Sleep psychologists are sharing 6 weird ways to actually help you fall asleep faster
The most effective thing you can do when you fall asleep is to calm your mind.
Of course, this may be easier said than done – especially when it’s late at night, you desperately wait to fall asleep. However, there are several less obvious ways to calm your mind and prepare your brain and body for sleep.
Here are a few expert-supported ways to trick your mind:
Don’t sleep
One of the most effective ways to trick yourself into falling asleep is to try it out no sleep. Sleep psychologist Deirdre Conroy, a clinical director of the behavioral sleep medicine clinic at the University of Michigan Healthy Sleep Disorders Center, said that sleeping too hard can never work, and all the worries and anxiety about falling asleep actually make a lot of people get up.
By doing the opposite and forcing yourself to lie in bed and stay awake all night – this phenomenon is called ambivalent intention – you will accidentally ze at some point. “In your mind, you’re actually trying to stay up late, but the sleep will eventually start,” Conroy said.
Focus on the morning
People in comfortable kitchens, dressed in comfortable, casual clothes, drink a drink, and look at the phone. Plants and kitchenware decorative space
At night, the key to getting your sleep well is not what you do or what you don’t do. In fact, your morning routine may have a greater impact on your sleep. Start sleeping well in the morning, according to Cathy Goldstein, a sleep neurologist at the University of Michigan Center for Healthy Sleep Disorders.
“Set an alarm and get the first thing – this is not only a reminder of your body when waking up time, but also a sleep attack should occur,” Goldstein said. Wake up at the same time when the alarm goes off every day and expose yourself to sunlight, making it easier for your internal clock to fall asleep during bedtime.
Make yourself worried
Earlier in the day, having time to worry can help you fall asleep during bedtime, Conroy said. If you spend time a few hours before bed (incorrect before bed), you can sleep better at night instead of completely eliminating your worries, but a few hours before bed (incorrect).
Quick Tips: Spend 15 minutes to write down these questions in your diary, so you can put them on paper and leave them there. “This can actually reduce the worry that occurs during bedtime,” Conroy said.
Think of nature
Man walking on forest trail, holding binoculars, wearing sweaters and backpack surrounded by lush green plants
Jeffrey Durmer, a board-certified sleep physician and sleep coach, said the U.S. Olympic weightlifting team said natural sounds and darkness are natural ingredients that induce sleep. After all, it is known that naturally reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, lowers hardness speed and reduces muscle tone.
To fall asleep, Durmer recommends that you think about nature – just like the last time you slept in a remote cabin or placed under the stars. It can even be like opening fire, lighting a candle or spending time “spend time on the porch, patio or deck to let the darkness and quiet reverberate in your mind, rather than lightness and noise,” Dulmer said.
Focus on the sound of breathing
Slow, deep-breathing breathing – like the 4-7-8 method, where you can inhale for four seconds, seven seconds, and eight seconds of exhale – is known to increase relaxation and bring sleep.
Also, just focusing on breathing can eliminate other concerns and concerns and take you to the present. “Take your attention away from the environment and place it completely on something in your control (breathing), which helps your brain settle down and become calm,” Dulmer said.
Exhaust your mind, not your body
The common misconception is that nighttime exercise can help you fall asleep easier. However, when exercising can make your body tired, it doesn’t necessarily get exhausted.
“You may be tired after a marathon, but that doesn’t mean your mind will be ready to sleep,” Conroy said. Note: Regular exercise usually improves sleep, but exercises for Sleeping in bed won’t do you a lot of good.
Instead of exercise to promote sleep, Conroy recommends engaging in activities that can get mentally tired. “We are social people, and our brains love to learn, so if you don’t interact with the world that day, it can affect your sleep,” Conroy said.
Read a book, do puzzles – there are something you really engage in spiritually. “Otherwise, for some people, there is no difference between day and night,” Conroy said.
This post originally appeared on HuffPost.
