Sleep Tips and Techniques to End Insomnia
Technique #1. Mattress Inspection
How comfortable is your bed? Is it big enough? How long has it been since you’ve bought a new mattress? Rotate your mattress on a monthly basis and replace it with a new one if you’ve owned it more than 10 years. Consider purchasing a high quality mattress after all if you sleep 8 hours a night you are spending ⅓ of your life in bed, it should be the most comfortable mattress you can find.
TIP Return Policy – Usually you need 2-3 nights to adjust to a new mattress, so be sure if it doesn’t feel comfortable after the first week you can return the mattress and try a new model.
Technique # 2. Clear the Clutter
How cluttered is the space around your bed?
People tend to remain tense around clutter and debris. Even if you have acclimated to the clutter, your subconscious mind may still be responding to the clutter, so it is best to keep the bedroom areas as minimalistic as possible.
Technique # 3. Electrical Currents
Too many electrical currents in the bedroom can influence your sleep. If you are a sensitive person these subtle electromagnetic energies can interfere and disturb your natural sleep patterns.
TIP: Inspect your room if the head of your bed is near an electrical outlet, it can be helpful to move your bed to a wall in your room that doesn’t have any electrical outlets.
Technique # 4. Temperature Zone
If you are a restless sleeper always feeling too hot or too cold be sure to adjust the temperature of your environment and consider wearing your socks to bed. This simple technique can help you maintain your body temperature. Body temperature fluctuations can be the result of a hormonal imbalance. If the issue persists, and you suspect this is the case schedule a check-up with your physician.
TIP – Drink plenty of water during the day but stop drinking water at least 4 hours prior to your bedtime. Water is our internal cooling and temperature balance system. Dehydration can lead to increase of toxins in your bloodstream and can cause physical irritability and discomfort.
Technique # 5. Ritual of Relaxation
Nighttime rituals give our subconscious mind the signal to prepare for sleep. Like pavlov’s experiment, our subconscious mind picks up clues from our actions to prepare the mind and body for what is to come. When you have a strong night time ritual, that you repeat before bedtime you will condition your subconscious mind to know it is time for sleep. Try our Guided Meditation for Sleep
A night time ritual can be as simple as letting the cat out, turning out the lights, turning down the heat, washing your face, and brushing your teeth. Regardless, it should be consistent to the point that you do it without even thinking about it. As you begin to move into your “nightly routine,” your subconscious mind will get the signal that it’s time to relax and dialing down the stress hormones and physiologically prepare you for sleep.
TIP – When doing your nightly rituals, silently think, “ I am preparing to go to sleep.” repeat this as you perform your nightly rituals such as brushing your teeth, etc., to further provide your mind with instructions to help you fall asleep.
Technique # 6. Hide your clock.
Or cover it with a small towel so that the glow won’t disturb you. That way, if you do wake in the middle of the night or have problems sleeping, you won’t fret over how late it is and how much sleep you’re missing. In this case, ignorance is bliss.
TIP – If you wake up in the middle of the night and your mind wants to know “What time it is” mentally tell yourself, “It’s time to go back to sleep!” Then close your eyes and imagine your sheets and blankets are glowing with your favorite color, creating a glowing cocoon all around you. Luxuriate in the feeling of protection and comfort the blanket provide and then imagine the glowing color is slowly fading to black. Then, simply pretend you are sleeping, like an actor in a play and before you know it, you will be. This visualization technique will give your subconscious mind the suggestion to fall back to sleep.
Technique # 7. Move your bed away from any outside walls.
They are usually much cooler then interior walls and outside noise can seep through the walls. If you live in a loud environment, be sure to wear earplugs to help cut down on noise, which can be a significant factor in insomnia. If the noise is still bothering you, try a white noise machine, guided meditation or turn on a motorized fan.
Technique # 8. Wear a pair of socks to bed.
You sleep your best when your core temperature drops slightly at night. Wearing warm dry socks on your feet help your body’s internal temperature reach the optimal level for sleep. Socks keep your feet warm and increases blood flow through your legs, allowing your torso to maintain a slightly cooler internal temperature which is optimal for sound sleep.
Technique # 9. Pet Problems.
A research study found that one in five pet owners sleep with their pets. The study also found that dogs and cats created one of the biggest impediments to a good night’s sleep. You may love your pet but you may want to have them sleep in another room if they are interfering with your own nightly rejuvenation.
Technique # 10. Massage Your Scalp and Face.
Slowly move the tips of your fingers over your scalp in a slow, circular motion. Gently squeeze your hair to stimulate blood flow and relaxation to your scalp. Many people hold a great deal of tension in their scalps and face. After a minute or so, move down to your forehead, the temples around your eyes, cheek and jaw muscle and then to your neck.
Technique # 11. Take a Hot Bath or Shower Before Bed.
When body temperature is raised by taking a hot bath late in the evening, it will fall at bedtime as your body returns to normal and can facilitate falling asleep.
Technique # 12. Journal
If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed. Personally, I have done this many times when I couldn’t relax my mind enough to enter sleep. Writing down your thoughts and feelings is a great way to reduce mental emotional pressure and help your mind relax and fall asleep. You can not write as fast as you think, so when you force yourself to journal, you slow down your thinking and this can help you relax your mind.
Technique # 13. Increase Daily Exercise
Regular exercise promotes good physical health which includes better quality sleep. To end insomnia be sure that you are including some sort of regular exercise into your daily routine. The benefits are endless from weight loss to self esteem.
The #1 complaint most people have is; “I don’t have enough time to exercise!”
5 TIPs to Increase Exercise Without the Gym:
1 – Use the stairs at work instead of elevator.
2 – Park away from your building and add a nice walk.
3 – Jog to the curb to retrieve your mail or newspaper.
4 – During lunch take a walk or do some stretching exercises
5 – Find a book on isometric exercises you can do anywhere.
For example: While sitting at a traffic light tense your arms on the steering wheel and then relax them. Shrug your shoulders and relax them. Repeat several times.
Technique # 14. Explore Nature
The beauty and warmth of the sun, the strength and security of the mountains, the dancing waves at the beach are all subtle means to restore the soul of mankind. Why do people instinctively go to these natural places on the weekends? They end up feeling more at peace after a few hours of being in nature. I know I don’t have to convince you… you have felt the affects yourself.
Here are ways to accelerate the healing force of nature in your life to improve the quality of your sleep and to manage your stress.
Walk or sit in the sun for 15 minutes during your day.
Take a walk during your lunch break or sit in the sun for a few minutes. If you don’t have access to fresh sunlight during the day. Buy a grow bulb light at any discount store and use it to receive full spectrum light that you need to feel connected to the outdoors. It works.
Tip: Plan a weekend get away somewhere in nature, this can recharge your batteries and help you get back in sync with your natural sleep rhythms.
Technique # 15. Learn to Meditate
Meditation is a conscious process that alters and reduces the stressful brainwave frequencies from occuring. Learning to meditate can help you take charge of your mind, quiet your thoughts and become more aware of your internal self. This recording contains a guided relaxation meditation to help promote sleep. Following along with the suggestions and guided imagery on track five can help you to determine if meditation techniques will benefit you in your quest for deep sleep. Click here to try our meditation.
