Will something happen tomorrow that makes you so nervous and excited that it prevents you from sleeping? Enthusiasm can force you to go through a whole sleepless night or feel like you can't stand still and wait. Relaxing your body and mind will help ensure you get the rest you deserve, even when you're excited, or scared, about an upcoming event.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Facing the Night With Normality
Step 1. Try going to bed at the usual time
Anticipating your sleep time could make you even more anxious and further impair your sleep. Some studies suggest that going to bed at the same time all the time promotes good body balance, helping to keep you energized, rested and healthy.
Step 2. Adjust the room temperature
Excessive heat and cold can put additional physical stress on your body by increasing your level of restlessness. Some research on sleep has shown that a bedroom temperature between 15.5 and 19.5 ° C promotes restful and restful REM sleep.
- Check that windows are open or closed as needed to allow for proper room cooling or heating. Test this before going to bed.
- Try using a fan. In addition to keeping you cool, it will spread a constant and relaxing white noise.
Step 3. Prepare for the following day
When the mind is crowded with thoughts, having to keep in mind everything that needs to be done in the morning only makes the situation even worse. Act early and, before getting under the sheets, complete all the commitments necessary to be ready the next day.
Step 4. Avoid bright screens
Light reduces the body's production of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone. Before going to sleep, avoid using a television, computer, tablet and mobile phone.
Method 2 of 3: Relax the Mind and Body
Step 1. Listen to your body
If you lie awake in the sheets feeling too excited or anxious to be able to sleep, you probably need to do something to promote sleep. Try getting up and doing an activity that can distract you mentally. Your body will tell you when it feels tired, indicating when it will be easier to fall asleep once you get back to bed.
Step 2. Listen to some music
Music can have a powerful effect on the brain, and when you're feeling particularly excited, listening to soothing tunes can be very helpful.
- If you know that a particular album has the ability to soothe you, listen to it in the dark of the room.
- Alternatively, listen to a recording of sounds from nature, for example of falling rain or crashing waves; the illusion of being immersed in a calm and natural environment will help you relax.
- Try listening to a sad song. Research indicates that sad music can cause feelings of calm and even relief, possibly managing to mitigate the restlessness that keeps you awake.
Step 3. Try some exercise
Although many people find the adrenaline rush from exercise to be a deterrent to sleep, many others claim that they sleep much better after exercising. Movement causes stress to be released and can help you feel calmer, sometimes promoting a restful night's sleep.
Step 4. Calm your body and mind with meditation
There are many forms and styles of meditation: choosing the one that suits you best can give you a fulfilling and relaxing experience. If you are too high to fall asleep, try practicing yoga or meditating to slow down your mind and help your body relax.
Focus on your breath. Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply. Mindful breathing can slow the heart rate and clear your mind of stressful thoughts
Step 5. Experiment with some progressive relaxation techniques
Focus all your attention on the body, starting with the toes and gradually working your way up to your head. This exercise will help take your mind off stressful thoughts and anything that prevents you from falling asleep.
Step 6. Write down the thoughts crowding your mind on a piece of paper
If you have a mental list of things to do or if you think you have a brilliant idea to come up with in the future, write them down so you don't have to think about them while trying to fall asleep. Trying to keep in mind all the things still to be done, perhaps mulling it over all night, is not at all helpful, and can prevent you from enjoying a good night's rest.
Step 7. Take a warm bath
Showering will help you relax too, but staying immersed in the hot tub water will allow you to effectively stretch your muscles. In addition, some researchers have found that lying down in the bathtub can have positive psychological results as well. Whether you decide to take a bath or shower, the heat will help calm the mind and relax the body.
Method 3 of 3: Experimenting with Natural Sedatives
Step 1. Have a hot drink
Whether you choose to drink hot milk, herbal tea or hot chocolate prepared with a moderate amount of cocoa (cocoa contains caffeine), holding the cup in your hands and sipping your drink will give you a pleasant feeling of happiness and relaxation.
- During the last hours of the day, avoid drinks that contain caffeine. Entrust your well-being to an herbal tea or other naturally caffeine-free beverage.
- If you are concerned about waking up during the night to use the bathroom, skip this step.
Step 2. Experiment with aromatherapy
Smelling the fragrances emitted by plants and essential oils with relaxing properties, such as lavender, can produce a feeling of calm in the body and promote a restful night's sleep.
Step 3. Experiment with a natural supplement
Although research does not grant them the same attention as drugs, when used appropriately natural supplements can prove to be effective allies for good sleep.
- Valerian has natural sedative properties and its use has been documented for hundreds of years.
- Melatonin is a hormone that the human body produces naturally. Taking a synthetic melatonin supplement can help you fall asleep faster and also improve the quality of your sleep. Remember, however, that light interferes with the body's production of melatonin: during the hour before sleep it is therefore better to avoid looking at the bright screens of TVs, computers, mobile phones, etc., while taking a melatonin supplement.
- Before taking any supplement or sedative, even of natural origin, always consult your doctor.
Advice
- Dedicate yourself to a relaxing and ordinary activity, do not embark on new projects.
- Avoid electronic devices, otherwise your mind will be forced to stay alert and focused. The light emitted from electronic devices can negatively interfere with the body's production of melatonin, forcing you to stay awake longer.
- Do not keep any electronic devices close at hand so as not to be tempted to use them. Make sure all devices are turned off and force you to get out of bed to reach them.
- Make sure the room temperature is neither too cold nor too hot, otherwise it may interfere with your ability to fall asleep.
- Listen to music that you consider relaxing.
- Try closing your eyes and eliminating any kind of noise. Turn off your mobile phone or silence the ringtone.
- Rereading a well-known book you enjoy can be more relaxing than immersing yourself in reading something new. Any text that you consider good enough to be read a second or third time will give you new nuances with each reread and won't force you to finish it to know the ending. Knowing the events already, you will be led to grasp the secondary parentheses that lead to the ending you already know.
- Remember to use the bathroom before going to sleep. If you wake up during the night you may find it hard to fall back asleep.
- In the two hours before bedtime, avoid drinks that contain caffeine. Caffeine is a stimulant substance that negatively interferes with sleep.
- If all the other methods seem not to work, close your eyes and try to visualize yourself in the middle of the event that makes you so excited. You may be able to just doze off and dream of an exciting tomorrow.
- If the long-awaited event is scheduled for tomorrow and you want to go to bed early, get some reading material and dive into the pages before trying to fall asleep. While reading, your body will have a chance to relax and prepare for sleep earlier than usual. However, it is good to note that the best thing to do is to go to bed at the usual time so as not to change the usual sleep patterns.
- Lie down in bed and relax. Breathe and with each exhalation imagine entering a deeper relaxation phase, until you sink into sleep. The result is guaranteed!
- Just relax! Remember that once you fall asleep, the event you are looking forward to will get even closer!
- Tense your body muscles, then slowly relax them. Start at the toes and gradually work your way up towards your head. At the end of the exercise you will feel much more relaxed.
- If tomorrow is your birthday, imagine the many gifts you might receive and try to count them. After a while the exercise will get boring, increasing the chances that you will be able to doze off and dream of a world full of wonderful gifts!
- It may seem like an old-fashioned suggestion, but counting sheep (or the number of your breaths) will help distract you from the thoughts that keep you awake.
- Get tired! A quick workout could help you fall asleep quickly.
- If the event that makes you nervous is scheduled for tomorrow, repeat in your mind "there are still 5 days to go". Keep repeating it, over and over, to be able to "trick" your brain and feel less anxious as a result.
Warnings
- In the evening, try to avoid any drinks that contain caffeine. Caffeine is known to negatively interfere with sleep patterns, even when not taken just before bedtime.
- Do not drink anything in the hour before sleep and do not eat anything during the last three hours of the day.
