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Do you find it hard to get a good night's rest? Here are 9 top tips for better sleep:
1) Write out your stress: Writing out your thoughts in the evening will help to free your conscious and subconscious mind, making it much easier to fall asleep.
Before bed, write down any nagging thoughts or tasks you need to do the next day. Your brain will feel as though it can rest and not have to worry about expressing or dealing with something immediately.
A Baylor University study revealed that those who wrote out a to-do list fell asleep 9 minutes faster on average than those who wrote about past events.
The more detailed your list is, the faster you're likely to fall asleep.
2) Use your bed for 2 things only: Your bed is not a sofa or a table. It should only be used for two reasons: sleeping or making love.
If you use your bed for lying down to watch TV or to eat on, your brain will automatically begin to associate your bed with those types of activities. This will make it much harder for you to switch off when you want to.
3) Don't take your phone to bed: Similar to not watching tv in bed, don't bring your phone to bed either. We get it, sometimes the temptation to check your messages or to watch a video is too much and you spend hours scrolling on your phone while waiting to feel tired. But the blue light from your phone has the opposite effect. It tricks your body into thinking it's daytime.
Invest in an alarm clock and leave your phone outside the bedroom to eliminate the temptation altogether.
4) Swaddling: Swaddling is an age-old practice of wrapping a baby tightly in a blanket to restrict the movement of his or her limbs. It replicates the confined space of the mother's womb and makes the baby feel at ease and sleep peacefully.
In a recent Japanese trend called Otonamaki or "adult wrapping", swaddling is now being done to adults as a relaxation technique. Probably best to avoid this one if you're claustrophobic though!
5) Exercise during daylight hours: Exercise is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve your sleep and health.
Studies have shown that for people with severe insomnia, exercise offers more benefits than most drugs. For older adults, exercise nearly halves the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and provides 41 more minutes of sleep per night.
Exercising too close to bedtime can have a negative effect though, as the adrenaline will keep you awake. Exercise early in the day and your body will thank you at night.
6) Curl your toes: If you're lying in bed unable to doze off, try curling and uncurling your toes slowly but repeatedly.
In addition to controlling your focus, the act can release tension from your body and ease your sleep. It can also work by focusing on and tensing other muscles. Repetition is the key.
7) Take a night bath or shower: A hot bath or shower about 90 minutes before you sleep can help you relax and drift off faster, improve the quality of your sleep and give you more deep sleep.
If you are too lazy or prefer a morning shower, just soaking your feet in warm water can relax you and help you fall asleep.
8) The military method: The United States Navy Pre-Flight School created a routine to help pilots fall asleep in 2 minutes or less. After 6 weeks of practice, the pilots were able to fall asleep even after drinking coffee and while gunfire noises played in the background. It also worked on people who needed to sleep while sitting up.
To try it yourself, follow these steps:
Relax your entire face, including the muscles inside your mouth.
Drop your shoulders to release the tension and let your hands drop to the side of your body.
Exhale, relaxing your chest.
Relax your legs, thighs, and calves.
Clear your mind for 10 seconds by imagining a relaxing scene. If this doesn’t work, try saying the words “don’t think” over and over for 10 seconds.
Within 10 seconds, you should be falling asleep!
9) Intention setting: Bedtime intention setting could make a noticeable difference in the quality of your sleep. As you lay your head on the pillow, simply say to yourself what kind of sleep you would like to have.
For instance, set an intention for a deep, relaxing sleep and feeling fresh in the morning. You can even think about what time you would want to naturally wake up. After some practice, it will be no surprise to you that your body and mind give you the sleep you request for.
Well, we hope you didn't watch this video on your phone while lying in bed!
Leave us a comment and let us know what helps you get a good night's sleep.
Thanks for watching and we'll see you next time. Good night!