sleep

Do you have trouble falling asleep like I do sometimes? The Huffington Post shared a great article with tips from 7 sleep doctors on how to fall asleep faster.

Image: usnews.com

 

  1. Blow Bubbles. Yup. The kind that you’d play with as a kid. It’s like a deep breathing exercise, which helps calm your body and mind.
  2. Sit Up And Count Your Breaths. Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and focus on counting your breaths for 3-15 minutes. It’s like meditation. It can lower your blood pressure and heart rate.
  3. Sidetrack Your Mind. Tossing and turning is stressful and it causes the body to release adrenaline, making it harder to fall asleep. Distracting your mind with a good book allows the body’s fatigue to take over.
  4. Tune Out. Listening to soft, calming music not only helps you fall asleep, but also extends the length and depth of your sleep.
  5. Exercise In The Evening. Hitting the gym after work can help you zonk out. Completing an intense workout 90 minutes before bed may help you fall asleep faster by reducing your levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
  6. Shun The Clock. Once you turn out the lights, don’t check the time again — even if you wake up in the middle of the night. If you do, you’ll start thinking about how long you’ve been in bed or how much time is left until you have to wake up.
  7. Make A To-Do-List. Got a lot on your mind? If you struggle to block out stressful thoughts at the end of the day, write down a list of tasks you need to accomplish tomorrow.