What to do to fall asleep. Insomnia and a detailed method of how to fall asleep quickly

Everyone is familiar with the situation when you go to bed, but instead of what you wanted healthy sleep and rest, various extraneous thoughts enter your head, the events of the past day are replayed over and over again. Finally, in the morning you forget for a while, and a couple of hours later the alarm clock rings. My head is heavy, I have no strength and my whole day is wasted.

Usually the reason for such night vigils is simple:

• Unpleasant events that happened last day.
• An important meeting, anticipation of tomorrow's events.
• Internal emotional experiences.
• Fears related to loved ones, work, the future, uncertainty about the future.

Long, several-day “marathons” are caused by:

• Stress.
• Neurosis.
• Depression.
• Overfatigue causing disruption of the circadian rhythm.

WITH exist physical reasons, affecting the body and disrupting restful rest:

• taking medications that overstimulate nervous system,
• abuse of tonic drinks,
• too much, fatty food before bed,
• hard bed, protruding springs, dips.

Medicine calls such disorders insomnia (insomnia). The violation includes complete absence sleep or sleep disorders, when a person cannot immerse himself in rest for a long time, sleeps superficially, and often wakes up.

If the situation repeats frequently, it develops chronic fatigue, inattention. Irritability appears, it becomes difficult to perform duties, and work disturbances appear internal systems and organs. Frequent consequences constant insomnia:

1. obesity,
2. hypertension,
3. diabetes.

To get at least a couple of hours of rest, people suffering from sleep disorders resort to pills. You need to understand that not all medications are allowed to be taken long-term; you should not prescribe serious medications yourself. There are a number of drugs that, if used continuously and uncontrolled, can completely upset internal rhythms and even cause addiction.

What drugs should not be treated

Tranquilizers and barbiturates help to quickly relieve anxiety and distance yourself from difficult thoughts. Most of these drugs are used to treat severe mental disorders. But there are easier options available in pharmacies without a prescription - Afobazol, Adaptol, Diphenhydramine, Corvalol. A doctor may prescribe diazemap or Rellanium to relieve stress.

It should be remembered that the consequences of constant use of psychotropic substances are unpleasant.

• The person becomes distracted, inattentive, and inhibited in work.
• He loses much faster vitality, his energy ceases to be enough for the waking day. After just a few hours, lethargy and fatigue appear.
• More often there is a headache, burning sensations and pain in the eyes develop.
• Trembling of the hands, weakness in the legs, and in severe cases even convulsions appear.
• Memory decreases.

The dangers of tranquilizers rapid development addiction. After just a couple of months, the dose taken becomes insufficient for the effect; an increase is required. Gradually, a person goes beyond the norm, becomes completely dependent, and cannot fall asleep without a pill. Stopping the drug causes fear and even more stress. Dependence on mild drugs develops slowly; with heavy drugs, three to four weeks are enough.

Despite the onset of the long-awaited sleep “on the pill”, relaxation is not physiological. A person simply plunges into oblivion and comes to his senses after the morning clock rings. There is no real rest for the brain or body.

Simple and useful tools

It is best to start treating insomnia with simple sedatives. First of all, these are a variety of teas, herbal tablets. They include: mint, lemon balm, valerian, motherwort, peony, hops. An example is the collection: FITOSEDAN, tablets PERSEN, DORMIPLANT. Brewing a drink and a warm cup of tea with honey is calming in itself and can be a pleasant bedtime ritual. It must be taken into account that the real effect of using tea increases gradually. It will take several weeks for the rhythms to completely return to normal. You should continue to drink herbs daily.

There are a number of drugs that are not addictive and have a positive effect on the nervous system, setting you up for relaxation. The tablets are sold without a prescription.

MELAXEN

The medicine contains melatonin. This is a hormone produced by the pineal gland. The substance is familiar to the body and is well accepted in tablets. The main purpose of the hormone is to synchronize biorhythms and relax the nervous system. The advantage of the product is that melatonin, after providing an effect, quickly disintegrates and is eliminated from the body - addiction and overdose are excluded. On the contrary, after his participation, real useful sleep comes.

DONORMIL

Effervescent tablets containing doxylamine. Initially, the drug was considered an antiallergic drug, but the hypnotic effect turned out to be so great that now the medicine is used exclusively for the treatment of insomnia. The product helps you quickly relax and feel completely rested the next day. However, the drug is not taken for a long time, and lethargy appears during the daytime.

How to fall asleep quickly if you don't want to sleep

If it's time to rest, but there is no sleep in either eye, then you can use the following tips. First, get into a pleasant mood, for example, listen to quiet music. The farther all worries move away from you, the faster you will fall asleep.

• Take a walk before bed. Half an hour at a leisurely pace puts you in a calm mood.
• Take a bath and drink relaxing herbal tea.
• Create the most comfortable conditions in the bedroom: ventilate, take a low pillow, completely turn off the light.
• Take a “sleepy” position. It is believed that better person falls asleep on his stomach, turning his face to the left.
• Remove all thoughts from your head, do not think about the events of the day, do not make plans for tomorrow.

If all else fails, you can try a method developed for people in “emergency” professions, when there is very little time for rest. To do this, you need to lie on your back, put your hands at your sides, not move, roll your eyes up and calmly count in your mind.

What will help you sleep

There are certain things that help you sleep well at night.

1. Fresh air. The more you spend during the day fresh air, the better you sleep. If possible, leave it overnight open window and don't turn on the heaters. A comfortable temperature is considered to be 21 degrees. IN European countries Evening walks and jogging are accepted, which help to relax and get ready for rest.
2. Proper food. Fatty foods seasoned with hot spices are definitely not for those who want to fall asleep. An abundance of sweets tones and gives energy, so it is also better not to eat them in the evening. You should not go to bed on a full or empty stomach. It is better to prefer a full dinner at 18 o'clock and before bed a cup of kefir and a couple of cookies.
3. Water. Our condition is perfectly controlled by water different temperatures. Cool shower helps to cheer up and wake up, but evening procedures at a water temperature of 37 degrees and above are relaxing. If you additionally dissolve lavender salt in water or add a decoction of pine needles, the effect will increase. Even if you can't take a bath, you can simply steam your feet.

If you use these correctly natural regulators sleep, then there will be much less problems with falling asleep.

Preventing Insomnia

The most important thing in the fight against insomnia is organizing your daily routine. Sleeping and waking times should coincide with natural rhythms. Inside the body at different times occur different processes and reactions that are genetically determined. They are the ones who determine our natural regime – biorhythms. Our brain contains the core of all internal clocks. It is located close to optic nerve and it is affected by daylight. It is thanks to him that adjustment occurs to the twenty-four hour day and different durations days in winter and summer. When there is little light, the sleep hormone melatonin is produced. In addition, circadian rhythms are slightly different in different people(owls and larks). Therefore, in order to sleep well and soundly, always follow simple rules.

Table of rules for sound sleep

Try to make the atmosphere in your bedroom pleasant: clean air, comfortable mattress and pajamas, silence.

It is useful to create certain bedtime rituals that are repeated daily. For example, reading a book, tea with honey, light music, a bath.

9 Feb 2 3188

Anna Remish, science columnist : A good sleep is every mother’s dream. However, it is no secret that small children do not contribute to its implementation: they either fall asleep for 2 hours, or wake up 10 times a night * ... And how, tell me, can they get enough sleep here?! However, it is possible. By at least who study sleep (I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t sleep well themselves) are confident that thanks to 10 simple recommendations, sleepless nights will be a thing of the past!

Determine your sleep norm
This requires three nights, an observation log and the help of a support team (best done on a weekend or while on vacation). The bottom line: as soon as you feel like you want to sleep, go to bed, turn off the alarm clock and sleep until you get enough sleep (it is clear that the first day does not count, since you will sleep for the entire last year). Write down your bedtime and wake-up times, and after three days, calculate the average number of hours you get enough sleep. If for some reason you cannot conduct such an experiment, take as a basis the average sleep norm for adults - 8 hours.

Remove unnecessary “noise”
This “noise” can be a TV, a computer on, and our favorite habit of reading social networks or checking the news before going to bed. Also, if you want to get enough sleep, you shouldn't work in the bedroom because the bedroom should only be for sleeping! Therefore, pull yourself together and at least 30 minutes before bedtime, mercilessly turn off computers, phones, TVs, since, firstly, they delay the precious time of your falling asleep, secondly, they do not allow you to relax, and thirdly, the smartphone screen is working in the spectrum of blue color, which imitates the sun, and this irritates the eyes and helps reduce the production of the sleep hormone melatonin, which is why the desire to sleep completely disappears.

Don't eat before bed
In general, this paragraph also contains a recommendation not to drink alcohol “for relaxation.” Falling asleep on a full stomach is at least inconvenient: nausea or even heartburn interferes. As for alcohol, scientists have found a connection between sleep disturbances in the second half of the night and a drink or two in the evening. Therefore, the more time passes between eating and sleeping, the better.

Relaxation methods
30-40 minutes before lights out:

• Read a book or magazine (paper or e-reader, but not a tablet),
• Write down your thoughts or make a plan for tomorrow (researchers believe that the habit of keeping a journal, in principle, helps in combating any stress),
• Start daily rituals, after which you will always go to bed: take a relaxing shower, brush your teeth, talk in a low voice about something pleasant with your family.
• If you know yoga practices, meditate.
• Sex - The best way fall asleep, but, unfortunately, there is not always enough strength for it.
• Be sure to dim the lights - this will help production sufficient quantity melatonin, and you will fall asleep faster. By the way, this rule is also relevant for children: bright light Before going to bed, he walks around with them and does not give them the opportunity to quickly relax.

Don't think about not falling asleep
When you go to bed, try not to worry about anything, but rather think about something pleasant or dream... If you are constantly afraid of not falling asleep, you will not be able to sleep! After all, every time we worry, our body produces stress hormones, which means wakefulness, so it’s not at all surprising that after that, in principle, we don’t want to sleep. Try using Jacobson's relaxation method, which boils down to AC voltage and muscle relaxation. Or, borrowed from yoga - starting from the head, relax every part of the body, saying to yourself: “My face/eyes/forehead/shoulders are completely relaxed.”

If you can't sleep
If for some reason you do not fall asleep within 20-30 minutes, do not lie in bed - get up and do something (just do not turn on the computer or phone), but, for example, read. After 30 minutes, try going to bed again.

Don't get enough sleep in the morning
Many people woke up ahead of schedule, they like to sleep a little more. However, experts have found that in this case it will be much more difficult for you to get up on time, since you may go into phase deep sleep and just sleep it off. So since your body has given a signal to rise, meet it halfway.

Remove clocks and luminous objects from the bedroom
If you have problems sleeping, the clock will only upset you and increase your level of anxiety, which is absolutely not conducive to falling asleep. Glowing objects, as noted above, interfere with the production of sleep hormones.

Don't go to bed later than 12 or 1 am
, like other terrestrial animals, from time immemorial have become accustomed to the alternation of dark and light hours of the day, which affects the rhythms of sleep and wakefulness. Scientists have found that the sleep hormone - melatonin - is produced until about 2 a.m., and then it is time for cortisol, which prepares the body for awakening. So if you go to bed at half past one in the morning, you have very little time to fall asleep between these hormones. This means that if you need to get enough sleep, find a way to go to bed early.

If you wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep
Any mother faces a similar situation. And the worst thing is if she is woken up at 3-5 in the morning, since falling asleep at this time is very, very difficult. The first thing you can do is get up and read a book or magazine for half an hour, because if you stay in bed, you risk not falling asleep until the morning. Brew yourself a sedative herbal tea or have a glass warm milk**. Put on headphones and turn on some monotonous sound (for example, an audiobook or the sound of waves) - this will help your brain relax more quickly. Don’t think about the fact that you definitely need to fall asleep and don’t sit down at the computer. And if your hand irresistibly reaches for your smartphone, then install an application on it that changes the color temperature of the screen depending on the time of day. To avoid getting irritated again, do not look at the clock, but when going to bed, put a special mask on your eyes and try one of the relaxation methods described above. Remember that gadgets, anxious thoughts and anxiety are the main causes of sleepless nights.

The main reason you can't sleep is your internal dialogue. It is often associated with worries about past events or worries about upcoming ones. But even productive thoughts are not very appropriate when it’s time for you to sleep.

As a rule, if you cannot fall asleep within 15–20 minutes, further attempts are doomed. It begins to feel like your mattress and pillow were designed to torture you. As luck would have it, it is precisely at such moments that someone slams doors on the street, comes and leaves, and neighbors wander from room to room like somnambulists!

This is how your internal dialogue turns into whining and grumbling. To avoid this, you need to not start it at all. To do this, you need to distract your brain from debates and hypotheses. Use one of the following techniques and fall asleep easily today.

1. Ball

We all know about sheep. But a much more effective visual image is a ball. Imagine a ball that sways smoothly, spreading waves around it. If you notice that you are distracted by thoughts, immediately return to the image of the ball.

2. Mental mouse

Imagine an object. Mentally zoom out, zoom in, and rotate it as if you were using the mouse wheel. Building a detailed visual image helps distract you from disturbing thoughts. Just don’t discuss the features of the object with yourself - just observe.

3. Scout method

Lie on your back, stretch, relax. Roll your eyes under closed eyelids. Don't overdo it - the eyes should remain relaxed. This is a natural position eyeballs during deep sleep, so it’s usually easier to fall asleep this way.

4. Four - seven - eight

Inhale through your nose for four seconds, then hold your breath for seven seconds and exhale slowly through your mouth for eight seconds. Thanks to this breathing, the adrenaline level will decrease and the heart rate will slow down. And concentrating on breathing will distract you from thoughts.

5. Autogenic training

Lie comfortably on your back. Stretch and begin to spread a feeling of heaviness and warmth throughout your body. Notice how the sensation spreads from the top of your head to the tips of your fingers, then your toes. Don't forget about your face - your chin, cheekbones, eyes and forehead should be completely relaxed. Try not to move.

6. Time machine

Think back to the day. Without emotions and judgments, just scroll through your imagination all the events that happened to you today. Try to remember more details, but watch from the outside, as if you were watching a movie.

7. Dream restoration

Remember one of pleasant dreams that you have seen. If you don’t remember your dreams, make one up. Pay attention to the sensations, complete the picture. It's your dream and it can be as perfect as you want it to be. It is quite possible that, having fallen asleep, you will find yourself in it again.

8. Reverse blinking

Close your eyes. Open your eyes for just a split second and close them again. Repeat after 10 seconds. Thanks to this “blinking”, you will relax and will not begin to plunge into distracting thoughts.

9. Rapid eye movement

Open your eyes and quickly look from one object to another. Don't fix your gaze on anything in particular. After 1-2 minutes you will feel your eyelids becoming heavier. Resist fatigue a little longer, and then allow your eyes to close.

10. Fairy tale

Many parents are familiar with the situation: when you tell your child a fairy tale, you yourself begin to nod off. Tell yourself a story. Come up with any plot, no matter how crazy, - let it develop on its own.

11. Word game

Think of a word for each letter of the alphabet from three letters, then from four and so on. Don't try to analyze - count the first word that comes to your mind. The brain usually “switches off” quite quickly from such boring, monotonous activities.

12. Trying to hear silence

Lie down in comfortable position and listen to the silence. Try to hear the silence - don’t extraneous sounds outside the window or in the entrance. It's not very easy, but once you succeed, you will relax and fall asleep.

13. White noise

Find (or create) a source of quiet, monotonous noise. Listen to him very carefully, without allowing yourself to be distracted by thoughts. After a while you will begin to doze off.

14. Self-hypnosis

Relax as much as possible in a position that is comfortable for you. Calm your breathing. Relax even more by repeating to yourself phrases like “I am becoming more and more relaxed,” “My body is becoming heavier.” Then say (to yourself) “When I count to zero, I will fall asleep” and begin a slow countdown. You can, for example, count 50 exhalations.

In any case, do not forget to properly prepare for bed:

• The classic rule is that the last meal should occur 2–3 hours before bedtime. However, if you are used to eating often, the feeling of hunger will prevent you from falling asleep just like full stomach. In this case, an hour before bed, drink milk, eat half a banana or a small amount of cheese.
• For good sleep, you need to move enough during the day (preferably in the fresh air). Develop the habit of walking before bed. Even a 20-minute walk can help you take your mind off tasks and prepare your mind for sleep.
• Be sure to ventilate the room before going to bed. It is better if the window is slightly open throughout the night. But if you're worried about getting cold, at least ventilate the room well before getting into bed.

This situation occurs quite often - you went to bed, but hours pass after hours, and you toss and turn in bed from side to side, and cannot sleep. In addition, some unpleasant thoughts pop up in your mind every now and then, and you just can’t relax. Perhaps the problem of how to fall asleep may not seem so terrible to someone. However, imagine that you have an exam scheduled for tomorrow or important meeting, you need to get behind the wheel. And you need a good night's sleep from your nose, otherwise in the morning everything will fall out of your hands. What to do in such a situation? Of course, everyone’s psyche works differently, and the reasons bad sleep may be different. If you don't know how to fall asleep quickly, you should try various ways, and perhaps you will find among them those that suit you best.

First of all, you should pay attention to the room in which you sleep. It should maintain an optimal temperature - not too hot and not too cold. Drafts should be avoided.

The air in the room should be fresh. Therefore, it is recommended to ventilate the room before going to bed. If there is little oxygen in the room and it is filled unpleasant odors, then you are unlikely to be able to fall asleep quickly. To scent your bedroom, you can use lavender, linden and chamomile oils.

Very bright light often leads to insomnia. It is worth remembering that hormones that regulate sleep are produced only in the dark. Make sure that the windows are tightly curtained and there are no other light sources in the room. You can purchase a special sleep mask.

If you need silence to sleep, then buy earplugs at the pharmacy. Some people find that unobtrusive noise helps them fall asleep, such as the monotonous hum of a fan. You can also use relaxing music or recordings of natural sounds to fall asleep quickly.

Sometimes a person cannot sleep because he takes an uncomfortable position. Lie down so that you are comfortable. It is better to use a medium-hard pillow. If it becomes warm from your body, turn it over. Wear loose pajamas for sleep. Some people find it comfortable to sleep naked, so try this too.

Do not forget about hygiene, change your bed linen regularly. Sleeping on sweat-soaked pillows and sheets is not very pleasant. The blanket must be chosen so that it is not too light or heavy, too warm, or, conversely, does not provide good protection from the cold.

Proper food is the key to good sleep

Pay attention to what you eat for dinner. It is not recommended to eat heavily before bed, but on the other hand, going to bed on an empty stomach is also not the best solution. There are products that help good sleep: banana, milk, nuts, whole grain bread, lettuce. But protein can interfere with good sleep, the same applies to caffeine-containing drinks, spicy, fatty, sweet, nicotine, and alcohol. Drinking a cup of warm milk or herbal tea at night often helps you fall asleep easily.

What to do to relax your mind

Sometimes there is advice not to think about anything while lying in bed. But in practice this is impossible to achieve; moreover, during sleep, some parts of the brain work even more intensely than during wakefulness. Therefore, moderate mental stress, on the contrary, will be useful.

Some people find reading at night helps. However, moderation must be observed here. It is best to read something light, not burdensome, but not so exciting that it could force you to spend hours reading the book. You can also try making some notes or drawings. For example, write down the most pleasant impressions of the day, an opinion about a certain film.

But as soon as you feel sleepy while reading, immediately stop what you are doing, turn off the light and lie down. If any thoughts arise in your head, try to color these thoughts black with the help of your imagination. Meditate, let go of thoughts that bother you.

Think about something pleasant. Imagine yourself in a boat floating along a river, or you are flying in the clouds, or swimming in the ocean, or walking through a flowering field, etc. Slowly delve deeper into your fantasies, noticing more and more new details.

The advice to count some animals in your thoughts, for example, sheep or elephants, has long been known. Although the advice does not help everyone, nevertheless, it is not without meaning, since it helps moderate load on both hemispheres of the brain, gradually transferring it into sleep mode. Of course, you can select some other objects or animals, the main thing is that they do not cause negative emotions. You can imagine a pendulum swinging from side to side and count its movements.

Lie quietly, do not move, mentally relax all muscles, starting from the tips of your toes and ending with your head. While lying in bed, stretch. Stretching helps the body relax, tension goes away, and the person falls asleep. Try holding a pillow between your knees. This helps relieve stress and even reduces pain.

Perform the complex breathing exercises. Slow, deep breathing helps the body relax. Lie on your back to control how your stomach rises. By focusing on breathing, the brain is freed from extraneous thoughts.

Sleep medications

If you've had too much various methods, but still don’t understand how you can fall asleep quickly, it is recommended to use medicines. However, this must be done carefully so as not to cause addiction. It is best to consult a doctor to select a drug.

Types of drugs:

• Based on herbs - valerian, motherwort, mint, hops, chamomile.
• Tranquilizers are drugs that depress the nervous system and dull emotions. If insomnia is caused severe stress, may be the only way out.
• Sleeping pills - act on nerve receptors and stimulate the production of sleep hormones.
• Preparations containing the main sleep hormone – melatonin.
• Vitamins. Often chronic insomnia develops due to a lack of vitamins B and D in the body, microelements - magnesium and calcium.

What to do during the day to sleep well at night

If you play sports, then your last workout should be at least three hours before going to bed. However, walking before bed is very good for insomnia.

Water procedures at night - also good way relaxation. The best way to help in this case is a bath with special soothing additives - sea ​​salt, eucalyptus and pine oils. If you have problems falling asleep at night, then it is best not to nap during the day, but to wait until the evening and get a good night's sleep.

Find a way to cope with stress. Stress is the main problem of insomnia. Find a hobby that will relieve stress. Try to stick to a routine: go to bed at the same time. If you want to shift the mode, then change it gradually, starting with 10 minutes. Before going to bed, do not look at your phone or sit for a long time in front of the TV or monitor.

Many people have difficulty falling asleep, tossing and turning, and it seems like it takes forever before they finally fall asleep. disturbing dream. This can be a huge problem because it reduces your hours of sleep and leaves you feeling tired and irritable the next day. Fortunately, there are many different ways, how to relax your body and mind to improve your ability to fall asleep faster, both in the short and long term. This article suggests practical advice for this.

Steps

Part 1

Your room should be cool. Sleeping in a hot room is a recipe for rumpled sheets and feverish dreams, while sleeping in a cool, dark room promotes falling asleep quickly And better sleep. The optimal room temperature is 18-20 degrees Celsius (65-68 degrees Fahrenheit), so turn down the thermostat and cover yourself with blankets.

Turn off the lights and all electronic devices. Darkness will help your brain recognize that it's time to sleep and signal the release of a hormone that makes you sleepy. If there is a lot of light in the room or you spent a long time watching TV (or sitting at the computer) before going to bed, this can delay the release of hormones for some time, which prevents you from falling asleep quickly. To combat this, you need to keep the room as dark as possible and turn off all electrical appliances at least an hour before bed.

Make sure your pillow and mattress are comfortable. If your bed is uncomfortable for you, then it is not surprising that you cannot sleep. Consider purchasing a new mattress that is firmer or softer, depending on your needs. Also, you can try turning the mattress over because there will be fewer different lumps on the other side. People who have neck or back problems can use pillows filled with foam that contours to the body and provides the support they need.

• If buying a new mattress is too drastic a step, then consider purchasing a new set of bedding. Choose bed linen good quality, based on individual preferences. For warmth and comfort, choose flannel bedding; for luxury, choose Egyptian cotton.
• Wash your bedding every week - people sleep better on crisp, clean sheets. Also get into the habit of folding your bed every morning. A neatly folded bed is more attractive than one that is folded haphazardly.

1. Add the scent of essential oils to your bedroom. The simple and light aroma of essential oil will help your body relax and your mind to go to the “sleepy kingdom.” According to some studies, the scent of lavender ranks number one in promoting sleep and also helps people fall asleep quickly. Buy essential oil good quality lavender and use it in the following ways:

   Isolate your room from extraneous sounds. Distracting or annoying sounds can interfere with your sleep. Do everything possible to keep your bedroom quiet and peaceful, close doors and windows, ask your family to turn off the TV. If you can't avoid outside noise, such as your husband's snoring or noise from a party upstairs, use earplugs. At first you may feel strange and they will disturb you, but once you get used to it, you will realize that you are not afraid of any external noise.

   • Another investment is a white noise machine or a device that creates random sounds at different frequencies that mask external noise. It's true that white noise can sound a little harsh, so many of these machines produce what are called "colored" noises, which are softer and can sound like a waterfall or a quiet hum.
   • You can also find a CD with relaxing music or even nature sounds and play it in the background when you fall asleep. Try not to fall asleep with headphones on because they can get tangled while you sleep and cause discomfort while you sleep.

Part 2

1. Take a hot bath. Take your time, relax and take a bath - this is one of the effective ways fall asleep quickly. There are several reasons why this method is so effective. First, bathing will reduce stress and clear your mind of daytime worries that may be keeping you awake at night. Secondly, hot bath raises your body temperature, which then quickly drops after swimming. This has a beneficial effect on the brain, it releases hormones that lower body temperature and this promotes sleep.

   Have a snack and drink something warm. Besides, eat heavy food before bed - not the best best idea, however, a rumbling stomach is not good for sleep, so you should not go to bed on an empty stomach. You can have a snack before bed with fruit, crackers or light yogurt. Drink calming chamomile or passionflower tea, or drink a glass of warm milk, which contains the sleep hormone melatonin.

   Wear comfortable pajamas. As mentioned earlier, you need to be comfortable in bed in order to fall asleep quickly, so it is very important to wear comfortable pajamas. Avoid tight pajamas made from uncomfortable material or pajamas with buttons that will keep you up at night. Your goal is loose and soft pajamas that will keep you warm and warm at night.

   • If your pajamas are too tight, consider another option (sleeping naked). Many people enjoy the feeling of freedom and comfort when sleeping naked, especially on hot nights. Just make sure no one will disturb you!

2. Do some stretching exercises. Doing some exercise before bed will help relieve tension in your muscles and help your body relax before bed. In addition, scientists from the Seattle Cancer Research Center found that women who stretched for 15-30 minutes before bed reduced their difficulty falling asleep by 30%.

   • Try to do the following exercise: lying on your back on the bed or floor, bend right leg as if trying to touch his chin with his knee. You should feel a stretch in your hamstrings and lower back. Hold this position for 15 to 20 seconds and then repeat with the other leg.
   • Sit cross-legged, place your right hand on the floor next to you, and raise left hand above the ear. Bend to the right, trying to touch your shoulders to the floor. Hold this position for 10-15 seconds, then repeat on the other side. Thus, the muscles in the neck, back, shoulders and oblique abdominal muscles are stretched.
   • For getting additional methods for stretch marks, see the article Stretch marks|How to stretch.

3. Read, write or play something before bed. Reading, writing or simple game will help you relax before bed, relieve stress, and distract you from other thoughts.

   • If you choose to read, then don't choose something exciting or a horror book because it may give you inner turmoil! Choose something boring, like a newspaper or some story that will soon make your eyes close.
   • Some people find writing (keeping a diary) a very good therapy, getting rid of internal problems and moving them out of their heads and onto paper. Alternatively, you can write a list of everything you ate that day or a to-do list for tomorrow. This can be a tedious task and hopefully you'll start nodding off soon.
   • A word game or Sudoku (crossword puzzle) can be an activity that will help tire out your brain before bed.

Part 3

1. Count the sheep. The account is effective method in order to fall asleep. The account requires quite a lot mental energy to distract you from thinking about something else, but it's also boring enough to make you fall asleep. Try a visualization technique - imagine a sheep jumping over a fence, or use the method recommended by doctors - count from 300 to 3.

   Focus on relaxing your muscles. Perform progressive muscle relaxation|. Try to use physical relaxation techniques that reduce muscle fatigue, helping you fall asleep quickly. This is done by focusing on each individual part of the body, tensing and relaxing each part. Start with your toes and continue working every part of your body until you reach the top of your head.

   Get out of bed. It may seem counterintuitive, but sometimes the best thing you can do when you're having trouble falling asleep is to get out of bed and distract yourself by doing something else. Lying in bed and going crazy because you can't sleep is not a good thing. Try reading a book, watching TV, listening to music, or eating a snack. Stay out of bed for 30 to 60 minutes or until you feel tired. This technique will help your brain reassociate your bed with sleep.

   Think about a calming landscape. Visualize. Soothing and nice picture can be a good distraction. Think ocean, rainbow, tropical desert island, about anything that makes you feel happy and at peace. Most the best option- is to think about pictures or landscapes that you like. Imagine you are a superhero or a celebrity, mentally design your dream home, or imagine yourself playing with kittens or puppies.