Do you spend an hour every night lying in bed before sleep finally comes to you? If you frequently find yourself tossing and turning, your mind racing, while trying to fall asleep at night, you might want to try a few simple tips for falling asleep faster and staying asleep throughout the night.
- Take a warm bath or shower before bed. This will help you to ease tense muscles, slow down the mind and even shift blood flow to your extremities, which aids in the body’s natural production of melatonin.
- Create a sleep space that is clean and free of clutter. Removing stressors from within your bedroom could make it easier to relax and fall asleep.
- Many people believe that certain scents are associated with restfulness. Try sniffing lavender essential oils before bed, or fill a diffuser with the oils to create a relaxing sleep space throughout the night.
- Listen to relaxing music, preferably something with a rhythm of 60 to 80 beats per minute. Classical music is always a great choice, but anything with minimal vocals and a soothing sound would work.
- Administer acupressure on yourself restore balance on the points of energy within the body. Apply gentle pressure to the area right between the eyebrows for at least one full minute, then press firmly in the depression between your first two toes until you start to feel a dull ache.
- Try a breathing exercise like the “4-7-8” method. Place your tongue against the back of your top teeth, and then exhale strongly until you hear a whooshing sound. Next, close your mouth and inhale through the nose while counting to four. Hold your breath while counting to seven, and then exhale again while counting to eight. Repeat this process three times.
- Many scientists believe that warming the extremities releases melatonin, so try wearing socks to bed to bring on sleep.
- Because your body temperature drops in conjunction with your internal clock, cooling your bedroom could also help to produce melatonin and feelings of sleepiness in the brain. Lower your bedroom temperature a few degrees before tucking in for the night.
Use one or a combination of these all-natural sleep aids to help create an effective, sustainable nightly routine and banish insomnia once and for all.
