Why do we need better sleep and how can we get this? Unfortunately, falling asleep isn’t easy for everyone. Here are some things you can do before you go to bed that should help you reach the Land of Nod in no time at all!
EXCERCISE
Nobody’s saying that you need to do an extreme workout before you go to bed – in fact, on the contrary, if you exercise too late in the day it can give you a rush of hormones and energy that might just keep you awake. But studies have shown that some exercise during the day hugely improves your chances of getting to sleep easily. If you don’t have a steady fitness routine, start with walking around the block, going for a quick swim in your local pool, and work up from there. Exercise can also help to reduce symptoms of anxiety, which can play a huge role in keeping people awake.
READING
Forming a bedtime routine is a great way of falling asleep more easily, and for many people, reading is part of that routine. Whether you read a hundred pages or you find yourself nodding off after two paragraphs, opening that book is a sign to your body that you’re starting to wind down for the day. It’s a restful activity in a comfortable environment – just make sure that you don’t read anything too exciting! But let’s face it, a night spent awake because you simply had to find out who the murderer is in a crime novel is vastly preferable to a night spent awake because of insomnia.
PUZZLES
One thing that may be preventing you from falling asleep at night is an overly busy mind. If you find yourself lying in bed with your brain racing, thinking of everything you’ve done that day and everything you need to do the following day, what you really need is to focus on something else before you fall asleep. For many people, it’s a great idea to focus on puzzles. Whether you tackle a logic puzzle that you get involved in, a word search, a crossword or a series of anagrams (these can be tricky and there’s no shame in using a word unscrambler!) you may just find that doing a puzzle will help you sleep soundly.
TAKE A BATH
There are few things more deliciously dreamy than a lavender scented bath. The warmth, the comfort and the luxury of a bath before bedtime will help you fall asleep before you know it – just make sure that you get out of the bath first!
JOURNALS
If anxiety is a problem for you, journaling is an excellent way to resolve it. We’ve all seen the impressive journals that some people manage to create, full of different stickers and coloured tape and pretty pictures, and if that’s your thing then that’s great. But you don’t have to feel pressured into making your journal a thing of beauty. Simply writing down your thoughts can help you work through them, and writing a to-do list for the next day will help you get the items out of your head so you don’t dwell on them as you’re trying to fall asleep.
Falling asleep can be a huge challenge – hopefully these tips will make that task a little easier.
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