The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
Certain situations in life put us to the test, which is reflected in the quality of our sleep: here are a series of tips if you cannot sleep a wink due to anxiety.
A job interview, an exam that brings us headlong, a trip… Any of these reasons can be behind suddenly, one night; it is more difficult for you to fall asleep than usual. This is insomnia, one of the leading sleep problems most of us face; in fact, it affects 25% of the population.
We are used to dealing with insomnia when we change the time due to jetlag after a trip and even when we take certain medications that cause it; however, we forget that our well-being also influences our hours of sleep and, most importantly, significantly, rest.
Leaving your nerves out of the bedroom is not always easy, but it will help you to know that there are several tips to relax before going to sleep. Here they go:
Undoubtedly, we live in a time when anxiety is the dominant trend. Around 90% of the Spanish population admits to having gone through episodes of stress in the last year, according to studies. This evil of our time is compounded by difficult situations, such as the current quarantine that has forced us to stay at home to curb the curve of coronavirus infections.
The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
The best reflection of this anxiety is seen in the dream. During confinement, it is widespread for our rest schedules to be altered, and we end up developing insomnia or difficulties falling asleep. Establishing a fixed routine is, therefore, essential. Also, try to go to bed every day at the same time, just like getting up.
Writing before going to sleep implies having a peaceful dialogue with yourself that allows you to see things from another perspective.
But of course, nowadays, it is tough to fall asleep with all the problems caused by being locked up or having sick family and friends. So here is a series of advice compiled by ‘ The Guardian ‘ for people with severe difficulties falling into the arms of Morpheus. After all, small gestures bring about significant changes, and if you think your insomnia is hopeless, some tricks will help you solve the problem.
Don’t check the news.
A common trend among many people before getting into the ‘envelope’ is checking the latest notifications from their mobile phones. Surely you have heard more than once about blue light and its adverse effects on sight and the brain. This lighting given off by electronic devices such as mobile phones or computers causes the mind to activate and believe it is not time to rest.
It is necessary to move to feel tired, and even if you are at home, you can exercise to touch your body more relaxed.
To make matters worse, most news that floods the networks today is negative. So if you think you are more nervous than usual because of everything happening, you have to consider that disconnecting is necessary to find peace of mind. And if the last thing you do when you go to bed is open the newspapers again to see the latest news, you won’t be doing yourself any great favors.
The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
Clear your head
Sleep therapy doctor Katie Fischer says we should relax the brain with light activities. For example, if you watch TV, let it not be the news but a romantic comedy or a funny movie. This helps in a way to put a shortcut to anxiety, at least much more than if you opt for dramatic audiovisual content or documentaries on shady issues.
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Another trick to get a better sleep is to write before going to sleep, whatever it is: a diary, a story, poetry, or ordered thoughts. If you accompany it with relaxing music, the experience will be even more vital. In the end, writing means maintaining a calm dialogue with yourself, so you’ll be better able to deal with the problems you can’t stop thinking about once you turn off the light.
change places
Often, in episodes of insomnia, we end up tossing and turning without finding the position that makes us fall asleep. At that time, our brain unconsciously associates the place with difficulty falling asleep. Therefore, one of the best ways is to leave that place to get into another house that is still clean of those negative connotations that not being able to sleep implies. It can be the sofa or if you have another bed in a second room. Stay away from devices that can arouse your attention, such as television or mobile. And once you feel drowsiness coming your way, hurry up and go back to bed.
Do breathing exercises
If the feeling of anxiety and restlessness is powerful, the best thing you can do is take a deep breath. Lie on your back and place one hand on your chest so that you can feel how the air invades your lungs. Try to relax your muscles and inhale deeply from your nose to your stomach; feel the air filling your body and hold for a few seconds. Then expel it as if you were blowing up a balloon. Then have without exhaling and feel that the body is empty. Right after, repeat the experiment serenely and calmly. You’ll see how much better you feel.
The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
Routine before going to sleep
What we do in the hours before going to bed will be vital to guaranteeing us hours of sleep. This translates into avoiding exercise – unless your choice is a yoga class that will help you relax – for 5 hours before bed. Practicing moderate sports during the day will help you release tension, but out of time, it will be counterproductive. So the best recommendation we can give you is to take a shower half an hour before going to sleep and go to bed as soon as possible so that bedtime catches us in bed.
Attention to food the first step is to avoid consuming drinks that contain caffeine or any other stimulant at least 5 hours before going to bed. This may seem obvious, but how many times have you had a cup of coffee to last more hours studying and then tried to fall asleep as if nothing happened? Impossible.
Something similar happens with food. Opt for light foods and eat calmly, chewing each bite without distractions from the television or mobile phone. This way, you will facilitate your digestion and advance the moment your body is ready to go to rest.
Say goodbye to negative thoughts.
The night before that event likely generates so many nerves that we get into bed and do not fall asleep at first. It is a classic that at this moment, we are invaded by negative thoughts such as “I will not be able to sleep” and “I will not sleep at all, and tomorrow I will be tired” or questions such as ” How long can we last without sleep ?”. So stop all these boycotts, our rest. Instead, try to keep your head relaxed and if you find that you are entirely awake, read a book or listen to very soft music.
The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
Try relaxation exercises to sleep.
From meditation and yoga to learning to control your breathing, the exercise alternatives to calm your nerves before going to sleep are endless. The only recommendation you should consider is to practice them in a quiet place, with comfortable clothes and better if you are already lying in your bed.
To start, try this one we propose: Close your eyes, take a deep breath, follow the path the air takes through your body, and slowly breathe out. Repeat as many times as you need.
Surrender to white noise
It is usually used to soothe and facilitate sleep in babies. Still, white noise is also instrumental in promoting rest in adults, mainly when insomnia results from a state of nerves. So what exactly is white noise? It is the noise of an untuned television or radio, the sound of air conditioners, that is, any signal or sound that contains all frequencies, and these are of the same power.
Sleep hygiene: 8 ways to train your brain to sleep better.
Sleep hygiene and its impact on health1:30
(CNN) — The days are longer, filled with sunshine, and glowing with the promise of a more relaxing few months with loved ones. But if you want to enjoy the day, it’s time to increase your sleep at night. We need it. More than a third of American adults don’t get enough sleep regularly, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which considers lack of sleep a ” public health epidemic.
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The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
It’s also a global problem, according to the World Sleep Society, a nonprofit organization of sleep professionals dedicated to promoting “sleep health worldwide.”
“Sleep problems constitute a global epidemic that threatens the health and quality of life of up to 45% of the world’s population,” the society states.
This company pays to sleep1:02.
You don’t have to go through life without sleep. Just as you learned to wash your hands frequently and wear a mask as part of your pandemic personal hygiene, you can learn to sleep better each night with what experts call “sleep hygiene.”
This is sleep specialists’ terminology for ways you can train your brain to recognize that it’s time to fall asleep…and stay asleep.
Sleep is one of the three critical ingredients for a longer, healthier life (the others are diet and exercise). Many of the ways to increase the quality of sleep are simple.
Here are the top eight ways to improve sleep hygiene and get a good night’s sleep:
The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
Create your dream nest
One of the first tasks is to prepare your sleeping environment. The REM or sleep phase is a lighter level of rest that can be interrupted more quickly, so try to have a comfortable mattress and bedding that is not too hot.
Science tells us that we sleep best in cooler temperatures, around 15 to 20 degrees.
Establish a routine
Create a bedtime ritual by taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to relaxing music. You can also try deep breathing, yoga, meditation, or light stretching.
This will teach your brain to relax.
And fulfill it. Go to bed and get up at the same time each day, even on weekends or days off, the CDC advises. The body likes routine.
The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
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Turn off the lights
Experts suggest reducing light in the bedroom by using a sleep mask or light-blocking blinds.
Secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin begins at dusk. Research has found that the body reduces or stops melatonin production if exposed to light, so get rid of any light, even blue light, from your charging smartphone or laptop. Consider using light-blocking blinds or an eye mask if your room isn’t dark enough.
What if you like to read to sleep? Experts say it’s okay, but you must read an actual book in dim light, not a tablet or an e-reader.
That’s because “any LED-spectrum light source can further suppress melatonin levels,” said Dr. Vsevolod Polotsky, who directs basic sleep research in the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the School of Medicine from Johns Hopkins University, in a previous CNN interview.
“Digital light will suppress the circadian drive,” Polotsky said, while a “dim reading light will not.”
Dampen noise
At the same time, you take care of the blue light on your smartphone and turn off work alerts (no Slack or email pings at 2 in the morning).
Better yet, charge it outside your bedroom.
If you live in a noisy urban environment, putting on white noise or running a fan in the bedroom could help drown out any sudden noises that might wake you from sleep.
The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
Refrain from drinking caffeine late in the day
Stop drinking caffeinated liquids at least six hours before bedtime (some experts say nothing after 3 p.m.). And caffeine isn’t just in coffee, so this applies to some teas, soft drinks, and chocolate.
- When to stop drinking coffee to sleep well
Yes, the chocolate. That cup of hot chocolate that you think might help you might contain 25 milligrams of caffeine, while a cup of green or black tea will give you 50 milligrams of caffeine.
Avoid alcohol
Don’t turn to alcohol to calm your nerves or help you sleep. Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but it traps you in the lighter stages of sleep.
Your body needs to experience all three stages of sleep—light sleep, REM or sleep state, and deep sleep—to fully repair and restore itself.
The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
Avoid heavy or spicy foods.
Heavy and spicy foods can give you heartburn or other digestive problems, thus affecting your ability to fall and stay asleep. As for sugar, studies show that it is linked to restless sleep and possibly affects the hormones that control cravings.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, a light snack before bed is acceptable. He recommends eating a handful of nuts; some cherries (which have a high melatonin content); a banana (containing muscle relaxants like potassium and magnesium), and decaffeinated teas like chamomile, ginger, and peppermint.
Make your room sacred.
And last but not least, reserve your bed for sleep and sex.
As normal as it may seem to work from home or play with the kids in bed, that doesn’t teach your brain to see the bedroom as a place to sleep.
The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
the need to sleep
Why worry so much? Because lack of sleep is dangerous to health.
Not getting enough sleep has been linked to low libido, weight gain, high blood pressure, weakened immune system, paranoia, mood swings, depression, and increased risk of some cancers, dementia, diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.
But wait, there’s more: Getting less sleep than you need regularly can double your risk of dying. In a longitudinal study of 10,308 British civil servants, researchers found that people who cut their rest from seven to five hours or less a night were nearly twice as likely to die from all causes, especially cardiovascular disease.
Remember that the amount of sleep you need each night depends on your age.
Babies need 12 to 16 hours, toddlers 11 to 14 hours, and preschoolers 10 to 13 hours of sleep a day, including naps, according to the CDC. School-age children need 9-12 hours of sleep each night, and teens still need 8-10 hours, which due to social media, few get.
Adults must sleep at least seven hours a night, another goal many fall short of. But with these sleep hygiene tips, you can teach your brain new tricks to get the quality sleep you crave.
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The best tricks to sleep well when you’re nervous
