- Do not exhaust yourself with physical activity before bed.
An exhausted body can cause you to fall asleep quickly, but it will not be a deep sleep. You will wake up in the middle of the night and sleep will be restless. All physical activity should be moderate and 3 hours before bedtime.
- Physical relaxation.
You can use the technique of alternating relaxation of all muscles. Pay special attention to the facial muscles. Lying on your back, relax everything from top to bottom – from forehead to toes.
This technique is important because a tense body will send impulses to the brain and the nervous system will remain overactive. In this state, restful sleep is disturbed.
- Evening ritual.
Choose an evening ritual that suits you. You can start reading an interesting book before bed or listen to soothing music. Do this ritual just before bed to distract from negative thoughts.
- Do not interfere with the production of melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone of sleep and youth, and until the body begins to produce it, it will be almost impossible to fall asleep.
To avoid interfering with melatonin production, turn off the light, as melatonin is very fond of the dark and begins to be produced more actively in the dark. Sleep hormones begin to be produced about an hour after a person is in the dark. So, if you are used to communicating on Facebook before going to bed, then a good night’s sleep will come in an hour after turning off the device.
- Write your most obsessive thoughts on a piece of paper.
Place a sheet of paper and a pen on the bedside table. And when you realize that thoughts are interfering with your sleep, write down the most important ones. When you write, you are already unloading the nervous system.
It’s easier to write your thoughts in a couple of minutes than to worry about them for a long time. Help your brain, write them down.
When you read a sheet in the morning that lists everything you thought about at night, you will be surprised. During the day, all these restless thoughts will seem trivial.
- Think of the good.
Try to pay attention to pleasant thoughts. Think about the most pleasant periods of your life. Don’t try to call to mind every little thing. It is enough to mention everything in general terms and without too emotional events. As soon as you feel that you return to the same moment several times, it means the beginning of falling asleep.
- Concentrate on breathing and heartbeat.
To distract from obsessive thoughts, try to pay attention only to your breathing and pulse. Imagine your heart rate and breathing getting slower and slower. Focusing on breathing distracts from everything else, and you don’t notice how you fall asleep.
