The Art of Sleeping
Make some space - Is your bedroom cluttered? Clutter is distracting and overwhelming when you are attempting to go to sleep. So set up 4 large boxes or bags which are labeled Keep, Throw Away, Move and Give Away. Then get to work sorting the clutter. Once you have separated everything, throw away the garbage and put the Give Away box or bag in your car so the next time you are out running errands, you can drop it off at your local Church, Good Will or other place where you would donate these items. Now take the other items that need to be moved and distribute them to their proper place. Finally, you will want to put away everything that is staying. Make sure to have a place for everything. Ahhhhhh, isn't that better.
Get rid of that TV - I had a TV in my room for years. I also had trouble falling asleep. The reason you want to remove your TV is to make your room a place where typically the only activity going on in this room is sleeping. If you spend hours watching TV in your room, it confuses the mind because it is not sure whether to sleep or stay awake. To rid yourself of this internal struggle, and to help your subconscious connect this room with sleep and not other activities, you should remove the TV altogether.
I do have a friend that can only sleep when the TV is on so in her case, I wouldn't want to remove the thing that helps her sleep. However, if you are not having any luck getting to sleep and staying asleep, taking the TV out of the room can do wonders. It did for me!
Have a routine - This prepares the body for rest. I have a simple routine. I put on my PJs about an hour or so before I go to bed. When it is time to go to bed, I brush my teeth and then get into bed. I get into a relaxing position by placing a pillow or two under my knees and a pillow under my neck. If I am less tired, I will read first then listen to a relaxing CD that a friend of mine gave me. If I feel like I can fall asleep more easily or am really tired, I will just listen to the CD.
Unwind - It is important to give yourself at least 20-30 minutes of relaxation or calm activity time each night before you go to bed. This gives the body time to relax and prepare for sleep. How many times have you had a day that just ran a little longer than you thought and by the time you get home, it is your bedtime or past your bedtime. A lot of people will just go to bed. This is a mistake, even if it is past your bedtime. Being worked up from the day and not giving yourself a period of calm will actually make getting to sleep extremely difficult. Your brain is still on awake mode and going at a faster speed. So even if you can only squeeze in 10 minutes of down time, do it.
Activities you can do before bed that are relaxing may include watching TV, meditating, praying, yoga, writing in a journal, taking a warm bath or doing some relaxation or breathing exercises. I generally watch TV but make sure I am not watching a scary mvie or emotionally charged show as this is not relaxing.
Sleep in a dark room - Make sure that there is as little light as possible when you go to sleep. Light is considered a stimulant and will keep a person awake or at least make it more difficult to get to sleep. I work an early shift and when I go to bed; my family is still awake and active. Most nights I shut my bedroom door so the extra light will not affect my getting to sleep.
If it is difficult to get most of the light out of your room or you have neighbors who like to leave there lights on, you may want to pick up a sleeping eye mask to block out the light. Wearing a sleeping eye mask will also work well for those whose schedules have them sleeping while it is light outside.
Write it down - Sometimes it is difficult to sleep because there is so much on our minds. There are two writing techniques I have used that have helped me with this issue. The first is simply keeping a journal. Just the act of writing down what is going on in your life can help you look at it more clearly and make a decision on how you will deal with it in a healthy manner. You will spend a lot less time worrying about your troubles if you know there is a plan. When I get to where I have numerous issues I am dealing with, I will start writing them down and keeping track of what I will do to solve them. It makes a huge difference.
The next activity I use when I wake up and remember there is something I can't forget to do tomorrow. This happens to me all the time. I keep a pad of paper on my night stand and when I can't get back to sleep because I am obsessing over this little thing I can't forget to do, I write it down.
For a real method that helped me from tossing and turning, Click Here!
About the Author
Hi, My name is Kendra, I'm from Vancouver, BC. My interested involve reading, writing and taking care of my family. I enjoy writing articles and taking a walk through the park on a sunny day. I hope you enjoyed my article(s) and wish you the best of luck!
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