What to Do When You Can’t Sleep
Do you often find yourself lying in bed, eyes closed and ready for a good snooze, but for someone reason you have a hard time nodding off? We totally get it! The culprit might be a super stressful day that's lying ahead for you come morning, or pesky noises coming from the neighbours' flat, or you're struggling to digest a big meal so don't feel the most comfortable. Whatever the reason, we’ve compiled a list of techniques you can use to help get a good night’s sleep.
Happy Thoughts
Bedtime is the time to day-dream (or night-dream) to your heart's content! Think about something that makes you happy and calm - maybe a beach holiday, or killing it at work, or your new boyfriend... this method of using happy thoughts to get to sleep helps to ease your mind & making it easier to fall asleep. Start by thinking about what you’re grateful for and go from there.
The 4-7-8 Breathing Method
Start by placing the tip of your tongue behind your two front teeth and keep it there during this exercise. Take a deep breath in and slowly exhale through your nose while counting to four. Hold your breath for seven seconds. Then open your mouth and exhale while counting to eight. This is one cycle. Repeat this three times and it should help you to feel more relaxed.
Meditation
You don't need to sit in a yoga pose to be able to meditate - it's a method that you can do lying down while waiting for sleep to set in too! You’ll want to inhale and exhale at a comfortable and consistent pace. Be aware of your body and the position you are lying in. Notice sensations in your body – good or bad. Do a full-body scan starting with the tips of your toes, to the top of your head. Relax each part of your body after you’ve observed them. After you’ve completed a body-scan, be mindful of your body as a whole and let it relax.
Try to Not Fall Asleep
When your mind focuses on sleep, it usually does the opposite. Try passively staying awake to fall asleep. This tricks your body in to being mindful of lying awake and removes the wave of anxiety that might plague you while getting to sleep.
Still Can’t Sleep?
Staying in bed for more than 20 minutes when you’re unable to sleep subconsciously creates a negative connotation between your mind and your sleep environment. If you find yourself not able to sleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something soothing like listening to quiet music or reading. Try this activity for 20 minutes, then return to your bed for sleep.
Hope that helps!
Written by Ashlynn Propes, our fav intern
