It’s no big secret that getting a good nights sleep is very crucial for good health. In fact, when you sleep, it gives your body and brain a chance to recharge and repair itself from any damage that was done during the day. While some people do not have not trouble falling asleep, there are others who struggle greatly with this.
Studies have shown that getting poor quality sleep can have several negative effects on the body, especially the brain. This lack of sleep can even affect your ability to learn, remember, be in a good mood, control your emotions, as well as several other biological functions.
Tips that will help you fall asleep as quickly as possible.
- Lower the Temperature of the Room
When you fall asleep, your body temperature is going to change. In fact, your core temperature is going to decrease, while the temperature of your feet and hands is going to increase. If you are trying to sleep in a room that is too warm, it may cause you to have difficulty doing so. When you set your thermostat to a cooler temperature of between 60 and 75 degrees, it can help you relax and fall asleep.
While your personal preference is going to vary, you simply need to try out a few different temperatures until you find the one that is right for you.
Also, when you take a warm shower or bath before bedtime, it will help to speed up your body’s ability to change temperature. As your body begins to cool down after your shower or bath is over, it can send a signal to your brain letting you know that it is time to go to sleep.
- Use a Breathing Method, in Particular the ‘4-7-8’ Method
While it is extremely simple, the ‘4-7-8’ breathing method is a very powerful breathing technique that will help to calm and relax you. On top of that, it may also help to unwind you before you decide to hit the hay.
This method consists of a special breathing pattern that helps to relax your nervous system, and can be utilized anytime that you are feeling stressed out or anxious.
Here is how you use the ‘4-7-8’ breathing method:
- Place the tip of your tongue right behind your two front top teeth.
- Exhale all of your air through your mouth, making a woosh sound as you do it.
- Shut your mouth all the way and start to inhale through your nose as you count to four in your mind.
- Hold your breath as you count to seven in your mind.
- Open your mouth and began to exhale completely, making another woosh sound as you do so for a count of 8.
- Repeat this entire process for a minimum of three times total.
This is a tried and tested method that has been proven to help you relax, which in turn will help you fall asleep much quicker.
- Get Yourself on Some Type of Schedule
Many people who have trouble falling asleep have found that getting on a set schedule helps them fall asleep much easier. Finding a routine for yourself can be very beneficial.
Keep in mind that your body has a built in regulation system that is known as the circadian rhythm. This is like an internal clock that cues your body to be awake and alert during the daytime, but tired and sleepy at night. When you start waking up and going to sleep at the same time every day, it can condition your internal clock to start keeping a more regular schedule. Once you are adjusted to this new schedule, it will become much easier for you to wake up and fall asleep at the same times every single day.
It is also very important that you are getting at least seven to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep every single night. This amount of sleep has been proven to be optimal for most adults.
Also, be sure that you are allotting yourself at least 30 minutes or more every night so that you can unwind from your day. This will help to calm and relax you before you get into bed for the night. It also allows your mind and body to start relaxing and getting ready for the sleep ahead.
- Experience Darkness and Daylight
Light is one of the major factors that influence your internal clock, which is in charge of regulating your sleep patterns and when you wake up. Having an irregular exposure to light can help to disrupt your circadian rhythms, which in turn will make it much harder for you to fall asleep, as well as stay awake.
During the daytime, when you expose your body to sunlight, it tells it to stay awake and alert. During the night, however, darkness is going to promote a feeling of wanting to go to sleep. In fact, studies have shown that darkness actually helps boost your body’s production of melatonin, a hormone that is essential for going to sleep.
What this means is that you are going to want to get outside and expose yourself to daylight several different times per day. Then at night, you are going to want to make your room as dark as possible to help you sleep, even using blackout curtains if necessary.
- Practice Mindfulness, Meditation, and Yoga
When you get stressed, there is a good chance that you are going to have much more difficulty trying to fall asleep. Mindfulness, meditations, and yoga are all ways that you can help to calm your mind, as well as relax your body. Also, these methods have been proven to help improve your quality of sleep as well.
When you practice yoga, you will be encouraging special breathing patterns combined with body movements. This will help to release any stress or tension that you have accumulated within your body.
Meditation helps to enhance your body’s production of melatonin, which helps your brain to relax to a point where falling asleep will easily be achieved.
Finally, mindfulness will help you to focus on the ‘now’, and not worry about anything other than falling asleep.
When you practice one of these methods or all of these methods, they will each help you to relax and get a quality night’s sleep, which will in turn help you wake up feeling energized and refreshed.
- Don’t Look at the Clock
How many times have you woken up in the middle of the night and immediately looked at your clock? When this does happen, there is a good chance that falling back asleep isn’t as easy as it probably should be and your great night of rest has been ruined.
If you wake up in the middle of the night, you will more than likely check the clock several different times, even obsessing over the fact that you are unable to fall back asleep. This is known as ‘clock-watching’, and is an extremely common condition among those who suffer from insomnia. On top of that, clock-watching has also been linked to anxiety.
To make things even worse, when you do wakeup on a regular basis and are unable to fall back asleep, it can cause your body to get into a routine of this bad sleeping behavior. This means that you can potentially find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, every single night.
If you are able to, it is advised that you simply take the clock out of your room altogether. If you require an alarm to help you wake up in the morning, simply turn the clock around so you can’t see or watch it if you do wake up during the night.
If you are one of the many people who have trouble falling asleep, or fall asleep but wake up frequently through the night, you more than likely are looking for ways to finally be able to get an entire nights sleep. When you follow the tips that have been mentioned above, you will be building the habits that will help you fall asleep and even better, stay asleep.
While there are many different factors that play a role in your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep, there are also different ways to combat these factors as well. Just remember that everybody is different and while certain methods will work for one person, they may not work for you. All this means is that you may have to try several different techniques to relax and fall asleep before you are able to find one that actually works for you. Just keep focused on the final outcome, which is a good nights sleep, and you will have no problem finding the perfect solution to help you fall asleep fast.
