Sometimes it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep. You lie in bed, but you can’t sleep. You need to learn to relax your body and mind before bedtime so that you can fall asleep quickly. Here are some ideas to help you.
Use a Diffuser With a Relaxing Essential Oil
Run an essential oil diffuser for an hour before you go to bed. What is a diffuser? A diffuser is a small jar containing a tool that takes the essential oil and breaks it up into small particles and spreads the particles into the room. This way, you breathe in the relaxing scent, and your brain starts to wind down. If you do this every evening, your brain will soon get into the habit of relaxing as soon as you smell the familiar scent.
Turn Off Your Devices
Turn off all your technology devices, including your phone, tablet, computer and TV at least a half-hour before bed. All of these devices emit blue light from their screens, which interferes with your brain’s normal winding down for the night. Interacting with these devices also keeps your brain too active to get sleepy.
Meditate To Quiet Your Mind
Meditation is a proven remedy for insomnia. There are several types of meditation you could use to help you relax. Guided meditation uses a recording of music and voice that gives you instructions on how to quiet your mind. You can find guided meditation apps on your phone or search for guided meditation group online. Mindfulness meditation does not need a recording to do. You just sit quietly and let your thoughts pass through your mind without engaging with them. Or, you can try body scan meditation, which involves moving your focus from one body part to another until you are calm.
Take a Warm Bath or Shower
A warm bath or shower can help you to feel sleepy. Raising your body temperature can get your body into a calm state and make it easier to fall asleep. Having a bedtime routine also helps when it comes to being able to fall asleep quickly. Your mind gets used to a routine and knows that it is time to get ready to quiet down and sleep.
Read Right Before You Go to Bed
Reading something pleasant, like a magazine or a light novel, can relax your mind and turn off your daytime thoughts. Don’t read anything disturbing or any work-related materials. It is better to read before going to bed, instead of in bed, to prevent insomnia, but this can vary, depending on the individual. Once you get sleepy, close the book and go to bed.
Listen to Calming Music
Have some soothing music on in the background while you are following your bedtime routine. Choose music that you like, but don’t choose a genre that is too energizing. As an alternative, you can listen to recordings of nature sounds.
Incorporating some of these suggestions into a calming bedtime routine is a great way to get your body and mind relaxed and ready to sleep. You will feel so much better the next day after a restful night of sleep.
