you sleep soundly.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Calming the Mind
Step 1. Create a sleep schedule
Implementing a regular sleep schedule makes the body ready to sleep at night according to the specified time. Get in the habit of going to bed at the same time every night and getting up at the same time every day. Give different signals so that the body is able to pick up on the message to return to calm, relax, and be ready to sleep when the time comes.
- One of the surefire tips to trigger sleepiness is to make the bedroom dark little by little. Dimming the lights is a signal to the body that it's time to go to bed. Before going to bed at night, do not move in a place where the lighting is very bright. Dim the bedroom lights or turn off the lights one by one.
- Prepare a comfortable bedroom. Also prepare a comfortable bed, blanket, and head pillow. Set the air temperature as desired. For a good night's sleep, adjust the position of the pillows, straighten the sheets, or turn on the fan if the air feels hot.
- Do activities that make you feel relaxed and comfortable, such as taking a warm bath, drinking a cup of chamomile tea or warm chocolate milk that triggers drowsiness.
Step 2. Read a book that brings a sense of calm
If you are often sleepy during class, do the same way at night. Free yourself from stressful thoughts by reading a book. This method is also very useful if you tend to focus on everyday problems.
Choose light, relaxing reading, such as a culinary article or a religious devotional. Don't read newspapers or horror novels
Step 3. Turn off all lights
Before lying in bed, make sure the room is completely dark. This condition plays a very important role so that you can enjoy a quality night's sleep. In addition to inhibiting the production of the hormone melatonin which triggers sleepiness, light stimulates the hypothalamus so that the body becomes warmer and produces the hormone cortisol. Both of these things keep the body in a state of wakefulness and alertness.
You can't sleep soundly even though you can fall asleep without turning off the lights. If you live in a busy city, share a room with friends who stay up late or are used to turning on the lights at night, wear an eye mask or dim the lights so you can sleep well
Step 4. Place electronic devices outside the bedroom
TVs, cell phones and computers are very distracting and distracting because the brain remains active and alert. So, don't use electronic devices before going to bed because certain light (blue light) emitted from the screen reduces sleep quality.
- A study proved a decrease in melatonin of about 22% due to light exposure from the iPad and other devices at night. Change your daily routine if you are constantly using your phone or tablet.
- Don't access the internet if you can't sleep at night. Computer screens, cell phones, and tablets emit light that wakes you up at night and lowers melatonin levels, which make it difficult to fall asleep.
- Set a schedule to turn off all electronic devices as part of a nightly routine, for example 30 minutes before bed.
- In addition to using programs or applications, change the settings on electronic devices before going to bed at night according to a predetermined schedule by reducing the intensity of blue light. The basic color of the screen will turn yellow or reddish so that the eyes feel more comfortable and the production of the hormone melatonin is not inhibited.
Step 5. Listen to soothing sounds
White noise or soothing noises are low-volume sounds that serve as a lullaby and a nuisance silencer. For example, choose quiet rain forest music while playing white noise or listen to a fan spinning so you can enjoy soothing sounds.
Download free white noise over the internet. If you prefer to use your phone, buy an app to play quiet music. This application is able to reduce noise so you fall asleep faster
Step 6. Calm the mind
If you are easily agitated, get rid of thoughts about daily life, work, or studies that trigger stress. Don't think about things that make the problem worse or make things worse. If you're used to thinking this way, play some white noise or the quiet music described in the steps above. Focus your mind on the sound of music that provides a sense of calm until you fall asleep.
Calming a raging mind is not easy. Let your mind wander, for example, while counting using the "counting sheep" technique or imagining a beautiful scene, instead of saying something
Step 7. Prevent insomnia
Studies show that lying in bed, but not falling asleep, can exacerbate insomnia because the mind will associate bed with wakefulness. If you haven't fallen asleep after about 20 minutes of lying down, do something for a while, like read a book until you feel sleepy and then go back to sleep.
The last resort, sleep elsewhere. If sleeping in bed feels uncomfortable, try sleeping on the sofa. Changing the mood sometimes has its benefits
Method 2 of 3: Relaxing the Body
Step 1. Exercise regularly
Regular exercise is a very effective way to get a good night's sleep. Exercise is directly related to sleep quality according to the hypothesis about the benefits of sleep which was made based on observations of the use of energy reserves due to exercise. However, do not exercise 3 hours before bedtime because you will find it difficult to fall asleep.
Step 2. Set aside time to go to the restroom
Before going to bed at night, take time to urinate so that you can fall asleep easily and can sleep soundly throughout the night. Also, don't drink a lot of fluids a few hours before bed so you don't wake up in the middle of the night. Drink less after 8:00 p.m.
Step 3. Set up comfortable conditions for sleeping
Make sure you feel comfortable before going to bed. If the clothes you wear feel tight, replace them with loose-fitting clothes or wear pajamas. Choose clothes and underwear that do not hinder blood circulation. Prepare a head pillow and blanket to make you feel more comfortable.
Step 4. Improve your posture while sleeping
If you notice your posture while sleeping, you may have fallen asleep with poor posture or triggered muscle tension. When you want to sleep at night, get used to lying with your back straight and the position of your head is not too high or too low. If the mattress is too hard or too soft, replace it with a new one, cover it with a sponge mattress, or sleep on a wide pillow for a more comfortable feel.
Method 3 of 3: Eating Foods and Drinks That Trigger Drowsiness
Step 1. Eat soporific foods
Soporific means "to induce drowsiness". Some foods trigger drowsiness because they contain the amino acid tryptophan, such as cheese, chicken, soy products, eggs, tofu, fish, milk, turkey, nuts, peanuts and peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds. Eat foods that trigger drowsiness, especially at dinner.
- To activate tryptophan to be more useful, eat foods that are high in complex carbohydrates, but low in protein. Carbohydrates increase tryptophan levels in the brain, while protein has the opposite effect.
- Set up a diet that contains lots of complex carbohydrates and tryptophan, such as pasta and parmesan cheese, whole wheat bread and hummus or peanut butter, a salad with tuna slices sprinkled with sesame seeds and a piece of cracker, or baked potato and cottage cheese.
Step 2. Get used to eating small portions of food
Limit the portion of food consumed after lunch and at night because this affects the quality of sleep. You can sleep well if you eat small portions of food. However, fatty foods and large portions make digestion work longer. In addition, a lot of gas and rumbling stomach keeps you awake.
Some people, especially people with heart disease, can't sleep after eating foods that are rich in spices (such as cayenne pepper and garlic). Do not eat these foods if you have heart disease
Step 3. Do not consume caffeine and alcohol
Coffee and other caffeinated drinks can disrupt sleep patterns. Coffee lasts up to 8 hours in the body. So, a cup of coffee drunk during the day makes you not sleepy at night. Therefore, do not consume caffeinated drinks after lunch and at night.
Alcohol disrupts sleep patterns. After drinking alcohol, you may fall asleep quickly and fall asleep for short periods of time or experience restorative rapid eye movement (REM). Some argue that drinking 30-60 ml of alcohol triggers sleepiness at night so you can sleep soundly, but when you wake up in the morning, you are still sleepy and lack sleep
Step 4. Drink a warm, relaxing drink
Many people feel the benefits after drinking a cup of herbal tea or a glass of warm milk before going to bed and this has been proven through research. Dairy-based products contain lots of tryptophan, which stimulates the brain to produce sleep-inducing hormones, such as serotonin and melatonin.
Since ancient times, chamomile tea is considered to be able to overcome insomnia. Recently, several studies have shown that chamomile can reduce symptoms of anxiety and be useful as a mild sleep medication in animal trials. If you don't have chamomile tea available, drink tea with other herbs, such as lemon, ginger, and raspberry
Step 5. Take a magnesium supplement
Research shows that magnesium supplements can improve sleep quality. To find out the benefits, consume it in small doses or the dose written on the package.
Before taking magnesium supplements, consult with your doctor to make sure these supplements are really safe for you
Step 6. Ask your doctor about taking sleeping pills
Therapy using sleeping pills should be the last resort. Sleeping pills are not the most effective solution because many sleeping pills can trigger addiction. In fact, you still can't sleep well and lack sleep even though you've taken medication. In addition, sleeping pills usually cause side effects, such as drowsiness, headaches, difficulty remembering, and walking during sleep.
Take sleeping pills as a last resort. You will find it increasingly difficult to fall asleep if you are addicted to sleeping pills
Warning
- Consult a doctor as soon as possible if you experience severe chronic sleep difficulties. This problem can be an indication of a serious illness that must be addressed immediately. Don't ignore the complaint.
- Do not take sleeping pills if you have to operate high-risk equipment, such as cars, trucks, agricultural machinery and factory machinery.
