It's difficult for many people to fall asleep quicker after lying in bed, and it is turning out to be a problematic situation with every passing year. According to Sleep Science, more and more people are becoming sleep-deprived, and the percentage among US citizens is rising.
Even people who usually sleep well find it tough to sleep faster some night. They keep tossing and turning in bed, shortening their sleep time. They don't get enough sleep and are tired during the day. You must already be familiar with basic ideas like reading a book and keeping your electronic devices away. Many times, such basic things don't work, and you are lost with what to do next.
This article has some natural ways to sleep better and faster. You can stick to the remedies which help you the best and try them regularly.
Remedies to Sleep Well at Night
Many sleep experts and researchers have found out some unconventional methods to induce sleep faster. These methods rely on psychology and biology to help you sleep more quickly with good quality. Below are some ways you can try anywhere to try and sleep. However, if you are still sleep-deprived, it is better to consult a doctor or sleep professional. These are only some natural sleep remedies and cannot cure intense illnesses like insomnia and sleep apnea.
However, the techniques mentioned below can help you if you have an acute problem in falling asleep and sleeping for long enough.
1. Breathing Pattern
Breathing patterns in our body play a very important in relaxing and functioning our nervous system. It regulates our muscles, heart rate, motivation, tension, and every other emotional and physical aspect we go through every second. On the other hand, when you take shallow and rapid breaths, it gives the body a sense of anxiety. However, slow and deep breaths can calm our minds.
A technique by Dr. Andrew, well known as 4-7-8, can help you calm instantly and induce sleep. He suggests trying this sleep technique by sitting down with a straight back. Here's how you can do it:
- Keep the tip of your tongue back to your upper teeth during this practice.
- Exhale through your mouth completely.
- 4- Keep your mouth closed and inhale through your nose till a count of 4.
- 7- For seven counts, hold your breath.
- 8- Start to exhale slowly till the count of eight (if it feels awkward, pucker your lips)
Once you become comfortable with the technique while sitting, you can also try it by lying down.
2. Sleep Cave
Before the invention of smartphones and electronic devices' advancement in technology, nights used to be cold and dark. The surprise here is that researchers say a dark bedroom environment and cool temperatures are top sleep-inducing elements. A circadian and sleep expert, Dr. Jade Wu, Ph.D. from Duke University, suggests artificial and electronic lights can cause sleepless nights, sleep quality, and disrupt our biological clock too.
Creating such a sleep cave environment will ensure that your mind understands that a cool and dark environment is only for sleeping and not using electronic devices. Apart from gadgets, it also trains your mind to not fall for other events or thoughts that prolong our falling asleep time. Asleep cave environment helps in relaxing the brain and improving the circadian rhythm also.
So, make sure there are no electronic gadgets, including TV, laptop, PC, smartphone, or tablet, causing you a distraction. In case you can't achieve total darkness, try using dark-colored curtains or eye masks. Also, dim your bedroom lights 30 minutes before you want to fall asleep.
3. Purposeful Daydream
Unwanted thoughts and rumination play a significant role when you are trying to sleep at night. Most Americans fall prey to random thoughts at night, causing sleep trouble. This thought could be anything to reminiscing past year's memories from the next day's to-do list. You can break this rumination cycle and go beyond those unwanted thoughts by practicing visualization or imagery. These techniques are similar to daydreaming. There are multiple ways you can try this like
The simplest way is to think of calming scenes to relax your mind and explore them in detail. The setting could be from your past life, imagination, or anywhere else. The essential thing to remember here is to keep the thought happy to drift off to sleep. Following this technique will help you sleep better, but you'll also wake up fresh and comfortable.
Another way is to think of doing something happy. If you have a hobby and practice it regularly, you can imagine doing it repeatedly. It will induce happiness in your brain and help you to drift off to sleep happily and wake up with a smile too.
These practices will also help you forget about future worries and memories to focus on the present, be happy at the moment, and sleep better.
4. Carbs in Dinner
There are many instant things to help you fall asleep fast, but this tip takes some time and preparation. One study found that eating carbs around four hours before bedtime can help sleep quicker and provide good quality sleep. However, the research suggests eating carbs that you can digest quickly and easily.
You can opt to eat potatoes, pasta, white bread, white rice, and other low-fat sugary products. Another Japanese study says you can only benefit from white rice in dinner and not from bread or noodles for better sleep. The critical thing to note is to eat enough, even if you are cutting down on carbs. An empty stomach is a sleepless stomach. You don't want yourself waking in the middle of the night or finding yourself hungry again before going to sleep.
5. Mattress Firmness
The most simple and easy way to sleep is to get a mattress. Getting comfortable and supportive leaves you to lie on it without trying any other technique mentioned above. However, everyone has a different sleeping pattern, body mechanics, activity level, weight, and sleeping position. Thus, you must get a mattress that supports all those needs and give you the sleep you deserve after a long day.
The best way to get such a mattress is to visit a mattress store like Mancini's Sleepworld and consult a sleep expert. Sleep experts at the store will take all your requirements, analyse them, and suggest the best mattresses in your budget. Also, they are present in more than 30 locations around the states. So, book an appointment to get amazing discounts and offers on mattresses and other sleep accessories.