Sleep is essential for our physical and mental health, but many people struggle to fall asleep at night.
An internet user asked, “Those who fall asleep easily, what’s your secret?”. Below, we’ve curated the best advice!
Go To Bed Only To Sleep
“I go to bed to sleep. I’ll do whatever I’m doing, watching tv, messing on my phone, reading, whatever out on the couch. When I’m tired I go brush my teeth, go get in bed and be ready to sleep.
A routine will also help your body to realize it’s time to relax. For me it’s definitely the no-nonsense thing, when I go to bed, it’s time for sleep, it lets me shut my mind off, and not be preoccupied with something else.”
Count Your Breaths
“I count my breaths while listening to the sound the breath makes going in and out. I am usually asleep before 50 breaths. If not, I start back at one. It works pretty well.”
No Caffeine After 2 PM
“No caffeine after 2 pm. Don’t get in bed until it’s bedtime. Leave the phone alone.”
Sun Exposure & Dietary Changes
“Get in the sun in the morning for vitamin D – needed for melatonin. Also, going for a walk when the sun sets and seeing the light (sun gazing) during since triggers the brain to secrete melatonin (a hormone that makes you sleepy and helps you sleep).
The brain recognizes it’s nighttime. This will help normalise your circadian rhythm and makes it a habit to get out of bed similar time in the morning.
Diet:
– no caffeine after 12 pm: caffeine can stay in the body for 8 or about up to 12hrs (depending on your metabolism)
– avoid eating 2 hours before bedtime so the body isn’t focusing on digestion
– limit refined sugar at night
– magnesium powder/capsule or hot chocolate Magnesium at night to help calm the nervous system.”
The Healthy Mix
“No alcohol, no sugar, no caffeine, no screens the last two hours before sleep, a good quality bed, desirable temperature and humidity, dark bedroom and last but not least: be physically and mentally tired after being active the whole day.”
No Blue Light Before Bedtime
“One great thing that has helped me get fast asleep in about 5 minutes is to never watch TV or the cellphone in bed when I’m going to bed just to sleep and this has helped a lot, my body falls asleep very quickly, my wife has said to me that I can fall asleep as fast as 30 seconds.”
Ditch Overthinking
“If it’s overthinking, put it aside, you better prioritise your comfort over all things, be the king of yourself.”
Listen To Sleep Meditations
“I listen to sleep meditations. Started with binaural beats and moved to spoken meditation. That and melatonin are a must.”
Turn On The AC & Get A Cozy Blanket
“A nice shag, a heavy blanket in a cold room with a fan.
The weight of the blanket helps me to feel more comfortable. Obviously, you need a cold room to justify a heavy blanket in the droning noise of the fan produces a calming effect.”
Set The Mood
“Create a mood/ambiance that helps induce your mind to slow down. Shower, eat well then have very dim lighting an hour before bed.
Being proactive throughout the day goes a long way.”
Concentrate On Something Good
“Ok, so it’s not a 100% solution, but it’s at least something. If it’s the bad thoughts that keep you awake, try thinking about something good.
Not, like, summer or blue sky, but something more nuanced, like a book you’ve enjoyed or places you’ve been, what were you doing there, and why you enjoyed being there. The key is staying focused.
Negative thoughts naturally draw more attention, I presume it’s because your brain perceives them as threats and it cannot shut down until they’re dealt with (might be wrong, just a theory).
Concentrating on something good, something you enjoy, steers your brain’s attention focus away from negativity, thus creating comfort.”
Listen To Your Body
“I go to bed when I’m tired, not when the clock tells me I should go to bed. I listen to what my body says. It took my biological clock a couple of weeks to adjust to my working schedule but now it’s no problem. I go to sleep between 10 and midnight and wake up around 5.”
Stay Active Throughout The Day
“Get a lot of exercise during the day.
I fall asleep instantly every night because I’m so active during the day.”
Make Way For “Sweet Dreams“
“Don’t think about things that have happened. Actively think about the way you’d like things to be in the future. The former causes worry and sleeplessness, the latter starts you dreaming.”
Listen To Calming Sounds On YouTube
“Sounds silly, but my wife and I need a fan aimed at us, coupled with a 10-hour YouTube nature sounds video with a black screen.”
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The article was originally published on Mrs Daaku Studio.