If you’ve been lying in bed for more than 20 minutes and haven’t fallen asleep, it is time to get up. You’re not going to force yourself to fall asleep just lying there. You’ll become more stressed and agitated, further preventing sleep. Hop out of bed and try some relaxing exercises — meditation, gentle yoga or even just sipping on warm milk until you feel more tired. Then try giving sleep another go.
Counting sheep has been around for decades, and while it might sound cliche, it actually can work. The concept is less about sheep and more about focusing on one thing to help you slow your breathing and your thoughts. If you don’t like sheep, count dogs, goats or unicorns.
Researchers have proven that an orgasm right before bed helps men and women fall asleep. So if you’re struggling to snooze, try mother nature’s version of Ambien.
We’re not saying to do a full out workout — that’s not a good way to slow your brain down, but some researchers have found that doing leg lifts or squats without weights can help divert blood away from the brain, which in turn helps quiet the mind.
Because falling asleep is all about getting into a relaxed state, try taking a hot bath or shower before bed. Just the difference in temperature between the water and your bedroom will help drop your body temperature enough to hopefully trigger a sleepy feeling.
Visualizing yourself in a peaceful slumber while doing some deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation can help you fall asleep faster. For muscle relaxation begin at the feet and slowly work your way up your body slowly clenching and releasing each section of muscles.
Trying to sleep when you live across the street from railroad tracks or in a busy apartment building can be torture. You can minimize exterior noise by sleeping with a bedside fan or investing in a white noise machine that can help block out the noise and let you sleep.
The blue light emitted from electronic devices has been proven to cause disturbances in sleep. So keep the iPhone plugged in outside the snooze zone.
You don’t want to be on the computer working, or watching a complicated TV show or reading a difficult-to-digest book on an electronic device before bed. Anything that stimulates your brain intellectually — and with light — right before you try to sleep will also keep your body awake.
There is nothing worse for inducing a solid night’s sleep than an over-heated bedroom and light streaming in from the street. Invest in blackout shades to keep your bedroom dark, and don’t pump the heat. Most people sleep best when the temperature is between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Valerian and melatonin are two over-the-counter natural supplements you can take to help you sleep. Some people swear by their natural sedative powers. Others find them useless, but everyone is different so it is worth considering.
Sipping on some hot milk has long been a remedy for sleep. Whether it actually helps facilitate sleep is not known, but there is something comforting about warm milk that offers enough of a placebo to help some slip into slumber.
You want to have a blank slate when you go to bed, otherwise your stress might follow you into sleep — either keeping you from falling asleep or waking you up in the form of a nightmare. So if you’re feeling super worked up before you lie down, try writing your thoughts down to help slow your mind.
Like milk, many find sipping chamomile tea to be calming. And unlike milk there is some scientific data backing this herb — it’s known to reduce anxiety and promote calm, which helps you sleep.
If you’ve tried all the tricks and nothing is working it is time to make an appointment with a doctor. This way you’ll be able to rule out any medical conditions, including true sleep disorders, that may be keeping you from snoozing properly.
