Unusual Ways to Improve Sleep

The importance of having a good night's sleep cannot be emphasized enough. It helps us in increasing our efficiency and productivity; it makes our thoughts clearer and our emotions resilient and keeps us alert during the day. When we do not get enough sleep, we pay the price both mentally and physically “ we experience mood swings and feeling of lethargy.

If you are experiencing sleepless nights even after trying the usual methods of inducing sleep, like having a cup of hot milk before sleeping or taking a warm bath, then try these unusual ways to improve sleep:

–         Count:

Ok, that seems like an age old trick, but here, we do the counting a bit differently. Instead of counting numbers, try counting your pulse or blinks. Since you will have to concentrate hard to count those, you mind will get exhausted soon, thereby inducing sleep. In order to try this trick, get into a comfortable position in the bed so that you can feel your pulse. Think about your pulse while you try to count it. Breathe slowly and gradually you will feel your pulse dropping.

Counting your blinks works even faster. Since you are not feeling sleepy, try opening and closing your eyes and count the times you do it. After 25 or 30 blinks, you will feel your eyelids getting heavier and soon you will be sleeping soundly.

–         Inhale Through Your Left Nostril:

As unusual as it may sound, this is actually a yoga technique that is meant to reduce your blood pressure, calm you and make your sleepy. To perform this technique, lie on your left side and put a finger on your right nostril to close it. Take slow and deep breaths in the left one. After trying for a few minutes you will start feeling sleepy.

–         Tell Your Mind to Stay Awake:

Ok. That sounds weird all right, but it works. When we challenge our mind to stay awake, it will actually rebel. In psychology, this process is called sleep paradox. For this technique, you need to keep your eyes wide open and command your mind to stay awake. Repeat it till you start feeling drowsy. Brains do not actually take negative commands well, so it acts the opposite and gradually sleep creeps in.

–         Relax Your Muscles:

When we relax our muscles, our body gets prepared for sleep. When you hit the bed, lie on your back and breathe deeply, inhale and exhale through your nostrils and simultaneously squeeze your toes as if trying to curl them under the foot. Release and repeat the process again. This will make your breathing steady and soon you will be ready to sleep.

–         Roll Your Eyes:

Rolling your eyes can stimulate the production of the sleep hormone “ melatonin. When we naturally fall asleep, we roll our eyes. So stimulating it at least three times can help in inducing sleep.

–         Rewind Your Day:

Try to chronologically remember the things you did today “ even the minutest events. The effort you will put in remembering every little thing will induce sleepiness.

–         Let Your Imagination Take Flight:

Imagine yourself in a situation where you are content. You may imagine yourself holidaying in your favorite destination, feeling the air there and enjoying good food.  Imagining a happy and content scene will help you relax and help you fall asleep.

Therefore, the next time you find yourself staring at the ceiling, try these unusual ways of inducing sleep. Do note that not every technique will work equally well with everyone. Some might help you sleep faster while some techniques might need a little more effort.

References

https://www.sleepschoolonline.com

https://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/content/32/2/164.short

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379