If you have trouble falling asleep, you may find yourself tossing and turning at night, unable to get up in the morning, and having mood swings during the day.
Many people struggle with falling asleep, which can affect their health and wellbeing. It can be more harmful than you realize.
It’s difficult not to be worried, but the anxiety may be the cause of sleeping disorders, and it definitely can worsen your sleep quality.
Today we want to give you tips and assure you you can get better sleep with our help.
Do you have insomnia?
Between 10% and 30% of adults have insomnia. More than a half of the population has trouble falling asleep during their lifetime. Insomnia is a medical condition whose main symptoms include difficulty falling asleep and a shorter than average sleep duration.
It’s diagnosed if the sleep difficulty occurs at least three nights per week and the problems with falling asleep are present for at least three months. Other criteria include:
- feeling of distress
- lack of sleep affects other parts of life
- it’s not caused by the use of drugs or medication
- it can’t be explained by a mental disorder
If the above symptoms adhere to you, you should contact your GP.
Meditation Techniques for Insomnia
Tips for falling asleep fast
If you don’t think you need medical help but want to make your sleep quality better, we have a few tips for you. It might take some practice to fall asleep fast. However, the following techniques may help you fall asleep swiftly over time.
Relax
Relaxation is key to achieving quality sleep. There are many relaxation techniques, and we highly recommend trying different ones to see which is the best for you.
Types of relaxation techniques include:
Autogenic relaxation.
“Autogenic “refers to anything produced from within you. In this stress-reduction method, you use both visual thinking and physical sensation to reduce tension. For example, you might imagine a serene location and focus on controlled, relaxing breathing, or feeling different physical sensations, like relaxing each arm or leg one by one.
Progressive muscle relaxation.
In this technique, you concentrate on contracting and relaxing each muscle group gradually. It helps you distinguish between muscular tension and relaxation. As a result, you may be more aware of physical sensations. For example, start with your toes and work your way up to your neck and head. You may also begin at the top of the body and work your way down to the bottom. For about five seconds, tighten your muscles before relaxing for 30 seconds. Repeat as needed.
Visualization.
In this technique, you may imagine yourself traveling to a peaceful, relaxing place or circumstance in your mind. Try engaging as many senses as possible, such as smell, sight, sound, and touch. Concentrate on the present and think positive thoughts.
Breathe
Breathing is related to all relaxation techniques, but you can use just your breath to release the tension quickly. In addition, rhythmic breathing can lower your blood pressure and pulse, which is essential to fall asleep fast.
4-7-8 method.
It has its beginnings in Pranayama, a type of yoga. First, allow your tongue to relax behind your front teeth and rest on the roof of your mouth as you lie down in bed. Next, completely drain out all of your air through your mouth by gradually exhaling all of your breath. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and then exhale for 8 seconds. Repeat this process as needed.
Alternate-nostril breathing.
You can practice this breathing technique by blocking one nostril at a time while breathing through the other in a regular pattern. It’s preferable to perform this sort of breathing while sitting down.
Maintain a natural grip by laying your right-hand flat on the ground and bending your pointer and middle fingers into your palm, leaving your thumb, ring finger, and pinky extended. You can achieve the best results by repeating ten rounds of this breathing pattern as the authors of the post on verywellmind.com suggest.
Close your eyes or softly gaze downward.
Inhale and exhale to begin.
Close off your right nostril with your thumb.
Inhale through your left nostril.
Close off your left nostril with your ring finger.
Open and exhale through your right nostril.
Inhale through your right nostril.
Close off your right nostril with your thumb.
Open and exhale through your left nostril.
Inhale through your left nostril.
Prepare your bedroom
Your bedroom is another step to fall asleep faster.
Mattress and pillow. Where you sleep is essential, but on what you sleep, even more so. Your mattress shouldn’t be older than ten years, firm, not soft, but not complicated too. It should be tailored to your needs, your body type, and weight. Your pillow should also be firm and fill out the space between your shoulder and your head.
Temperature. Our bodies naturally lower their temperature when we fall asleep, so it’s important not to disturb this process. Make sure your bedroom has at most 66*F (19*C).
Air quality. If you live in the city, chances are the air quality in your neighborhood may be poor. In this case, an air cleaner is your friend. You can also get yourself a humidifier if the humidity in your bedroom is lower than 40-60%.
Noise. A quiet and peaceful environment is vital for a good night’s sleep. You can try and soundproof your bedroom, but you can also use earplugs.
Light. Light is an essential part of your bedroom setup. You should have drapes or blinds in your windows and have all your electronics switched off.
Napping – Health Benefits and Tips
Light on and light off
As we just mentioned, light is an essential component of your sleep quality.
Light yourself up during the day.
You should get as much sunlight during the day as you can, especially if you spend most of your day indoors. The light we are exposed to during the day regulates our sleep cycle and says what time of day it is to our body. The lights in your home or work aren’t sufficient. You can download an app to see the intensity of the light where you currently are.
Lights off before you sleep.
The bedroom is just one part of reducing the light intensity. You should also stay clear of electronic devices, TV, and intense light for 1 to 2 hours before going to bed. Dim the lights in your home, especially your bedroom. Try to relax without using digital devices.
Additional tips to help you fall asleep
- Unwind for at least half an hour before going to bed. Reading, mild stretching, and other restful activities are plentiful during this time.
- Avoid big meals, spicy foods, caffeine, and alcohol before you fall asleep.
- Use the same waking time every day, including on weekends, to help your internal clock get more regular.
- Make time for exercise, especially outdoor. Regular physical activity can lower your blood pressure, reduce stress and increase melatonin production, helping you sleep better.
- Keep a sleep diary if you have difficulties sleeping. Keep track of the patterns that might be disrupting your nightly rest and the techniques that have been useful to you.
Conclusion
A lot of how you sleep depends on how prepared you are for sleep. This article provides some helpful tips on how to fall asleep. We covered the topics of how to prepare your bedroom, how much light should be in your bedroom, what temperature should be in your bedroom and how they can help you achieve quality sleep.
Furthermore, this article also includes how to keep track of the patterns that may disrupt your sleep and what techniques have been helpful for other people with difficulty sleeping.
We hope this article will help you fall asleep faster.
A lot of how you sleep depends on how prepared you are for sleep. This article provides some helpful tips on how to fall asleep. We covered the topics of how to prepare your bedroom, how much light should be in your bedroom, what temperature should be in your bedroom and how they can help you achieve quality sleep.
Furthermore, this article also includes how to keep track of the patterns that may disrupt your sleep and what techniques have been helpful for other people with difficulty sleeping.
We hope this article will help you fall asleep faster.