How To Fall Asleep

---

Many of us live in a constant state of movement and hurry and forget how to fall asleep as easily as we did as babies.

Your body and mind can’t just shift from full arousal and activity to relaxation and rest. You need to deliberately slow down your physical and mental activity to prepare for a good night sleep. You spend most of the day trying to gain or regain control over events and encounters. You make decisions, you reflect on things, you react to things.

Brain activity can be measured by its brain waves and the quality of brainwaves is very different when the brain is active and aroused than when it is relaxed.

Scientists believe that these sleep-related problems are the result of conflicts between physical needs for sleep and sleep habits.

Here are some tips to help you relax at the end of the day and learn how to fall asleep again:

1. Slow down

Don't undertake demanding physical activity in the three hours before going to bed. Exercising raises your body temperature and stimulates you, making it hard to fall asleep in this state. On the same basis, don't eat a heavy meal before going to bed.

2. Avoid debates

Who do you spend time with before going to bed and what emotional state does that put you in? Don’t start or engage in arguments or heated discussions in the period before bed. If you need to talk to your spouse or children about a large purchase you want to make or to complain about something that’s going on, leave it for a different time of the day.

3. Reduce mental stimulation

Avoid surfing the Internet, reading an enthralling book or watching a gripping TV program or movie just before bed. Alternatively, do something a little dull like paperwork or the dishes…something that you can on auto-pilot or that doesn’t involve much thinking or attention.

4. Have a warm bath

A nice bath is an great way to melt away muscle tension and relax your state of mind. Although the warm water elevates your body temperature at first, but then later makes it fall faster, making you feel drowsy. Have the bath earlier in the evening, not right before bed.

5. Only love-making and sleep in bed

This teaches your mind and body to only associate your bed with these activities rather than anything else, like lying awake, annoyance or reading interesting material.

Months or years of sleeping badly have made you sub-consciously relate your bedroom with being conscious and being frustrated. You have forgotten how to fall asleep. The more comfortable and peaceful your bedroom is, the more relaxed you'll feel. Don’t read, watch TV, solve problems, argue, eat or work there. All these tell your subconscious brain to engage, to act, to be alert, not how to fall asleep. Use other parts of your home for these activities. Rather, lying down in your bed should signal your body and mind to fall asleep or make love.

6. Silence

How quiet is your bedroom? Noises in or near your bedroom may be disturbing or distracting you. If you can’t achieve this, you can try masking the noise with a radio, musical recording (something relaxing, of course) or a white noise generator.

Another option is to wear earplugs. Getting used to the feel of these can take a little time, but you will notice them less, the more you wear them. This could be helpful if you sleep with a snorer.

7. Make your room dark

How effective are your window coverings? Are they too thin or does light creep in around the edges. You may need to replace them with thicker, heavier and larger window coverings.

If you have little control over the amount of light in your bedroom, try wearing an eye mask to bed. These are easily available from drug-stores.

8. Sleep on a good mattress

Discomfort from sleeping on a mattress that is too soft or firm, can make it very hard to relax. Also, if you sleep with another person and are disturbed every time they move, you’ll want a bigger bed. You’ll sleep more deeply on a good quality mattress. See the best rated mattress for suggestions.

9. Physical relaxation

Get yourself comfortable in bed and relax your jaw, brow, hands, shoulders and anywhere else you might be holding tense. Open your mouth slightly to help your jaw relax. Imagine your body is made of jello or anything else loose and free.

10. Write down your worries

Do you lie awake thinking about events of the day or concerns about what you have to do tomorrow? Keep a notepad and pen nearby and write down what anything you’re worried about forgetting. You won’t make the situation any better by ruminating in bed. Tell yourself you can come back to your worries and needed actions in the morning…they will still be there!

Implementing just a few of these suggestions should be helpful in showing you how to fall asleep. For other ideas, check out

Top of How To Fall Asleep page

How To Fall Asleep to How Do You Sleep page

Homepage