What to do if you can’t sleep

Having trouble sleeping? Mashable delves deeper into how to deal with mass insomnia and how to achieve a more peaceful sleep.

You are exhausted. All you need is a sweet, precious, nice sleep. But now what you need now does not happen. You throw, you turn and tear your hair, but you do not drift.

So what if you can’t sleep? When slumber escaped me, it was a question I asked myself many times. Sleep is not always easy or comes as fast as we want.

Perhaps you are in an unfamiliar bed or with a new partner. Maybe you have dropped out of your normal routine or just have a lot in your mind. Nodding can sometimes be a real challenge, but it is not a lost cause. There are a few things you can do to drift yourself.

Understanding persistent sleep habits

Like many people, I have developed certain sleep habits. You can only fall asleep if you are sleeping on the right side of the body, on the left side of the bed, or against a wall. I just fall asleep in a Superman-like pose. With one arm outstretched, it looks awkward as if it were crossing the sky.

Please try somehow. I can’t sleep any other way. After all, I am not alone. Matteo Ria, a consultant psychologist at Pall Mall Medical, specializing in sleep issues, said that this happened because we trained to sleep in a particular way. “ Like us, physically and mentally, our bodies are accustomed to certain habits, and this does not change when we sleep, ” Leah said . “If you’re used to sleeping on a particular side, your brain tells you that this is the most comfortable position for you to sleep, and this will be a natural process.”

“Similarly, some people sleep on their backs or curl up on pillows. That’s the same process. Once your body gets used to sleeping in a certain position, your brain will tell you this is the right way to go. When you sleep, your body will respond, “he added. “If you are sharing a bed with a partner, you may have a hard time falling asleep because you are telling where your brain should be, but that location is That’s why it may not be available while sharing space. “

Take aggressive and aggressive steps to optimize your sleep

Former Royal Marines Louis Nethercot, Leader of Peer Development Help for heroes, Was involved in a fierce battle during his Afghan tour with 42 Commando. His experience there led him to develop PTSD, he was medically discharged in 2016, and found it difficult to transition to private life. “During the nine-month training at the Royal Marines, you’re exposed to prolonged sleep deprivation because you’re used to sleep deprivation,” Nethercott said. With 10 days of tactical exercise, he slept for 2-4 hours, overnight.

“I’m also sleeping in disastrous conditions under the ground, under bushes, or in trenches. In the sleeping bag inside the bibby bag (the waterproof outer of the sleeping bag) in curled, damp clothes next to a general purpose machine. Is a very cold and sharp lump of metal. None of this helps you sleep good night and feels stress. “But Nethercott got used to it. He said training had taught him how to deal with very little sleep-an important skill for army people. “One of the biggest lessons I learned about sleeping in the army was to take all the aggressive actions that I could do to optimize my sleep potential,” he said. “Let’s not just sleep, find the best place to sleep. Be careful how you set your sleeping and bibi bags to minimize wetting.”

For people like you and me, Optimize sleep You can make beds in the morning, change sheets regularly, make sure the beds are as comfortable as possible, and make sure the room is at the right temperature. “If I knew I had taken all the positive actions, I would be able to live in that state and this idea would actually help your sleep,” he said.

Practice this simple mindfulness

If you really can’t sleep or wake up at midnight and can’t sleep, try this exercise recommended by Healthcare Partnership Director Sararo Motsky. , Mindfulness App.

“Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, start at 1,000, slowly and slowly and slowly count to zero (do not reach it),” says Romotsky. “Focus on counting, not trying to sleep on your own. If that fails, mindfulness helps us to know more about how we feel, so we really feel drowsy It is worth checking with your body to see if you are. “

Improve sleep hygiene

No, we are not talking about taking a shower before bedtime. Sleep hygiene Defined According to the Sleep Foundation, “various habits and habits are needed to improve the quality of sleep at night and maintain full attention during the day.”

Dr. Matteolia said that getting good sleep, such as going to bed at the same time every night, is important for good sleep hygiene. Buy a good mattressLimit alcohol consumption after 6 pm. That nap habit? Throw it away. “Avoid sleeping during the day. Try to take a nap within 30 minutes, as it can affect your sleep habits and conflict with the quality of sleep at night,” says Ria. .

“It’s essential to have a clean, spacious bedroom space without clutter, to get a good night’s sleep,” he added.

Limit caffeine intake

If you love coffee and struggle to sleep, it may be worth checking your caffeine consumption.

“We don’t recommend completely removing caffeine from your diet, but controlling caffeine intake is the key to a good night’s sleep. It is advisable to limit and avoid caffeine intake after 6 pm in the evening. Instead, drink a natural caffeine-free infusion-white and green tea or matcha are ideal for normal coffee It will be a great alternative.

Try to reduce your stress level

Stress can be a major obstacle to bedtime. Of course, nethercots are not unaware of high stress levels. “Sometimes, especially during a tour in Afghanistan, it will be difficult to sleep because of the fear and stress of what will happen the next day,” he said.

To alleviate their stress levels, he and his fellow operatives will report on how they feel and remove things from their breasts. “To negate this, we talked about what happened today, what will happen tomorrow, and how we felt,” he explained. “Eliminating emotions from the chest in this safe and informal way could make heads clearer and make a big difference in allowing you to sleep instead of thinking all night.”

Not everyone can chat with someone before going to bed, but there is another option. “The same is true in the real world. Even if you can’t talk to anyone before you go to bed, write down your thoughts and concerns before putting your head down or when you wake up in the middle. Some people have the same effect at night, “he said.

Get up

Headspace Lomotsky said that sometimes it was best to get out of bed when the mind and body felt too fine. “It may sound a bit counterintuitive, but in that way we create a negative relationship with our bed and do not lose sleep on it,” she says. Was. “Once you get up, take it to another room and take part in some sort of relaxing activity that isn’t very exciting. Reading is great and even organized.” Try to sleep once.

Limit screen time before bedtime

When you can’t sleep, it can be very appealing to reach for your phone. And scrolling before going to bed can often feel nature to us. But Don’t do it“It is really important to avoid stimulating the heart late at night,” Lomotsky said. “Don’t respond to emails and scroll through social media late into the night or just before bedtime to reduce screen time.”

Dr. Lear repeated this advice. “From a sleep clinic point of view, we recommend that you limit access to smart devices to at least 60 minutes before going to sleep. These devices have a backlight, which creates a natural curve towards sleep. Instead of supporting the nervous system to follow, keep the brain alert. “

You don’t have to sit there and play with your thumb. You can read books and write diaries. “It’s been shown that a warm bath or shower relaxes your body and mind 30 minutes before bed. It’s worth creating a sleep-friendly environment, such as a dimly lit, warmly lit room.” Says Romotsky. “Sleep by Headspace is also a great tool to help release from stressful days. This range of content creates the ideal condition for a healthy and restful sleep at night, drifting and sleeping It will help you continue. “

If you decide to keep your smartphone at bedtime, Many popular sleeping apps Instead of scrolling the timeline infinitely,

Throw away strict sleep routines

While it is perfectly normal to prefer to sleep in a particular position, these habits and routines can prevent you from nodding.

“It usually takes 7 to 10 days for new behaviors to be implanted,” said James Wilson, known as a sleep geek, in his experience. Sometimes these habits really help to put us to sleep. “We need to lower our heart rate and body temperature before going to bed, and there’s no magical supplement, app, or smell that works for everyone,” Wilson said. “If it’s like watching TV in bed, move your TV watching to the living room, prepare the bed while watching TV, and sleep only when you’re sleepy.”

It is useful to recognize what is helping you sleep and what is preventing you. “If you feel you need to, and there is a solid routine that hasn’t helped you sleep, the first point is to accept that it’s not working,” Wilson said.

According to Dr. Lear, you cannot learn the habits you have developed. “It is possible to circumvent brain conditioning and conditioning if it is clearly shown that certain actions can be counterproductive over time,” he said. Sleeping in your preferred position is not recommended, but if you feel pain or discomfort, you need to reconsider.

“ First, the goal is to identify triggers that may be causing sleep difficulties, work on a more functional strategy, and encourage awakening in a refreshing mood, ” said Lear. . “It’s important to consider the quality of sleep, not just the time people spend resting in bed horizontally, as they reach deeper stages of sleep.”

Go to a safe place

It is important to feel safe before going to bed. Nethercott said many servicemen would sleep with them as something reminding them of homes and safe places.

“It could be a picture of your wife or an old teddy or mascot,” he said. “For me it was a little pillow from my childhood.These little things help put you on the ground and put you in a good place. The comfort of this calms you down and really helps you Help her fall asleep. “

The next time you have a hard time closing your eyes, don’t despair. There is always something you can do. A good dream.