IF counting sheep before bedtime is getting a bit dull, there are some
interesting new studies that are proven to get you to sleep even faster.
1. Get rid of tension
Anxiety expert Charles Linden emphasises that relaxing your muscles makes you
more ready for sleep. Focusing all of your tension to one part of your body
for a few seconds, and then releasing it, can help you to get into a more
comfotable position.
2. Meditate
Stanford Medical Centre investigated whether mindfulness and meditation could
help insomniacs get to sleep.
In their six-week program, the time that it took people to get to sleep
halved. By the end of the study, 60 per cent of the participants no longer
qualified as insomniacs.
There are plenty of free guided meditation clips on YouTube that you can play
while trying to get to sleep.
This one by TheHonestGuys has been viewed over 4.5million times.
3. Get out of bed
Dr Rosenburg, author of Sleep Soundly Every Night, Feel Fantastic Every Day,
believes that removing yourself from bed will help you sleep quicker.
If you can’t sleep for more than 20 minutes, Rosenburg suggests that you
should go into another room and partake in a quiet activity.
Listening to relaxing music or reading a book can help you wind down, so that
when you get back into bed you are more likely to fall asleep.
4. 4-7-8 breathing technique
US sleep expert Dr Andrew Weil has created the 4-7-8 breathing trick that can
help you fall asleep in less than a minute.
The technique helps to calm the mind and relax the muscles and Dr Weil’s
breathing exercise has been viewed almost 1.5million times on Youtube.
5. Be grateful
Leading psychology professor Nancy Digdon argues that writing a gratitude
journal for 15 minutes each day can help you sleep for longer.
Noting down the little things that you take for granted helps you keep
pessimism and stress away, making it easier to fall asleep.