I’ve had my fair share of sleepless nights, so I understand how frustrating it is when you’ve got that important test tomorrow and you don’t think you’ve revised enough;, the clock is ticking away and you’re just staring at the ceiling counting down the hours until you have to drag yourself out of bed. I hate that feeling. I’m sure you do too. That’s why I’ve put together a list of dos and don’ts for falling asleep that should see you dozing off in no time!
DOS
The first on my list is oldest trick in the book – counting sheep! All you have to do picture a fence with an endless number of sheep jumping over it. Your job is to count those sheep, stopping only when you’ve fallen asleep. (However, if you’re like me and sheep counting doesn’t work too well for you, why not try setting yourself a little challenge of counting to the highest number you can before you fall asleep? So far, my highest is 307 – see if you can beat that!)
Have you ever noticed that the harder you try to sleep, the harder it is to get to sleep? When you find yourself in that situation, try doing the opposite. I know it sounds crazy but experts say if you tell yourself over and over that you need to stay awake, you’ll find yourself drifting off in no time!
Taking a calm, relaxing shower or bath is a great way to wind down before going to bed! An hour before you hit the hay, why not give it a go? It’s a brilliant way to relax your muscles and let your body know you’re ready to rest. You should definitely leave some time between showering and getting into bed as you will struggle to fall asleep if your body is still hot.
Last but not least, try telling yourself a story. If you’re feeling a bit creative, you can make one up. If not, retell the events of the book you last read in order (or if you haven’t read any books lately, do it for a film). This will distract your mind enough to make you feel sleepy.
DON’TS
We all do it but the number one factor that stops us sleeping is spending too much time looking at a screen before going to bed. Give your eyes a rest! Spend at least 30 minutes away from your phone, laptop, TV and anything else you own with a screen attached to it.
Avoid intense exercise before going to bed. This has been known to raise your body’s temperature which can then make falling asleep much harder. Experts recommend leaving three hours between your workout regime and your bedtime.
Homework! Although doing your homework at 2am may help you feel like you’re being productive, you’re actually stimulating your brain and causing unnecessary stress which I’m certain is the last thing you want to be doing at such a ridiculous time!
I always seem to get mega thirsty around the same time I plan on going to bed. Next thing I know, I’m drinking loads of water and running to and from the toilet all night. That is quite possibly the most inconvenient thing to occur when you know you should be fast asleep! My solution? Steer clear of all the taps and water bottles in your house before you go to bed. Well, unless you’re really really thirsty! (As well as that, caffeinated drinks will keep your brain stimulated so it’s probably not a good idea to drink too much before sleeping.)
Those are a few simple and easy techniques to falling asleep faster – hopefully, you can find one on the list that works wonders for you! Get in touch and let us know which worked best for you or if you have any remedies of your own!
