If you lay awake, just waiting to fall asleep, you could probably do with some advice from a sleep expert.
Luckily, we have a few of them.
- Distract yourself. For some people, reading before you go to sleep just means that you stay up super late trying to finish your book. But if you’re already tired, a book may distract your brain from racing thoughts and allow your fatigue to take over. Visualizing calming scenarios, like taking a mountain hike, can also help distract your brain.
- Work out at night. Going to the gym after work, at least 90 minutes before you go to sleep, can reduce your stress hormones and lull you off to sleep. Whether you go to the gym or you do a quick home workout, it’ll help.##MN_RESP##
- Don’t look at the clock. Set your alarm, turn out the lights, and don’t look at the clock again. Once you do that, you psych yourself out and your brain becomes preoccupied with how much time you have left to sleep. Put your phone face down and far away from you, or turn your alarm clock’s face away from you.
- If you’re overwhelmed, make a to-do list. If the thought of all the things you have to do is keeping you awake, write them all down. It’ll not only get all the thoughts out of your head, but they’ll look more manageable and you can finally lay down to sleep.
- Turn on the tunes. Calming tunes, of course. Slow songs will slow your blood pressure and heart rate and will help you sleep deeply for longer.
If these expert tips don’t help you fall asleep, it may be time to get some professional help. But try these! They may just help you get the extra sleep that you have been needing.
