Trouble falling asleep can be a complex issue with no single solution. Our brains are intricate and sometimes resistant to change, often dictating their own patterns and rules. Additionally, we are all unique individuals, and while some of us may be just overthinkers by nature, others might face some life challenges at the time.
Because of this variability, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to overcoming sleep difficulties. In this article, I’ll provide a variety of techniques and strategies that can improve your chances of falling asleep faster and enjoying a more restful night.
choose what you eat at night
What you eat before bed can really affect how well you sleep.
Some people find that going to bed a little bit hungry helps them sleep better. There’s a famous Russian saying: “Eat breakfast all yourself, split the lunch with a friend, and give away the dinner to your enemy.”
While this saying suggests that having a lighter dinner might be beneficial, I don’t say it will work for everyone – many people just can’t sleep well on an empty stomach.
What I’m suggesting is to experiment with your dinner choices, the timing of your meal, and how much you eat. For some, a small, light meal in the evening is best, while others might need something more substantial.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Try different foods and portion sizes to see if that makes a difference for you.
consider the posture
Choosing the right posture can help you relax better and fall asleep more quickly. There are some rules that I can recommend to follow, that proved to be effective for many.
The best posture for falling asleep is lying on your back with a supportive pillow under your head and neck. This position keeps your spine straight and helps your body stay balanced.
If you prefer sleeping on your side, make sure to use a pillow that keeps your head level with your spine and place a pillow between your knees to keep your hips aligned.
Avoid sleeping on your stomach because it can put extra strain on your neck and back, making it harder to fall asleep comfortably.
That being said, by paying more attention to the posture you might find out that you need to invest in better pillows or a new mattress.
stop trying to fall asleep
As counterintuitively as it sounds, that is an important idea to understand. When you try hard to fall asleep, you create more stress and anxiety about not sleeping. By forcing something, you only create unnecessary resistance that takes you even further from your goals.
Give in to the idea that you are not going to fall asleep fast and let go of all your efforts.
Think about the fact that when you just lying down with your eyes closed, your body is already getting rest. You can even make your conscious intention to NOT fall asleep.
I know it sounds illogical, but believe me, most of the reasons for insomnia are psychological and not physical. That means that your body naturally will fall asleep after a long day or when it is tired, whether you want it or not.
Try a Military Method
You definitely want to give the famous Military Method a try, because so many people swore by it. Although I think that if you are performing military duty you shouldn’t have problems falling asleep per se.
But anyway. It’s a pretty straightforward technique and it should help you relax your body and clear your mind, making it easier to drift off. Here’s how to do it:
MILITARY METHOD
- Relax Your Face: Start by calming every muscle in your face, including those inside your mouth. If there is a specific place of tension that you know – focus on it. (Mine, for example, is the muscle between the brows).
- Release Shoulder Tension: Drop your shoulders to release any built-up tension. Let your hands fall naturally to your sides. Feel a sense of heaviness in them for a few moments.
- Relax Your Chest: Exhale deeply to release any tightness in your chest. Watch the air slowly existing in your body.
- Unwind Your Legs: Allow your legs, including your thighs and calves, to fully relax. Add some heaviness to them the same as you did with arms.
- Clear Your Mind: For 10 seconds, picture a peaceful scene to help clear your thoughts. The scene might not work for everyone. If you have trouble with that, make a conscious effort to not think about anything. Keep this blank state for as long as you can. As soon as you catch yourself back in your thoughts, go back to nothingness again. Keep repeating – this is the main part that will take you straight to the dreamland.
- Use a Mental Mantra: As an alternative, you can use a mantra, for example, try to say repeatedly “don’t think” for a minute or so.
Products that help you to fall asleep
You can also experiment with additional tools that can help you to fall asleep. When I think of what proved to be helpful, the products below first come to my mind.
There is maybe more to explore, but these four already proved their effectiveness, and they are easy to access and wouldn’t break the budget.
Dream Essencial Oil
This essential oil blend is designed to promote relaxation and enhance sleep quality with a harmonious mix of lavender and chamomile. Its calming properties help ease the mind and prepare the body for a restful night’s sleep.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy can be a great tool for improving sleep if you have trouble falling asleep at night. Using essential oils can create a calming environment that helps signal to your body that it’s time to relax and wind down.
Try using lavender essential oil, which is well-known for its sleep-promoting properties. You can diffuse it in your bedroom with an essential oil diffuser, or add a few drops to your pillowcase. Another option is chamomile essential oil, which also has soothing effects and can help reduce stress and anxiety.
Weighted blanket
If you haven’t heard about the benefits of weighted blankets, it’s worth looking into. Weighted blankets can be a game-changer for improving your sleep.
These blankets are filled with materials like glass beads or plastic pellets, which make them heavier than regular blankets. The extra weight provides a gentle, even pressure on your body, which can be very soothing. This sensation is known as Deep Touch Pressure (DPT).
Deep Touch Pressure mimics the feeling of being hugged or held, which can help calm your nervous system. It triggers the release of calming chemicals in your brain, like serotonin and melatonin, which are essential for good sleep. This can make it easier for you to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.
Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets offer a comforting and soothing effect that can significantly enhance sleep quality. By providing gentle, even pressure across the body, they help stimulate the release of serotonin and melatonin, hormones that promote relaxation and regulate sleep.
Eye Mask
Sometimes, the room you’re sleeping in might not be dark enough. Many studies show that our bodies need a certain level of darkness to produce sleep hormones effectively. When it’s not dark enough, your body might struggle to produce these hormones, making it harder for you to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Light can interfere with melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep. Even small amounts of light, like from streetlights or electronic devices, can disrupt your body’s natural sleep signals. This is why a dark room is essential for good sleep.
To improve your sleep, consider using blackout curtains to block out external light or a sleep mask to cover your eyes. Reducing light exposure from screens at least an hour before bed can also help.
Supplements
Certain natural supplements are known to support better sleep and can be a helpful addition to your bedtime routine.
One popular option is melatonin, a hormone that your body naturally produces to regulate sleep. Taking melatonin supplements before bed can help reset your sleep cycle and make it easier to fall asleep, especially if you’re dealing with jet lag or irregular sleep patterns.
Another helpful supplement is valerian root. This herbal remedy has been used for centuries to promote relaxation and improve sleep quality. Valerian root can help calm your mind and make it easier to fall asleep, and it’s often available in pill or tea form.
Explore Somatic Therapy
I strongly recommend that you explore somatic practices and how they can help you manage your sleeping issues.
Somatic therapy focuses on the connection between the mind and body to help manage stress and emotional issues. When it comes to falling asleep, somatic practices can be very effective. These techniques often involve gentle physical exercises, deep breathing, and mindfulness, which help to relax the body and calm the mind.
By paying attention to physical sensations and learning to release tension, somatic therapy can reduce anxiety and create a sense of relaxation that makes it easier to fall asleep.
Feel free to explore more:
5 Somatic Exercises to Improve Your Mental Health
Somatic Exercises: What is That and How to Do It?
Why You Should Do Somatic Workouts: Unbelievable Benefits
10 Somatic Exercises to Release Pent-Up Emotions from Your Body