Sleep is an essential part of our daily life. It helps us rest our bodies and minds and gives us enough energy to go through the upcoming day. Some people have issues falling asleep or staying asleep, and this could be due to many reasons. While many prefer consulting with professionals since the beginning, others prefer trying some healthy alternatives first. In this article are 5 ways that will help you calm your brain, and prepare yourself for a peaceful sleep.
1- USE YOUR BED ONLY FOR SLEEPING
Many people stay in their beds during many of their daily activities. They work, eat, or read a book in their bed. This might associate the bed with much more than sleep, which could be one of the reasons why they might be having trouble falling asleep. Instead, make sure that you only sit in your bed in your pajamas and to sleep. Doing so will help your brain associate sitting in bed to sleep, making it feel sleepy and ready to call it a night, rather than to feel awake as if it is time to work or read.
2- KEEP YOUR BRAIN BUSY WITH MENTAL EXERCISES
If you are the kind of person who overthinks before sleeping, mental exercises could be a good way to keep your brain from worrying and sleep faster. These exercises could be something very simple such as thinking of 10 fruits or vegetables that start with a certain letter. You can also focus on the details of an object thinking of its different characters, or recite the lyrics of one of your favorite songs.
3- CREATE A PRE-SLEEP ROUTINE
Pre-sleep routines are an important step to help you sleep faster. These routines help your brain associate them with sleep. Most people’s pre-sleep routine is a shower and putting on their pajamas, some dedicate few minutes for reading. In fact, our bodies love routines because they consider them as a safe step for them.
4- FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE
The negative thoughts creep into your brain right before bedtime, which makes it active when it should be calm. For this reason, try to think of positive things such as happy events or good memories in order to make your brain comfortable enough to fall asleep.
5- FIND OUT WHAT IS DISTURBING YOUR BRAIN
Ask yourself a set of questions to find out which of your habits is interfering with your sleep and making you anxious. One of the major habits that sabotage sleep is drinking alcohol or coffee especially before sleeping, not only because they contain caffeine but also because they can boost anxiety. Caffeine’s effect can last up to seven hours in your body, so make your calculations well before consuming any. On the other hand, alcohol might help you sleep faster but it will interfere with your sleep making you feel tired and sleepy the next day. Also, there are some medicaments that can make it hard for you to sleep, so find out which is disturbing you.
