Understanding Sleep Disturbances
Now let's begin. Do you have a hard time falling asleep? Do you toss and turn for hours on end? Do you find yourself staring at the clock, growing more frustrated by the minute? Well, according to the National Institute of Health, at least 30 percent of people experience sleep disturbances. In other words, one-third of the population struggles to fall asleep on a regular basis.
So why are so many people failing to get a good night's sleep? The root causes of insomnia vary wildly. Your individual sleep disturbances depend on your personal habits, schedule, and lifestyle. Some people struggle to fall asleep because daily stress is weighing them down. You may have a demanding job or find yourself trapped in a stressful situation. In either case, high levels of stress are a common cause of sleep disturbances and insomnia.
Other people toss and turn because of their nighttime habits. A few minutes of screen time, for example, may fill your brain with stimulating chemicals. These neurochemicals can keep you awake and alert for hours. So how do you prevent these disturbances from ruining your sleep cycle?
Strategies for Better Sleep
There are several ways to fall asleep quickly and easily every night. Instead of staring at the ceiling, you can fall asleep within just two minutes of lying down using these sleep-inducing tricks. You'll notice significant changes in the quality of your sleep. These techniques focus on one thing: making sleep easy. Too often, people force their bodies to fall asleep. You want to wake up rested and clear-headed, fall asleep on time, and when you can't sleep, you grow angry at yourself. But there's a reason your body lies awake at night.
There's a reason you can't sleep no matter how hard you try. You can't sleep because your brain isn't ready to sleep. Your body will never sleep if your brain isn't properly prepared. In this video, we're going to explore four different ways to prep your brain for a good night's sleep. Many of these techniques work well in tandem, so feel free to combine two or more techniques that work for you. With a bit of practice, you can use these strategies to fall asleep within minutes.
Technique 1: Four Seven Eight Breathing
Your breath is a powerful tool. By concentrating on your breath, you can create mental relaxation and relieve the stress that's keeping you awake. One of the most effective breathing methods is called 4-7-8 breathing. This routine takes advantage of deep, rhythmic breathing to lull your brain into a restful pre-sleep state. Using 4-7-8 breathing, you can smoothly transition into an unconscious slumber.
Four-seven-eight breathing begins with a deep exhale. Now place the tip of your tongue against the back of your top teeth, part your lips slightly, and breathe out all the air you can through your mouth. As you exhale, make a whooshing sound to rid your lungs of every bit of stale air. Now close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose. As you inhale, count to four in your head, then hold your breath for seven long seconds. After seven seconds, open your mouth and release all the air inside of you. Continue breathing out for eight seconds. Again, make a whooshing sound with your mouth so all the air leaves your lungs.
You've now completed one full breath. Repeat this process again and again until you fall asleep. After each repetition, let your breath get more and more unconscious. The first time, you may carefully count each second in your head, but as you repeat the process, don't worry about the exact number of seconds. The numbers 4, 7, and 8 don't really matter. It's about the ratio and the rhythm of your breathing. You want your breath to flow in a pattern that lets your body relax. Once you feel yourself getting drowsy, allow sleep to take over.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whooshing sound. |
| 2 | Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose for a count of four. |
| 3 | Hold your breath for a count of seven. |
| 4 | Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whooshing sound, for a count of eight. |
Technique 2: Paradoxical Intention
Ironically, one of the best ways to fall asleep is to stay awake. A 2003 study in the journal Behavioral and Cognitive Psychotherapy found that your brain cannot fall asleep by choice. In other words, if you want to fall asleep, your brain is more likely to stay awake. Researchers call this voluntary sleep effort. You're lying in bed, forcing your eyes to close, demanding that your brain relax, but it won't. That's because voluntary sleep effort arouses your brain and creates harmful sleep anxiety.
So what should you do instead? Let yourself fall asleep when you're tired. Don't worry about each minute passing by. Your brain will fall asleep when it's good and ready. Researchers call this paradoxical intention. You're helping your brain sleep by purposely staying awake, and research shows that it works. The same 2003 study found that paradoxical intention decreases the time it takes to fall asleep. This ironic treatment relieves sleep anxiety by removing both pressure and stress.
So remember, if you fall asleep, say, 30 minutes later than normal, that's okay. If your brain isn't ready at exactly the same time every night, don't worry. Most people overestimate how much damage a little sleep loss can cause, and that overestimation creates more stress and anxiety. So instead of worrying, let your brain fall asleep when it's ready. If you have a healthy nighttime routine and you avoid stimulating activities, your brain will get tired all on its own.
Technique 3: Prepare the Atmosphere
Does your environment affect the quality and quickness of your sleep? A number of simple environmental changes can help you fall asleep faster. Your environment plays a major role in the calming and relaxation of your brain, whether you realize it or not. To start with, try lowering the temperature in your room a few degrees. Lower temperatures encourage your brain to seek the comfort of your bed.
Studies have also shown that people achieve higher quality sleep when their rooms are a few degrees colder. So flip on the AC before you go to bed. Those few degrees could make all the difference. You can also improve your environment by getting rid of lights and sounds. Your brain sleeps best in dark and quiet settings. Lights and sounds alert your senses, which keep your brain stimulated and awake.
In dark and quiet places, your brain can turn off your senses and relax for the night. Most people don't realize how much light and sound are interfering with their sleep. Just think about the ceiling fan clicking over your head. Maybe you hear your upstairs neighbor walking around their room, or you might hear dogs barking, cars honking, or people shouting. To block out all of these disturbances, many people use earplugs. These small sound stoppers can help you fall asleep by removing unnecessary stimulation from your environment.
Additional Environmental Adjustments
If light is keeping you up, blackout curtains are a great way to control the light in your environment. You could also try a sleeping mask, which will shield your eyes from all incoming light sources. There's one more way to improve your sleeping environment: try removing any and all objects that interfere with your sleep. The two most common objects are phones and alarm clocks.
Both of these objects interfere with your sleep by creating sleep anxiety. If these objects are nearby, you allow yourself to check them every few minutes. So place these objects on the other side of your room, keep them out of arm's reach, and that way, your environment will never interfere with your sleep.
Technique 4: Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Tension in the body creates tension in the mind. This technique will help you unravel the stress in your muscles while encouraging a peaceful feeling of calm and tranquility. Progressive muscle relaxation is designed to relax the muscles throughout your body. Like meditation, this practice aims to relieve stress and calm your mind. So don't begin this practice with any kind of expectations or worries. You can get as much or as little out of this technique as you'd like.
So how does progressive muscle relaxation actually work? Start with your feet. Clench the muscles in your toes, soles, and heels. Feel each of those muscles tense for about five seconds, and then release all of that tension out of your body. Feel the stress melt away from your feet, then take a deep, calming breath.
Next, move up to your legs. Again, tense your muscles for about five seconds, then release all that tension. Let your legs sink into your mattress. Let them feel heavy and still, and then take another calming breath. You're going to repeat this process for every muscle in your body. One by one, you'll move from your legs to your chest, to your arms, and finally to your face. After releasing tension in each area of the body, continue taking deep, relaxing breaths. Some people use 4-7-8 breathing to further increase the relaxation of this practice.
As the tension flows out of your body, you'll start to feel heavier and heavier. Your body will sit perfectly still, and you'll feel completely relaxed. In this state of relaxation, your brain will smoothly drift into a deep and peaceful sleep.
