Sleeping is one of the most important things a human being must get to function properly. Many individuals have insomnia in which it is not only hard to fall asleep, but it is harder to stay asleep as you keep waking up, again, and again, the quality of sleep you get when you have insomnia is extremely poor.
Usually, people consult doctors about the problems they are facing, and medicines are recommended. Still, most individuals are not aware that there are many alternate ways to treat sleeplessness and work. To spread awareness and help individuals, I have collected seven different alternative things that one can do when they cannot fall asleep. The following things are as follows; I hope they help you as much as they helped me,
Get out of your bed:
If you are not able to fall asleep in 25 to 30 minutes, it would be best to get out of bed. A bed should be used for sleeping or intimacy, as explained by Dr. Singh, and if you are getting none, then there is no point in staying in bed; this is how you will be able to teach your brain that bed is related to sleep. Lying in bed and not sleeping can cause stress to rise, prompting you not to sleep at all.Try to shift your sleeping space when you can't fall asleep if you have a guest room, you can crash there, and if there is no guest room, then the couch will be okay. Try to distract yourself with a good book or soothing music.
Try to not look at the clock:
It's normal for a person to check the time again and again when they are unable to fall asleep but what you fail to realize is the fact that looking at the clock, again and again, can raise levels of anxiety and the realization of how much sleep you have missed keeps coming back to you. Try to avoid your phone and the clock so that you can relax.Usually, when we have to wake up around six, and it's 4, you haven't slept a minute. That's when you start calculating how much sleep you can get if you fall asleep right now, which confuses the brain even more than before. Thus, kill your temptation to look at the time, close your eyes, and relax.
Consider using a mindfulness application:
Mindfulness is a technique which helps individuals gain control of their emotions and body. You have to inhale for 4 seconds, keep it inside and then exhale. In this process, the key is to focus on breathing and not let your mind wander. Still, your mind tends to wander at different places, especially when you have just started practicing mindfulness, which is okay because gradually and slowly, you gain control. There are many mindfulness applications available on the internet that help provide guided meditation and mindfulness through their calming music and breathing exercises, which helps calm your mind and body. Just close your eyes and listen to the audio; we promise you will be relaxed, peaceful, and drifting off in no time.
Avoid screens:
Light means to rise and get to work, that's how our brain knows it, and that is why it is essential to avoid screens before going to bed. Doctors advise their patients who have problems sleeping to dim their light and then sleep as it calms them down.Different electronics such as mobile and laptop have a light that can directly impact the eyes; scrolling through social media or reading a book may be a habit that you think helps calm you down, but this is not the case as it only increases your stress. Moreover, make a rule not to take any electronics to the bed as you may be scrolling in the time you should be sleeping, which is wrong.
Try the 4-8 technique:
Today, humans suffer from different kinds of problems, which leads to depression and anxiety. There may be many medicines available at the dispensary recommended by various doctors. Still, not everyone is into taking medicines; they would instead look for an alternative way to help them through. Insomnia can be a symptom of such conditions.Amongst many different alternatives to deal with insomnia, one of them is the 4-8 technique. The 4-8 technique is an extremely famous technique advised by many doctors to inhale for 4 seconds and then exhale for 8 seconds. The cortisol levels are decreased due to this, and a state of calm is introduced in mind and the body.
White noise:
White noise has equal intensities at different frequencies, which is a constant power spectral density. The sound of the rain, the sound of the wind, the sound of fire, television or radio static, humming air conditioner, and so much more comes under the umbrella of white noise.White noise can take your attention from other things and calm you down to relax and eventually fall asleep but remember that everyone has a different favorite, and it can take you a while to find yours.
Listen to a podcast or read a book:
I have mentioned before that if you can't sleep, you must get off your bed, once you are out of the bed and on the couch or another room, you must do something to distract your mind so that it can relax.Different things can be done at this point, such as reading a book, listening to your favorite podcast, watching a movie or a season, and sitting in silence with some water or juice. All of these things will either make you extremely sleepy, or they will take away your sleep. These things will distract you from all the other things leaving you stress-free.
To sum it all up, sleeplessness can happen for many different reasons, and it is always good to consult your doctor before taking any medicine. Still, these points provided above are natural and can help with your insomnia, so make sure to follow them if you are facing any such things, and if you know someone going through the same, make sure to share this article with them.
