You ever have one of those days that no matter what you do, you can’t seem to fall asleep? Sometimes, I am so exhausted that I find myself dozing off at my desk throughout my work day. I tell myself that I will get to bed early that night, so I will be well rested for the next day. I do mange to get to be earlier than usual, but cannot seem to fall asleep. It’s like I am no longer exhausted. Even on days where I manage a crazy, busy day – I find myself more than drained, but come time for bed, I cannot seem to fall asleep. I am not the type to unnecessarily take medicine; I will wait until the last possible moment to take some medicine or going to see a doctor. So rather than taking something to fall asleep, I thought I’d give some other natural sleep remedies a try.
The first thing I tried was putting my feet up before bed. And no, I don’t mean get off your feet and relax on the recliner with your feet up. I mean, literally up in the air. I spend most of my day sitting a desk. On occasion I take short walks around the office to stretch my legs, but majority of the day I am at my desk. Not to mention – I am sitting while driving, eating (I was taught that standing and eating was not only rude, but unhealthy too. Not sure why, Trinidadian traditions don’t always make sense to me). Anyways, like I said, majority of my day is spent sitting. This causes blood and lymph fluid to build up in your legs which can lead to your feet being more tried, sore, or swollen. The solution to this is rather simple – lie on ground and rest your feet up against a couch or chair. This well help with better circulation in your legs (and in the long run help prevent blood clots!). I found this tactic to be quite peaceful and relaxing. Sometimes, while lying down, I get a little bored, so I will listen to some calming music, or grab a book and read. I try to incorporate this into my nighttime routine at least twice a week, and I am sure to mention to my family that I am in my ‘wind-down before bed phase,’ so please do not bother me!
The next method is known as the 4-7-8 breathing technique. This is something I have tried for years, but have never really noticed a big difference aside from the light headedness. It is supposed to encourage relaxation and help oxygen flow through your blood much more smoothly. Firstly, you are going to inhale through your nose as you count to four. Secondly, you hold your breathe and count to seven. Thirdly, slowly exhale through your mouth while counting to eight. Maybe I don’t have the lung capacity to time my breathing like this, but it does nothing for me. No matter how hard I try, I always feel like I am straining myself while doing this, so it’s not something that I enjoy doing, but it might work wonders for someone else.
Next on my list of favorites is bed time yoga! I have always loved doing yoga – all throughout my school day up to this day! It is soothing, relaxing, and good for the brain too! The stretching helps you unwind from any stress that you experience that day, and allows you to focus on your breathing. I supposed since it helps you focus on your breathing it is similar to the 4-7-8 method, but I do not have any trouble with the breathing when it comes to doing yoga. I think maybe because I do not have to keep track of the timing of each breathe, rather I am focusing on inhaling and exhaling to a steady beat. I try to learn and perfect at least one new pose every week. I find it to be enjoyable and challenging at the same time. All the stretching will also help you limber up, which comes in handy right before bed. You are more than relaxed and already in a Zen-like state which should allow for you to fall asleep easily.
The last sleeping technique that I’d like to discuss is co-sleeping with your pet. I know at first that sounds weird, but if you think about the benefits, you would see how much sense this actually makes. One of the best parts of my day is coming home to my dog, Rocky. I love sitting with him and scratching behind his ear, playing fetch, and rubbing his belly. Heck, I even have full on conversations with him sometimes. I am at my happiest and most relaxed while in his presence – pets tend to have that effect on their owners. Keeping that in mind, doesn’t it make sense to keep them around when you are getting ready to go to bed? Of course, I want to be in the best mood possible when going to bed, so I have Rocky sleep with me sometimes. Not in my bed with me, mind you! Homeboy moves around way too much for that. Rather, I have a doggy bed that I keep in my room. He uses that whenever he wants to sleep inside. Aside from dealing with the snoring (man that dog can snore! He even wakes me up sometimes! Poor guy suffers from some intense allergies), I sleep great when Rocky sleeps with me in my room. I would definitely try this if you have a dog at home to see if it will work wonder for you!
While this last approach isn’t exactly something you can practice, it does work wonders for helping you fall asleep. Personally, this is a last resort – as I do not like taking medicine. Melatonin is a hormone found in the human body that regulates sleep. The reason some people find it so hard to fall asleep is because their body is not producing enough melatonin, so taking a melatonin pill to help speed up the process is not always a bad idea. It is a safe, over the counter item that can be purchased at a local drugstore. Like I said, I am not a fan of always taking medicine, but when it comes to my sleep, and nothing else seems to be working, I will take a melatonin to help get me to sleep.
And, there you have it. My top tips for getting to sleep. For as long as I can remember, I have always had trouble getting to sleep. I wish I knew how helpful some these methods were when I was younger so that I never had to worry about how long it would take me to fall asleep.
Fore more information on other natural sleep remedies, please visit the following sites that I found quite helpful:
https://wellnessmama.com/27075/natural-sleep-remedies/
https://www.prevention.com/health/a20495882/natural-sleep-remedies/
For more information on alternative sleep remedies (OSA), please visit out website: https://www.cpapoffice.com