How to fall asleep when your mind is racing: How to fall asleep faster with these mental tricks to calm your mind
How to fall asleep faster with these mental tricks to calm your mind
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You’re exhausted, your body yawning for sleep. Yet once your head hits the pillow, your mind is flooded with worry, making sleep elusive, at times impossible.
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Don’t fret, experts say: There are relaxation techniques you can use to calm that racing mind.
“Think of these relaxation exercises as tools in your tool kit for better sleep,” said sleep specialist Rebecca Robbins, an instructor in the division of sleep medicine for Harvard Medical School.
“Practice them, and you’ll get better and better at falling asleep, which is the holy grail, right? No one wants to spend time tossing and turning at night.”
Deep breathing is a science-backed method of calming the body and mind that can be done easily before you get into bed and when you wake during the middle of the night.
Changing the rhythm of your breath slows your heart rate, reduces blood pressure and stimulates the body’s parasympathetic “rest and digest” system, which can take worry and anxiety offline.
“Consciously focusing on the breath can help you separate yourself from the darting thoughts that fly through your brain,” Robbins said.
There are a number of deep breathing techniques you can try. Diaphragmatic breathing, also known as belly breathing, focuses on relaxing the diaphragm, the main muscle of respiration.
Start by taking a deep breath through your nose to a slow count of six, making sure that you can feel your stomach rise with your hand as it fills with air. Count to six again as you let the breath slowly escape.
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“Strive for effortless inhales that are soft and soundless while treating your exhales like gentle, extended sighs of relief,” suggested CNN contributor Dana Santas, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and mind-body coach.
Stay in the moment, Santas said, by focusing on the sounds and sensations of your breath: “Direct all of your senses to follow the path of air in through your nose, down your throat, into your lungs and out again.
If your mind wanders, bring it back to your breath, happening in the here and now.”
Meditation is a centuries-old method of calming the body and the mind. Studies show it can help perfectionists stop judging themselves and can assist in the treatment of smoking, pain, addictive disorders and depression, among others.
Using direct measures of brain function and structure, one study found it only took 30 minutes a day of meditation practice over the course of two weeks to produce a measurable change in the brain.
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cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_D27319F5-C4C8-40B7-9AF8-6FD1F16EBC0F@published” data-editable=”text” data-component-name=”paragraph”>“When these kinds of mental exercises are taught to people, it actually changes the function and the structure of their brain,” neuroscientist Richard Davidson, professor of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the founder and director of the Center for Healthy Minds, told CNN in an earlier interview.
There are many resources on the internet to help someone begin to meditate. Davidson and his colleagues have created a free, science-based app designed to help people practice meditation and mindfulness.
Visualization is another sleep aid.
Picture a calm and peaceful spot in your mind’s eye and fill it with specific objects, colors and sounds. Researchers have found that people who visualize in detail were able to push unwelcome thoughts more successfully from their minds.
If you have trouble populating the scene, the researchers suggest asking yourself questions about smell, touch and light, such as “Can I feel the sun on my skin? What do I smell in the air?”
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You can also visualize your body relaxing, experts say. While breathing deeply and slowly, imagine your breath is a wind coursing through the body, easing stress and relaxing tension as it moves through each part of the body and then escapes.
“I like to think of the breath as a light in your mind’s eye that grows when you inhale and gets smaller as you exhale,” Robbins said. “Those tangible strategies where you visualize something and match that to a breath are really powerful.”
Most of us aren’t even aware of how much tension we carry in our muscles until it shows up in backaches and headaches.
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Progressive muscle relaxation is a way of relaxing those muscles, thus making it easier to fall asleep, experts say.
You tense and release muscle groups in the body in a certain order, starting at the head and working your way down to the toes and feet.
Each section of the body is tightly tensed and held for 10 seconds as you breathe in. Strive to squeeze each muscle hard, but not to the point of cramping or pain. Then, as you breathe out, relax the muscle suddenly and all at once. University of Michigan Health recommends you do the exercises in a systematic order that you can find here.
There’s an added benefit to the exercise, experts say: There’s no room in your brain for anxious thoughts.
Here’s a way to stop your mind from repetitively listing all the things you need to do (or haven’t done), but it only works if you do it before you hit the sack.
“Don’t worry in bed. Schedule a ‘worry time’ – a period of time outside of the bedroom, outside of sleep, to worry about the things that naturally creep in your mind at night,” said sleep specialist Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.
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“Write down a list of things you need to do tomorrow,” suggested Dr. Vsevolod Polotsky, a professor of medicine and director of sleep research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
“You can even email it to yourself. It gives you satisfaction and the realization that it is night and there’s nothing you can do with your list, but you can attend to it tomorrow,” Polotsky said.
All these mental tricks and relaxation tips serve a purpose beyond that night’s sleep, experts say.
“They are extremely beneficial from a classical conditioning standpoint,” Robbins said. “If your body knows what comes after the end of these activities is sleep, then you start to condition yourself, and after a bit of time, your body will more easily slip into a state of relaxation, which increases your chances of sleep.
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How to Quiet Your Mind to Get Better Sleep
Can’t put that racing mind to bed? Whether it’s stopping you from quickly falling asleep or staying asleep, there’s no question an unsettled mind can be a major obstacle to slumber.
“It’s one of the most common problems we hear in our sleep clinic, especially among people struggling with insomnia,” says Lawrence Chan, DO, a professor of sleep medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
The problem is more than just annoying. Racing thoughts at bedtime — even if they aren’t anxious or worried thoughts — might contribute to sleep problems in people who have insomnia, according to a study published in November 2021 in the journal Comprehensive Psychiatry. The researchers noted that this is different from rumination, which is defined as obsessive, repetitive thinking that tends to focus on negative content.
There’s a reason many people can’t stop thinking about things before going to bed.
Whether you’re exploring a new city or simply plugging away at your routine to-do list, your brain is collecting new information all day long, explains Michael Breus, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Manhattan Beach, California, who specializes in sleep disorders. He is also the author of The Power of When, a book on understanding your body clock and circadian rhythms.
“Not until you climb into bed do you have any quiet time, and all of that information, including your worries, comes flying through the door,” he says.
Anxious thoughts and rumination can also keep you awake, of course. If you tend to wake up in the middle of the night and a racing mind won’t let you get back to sleep, it may mean that something is bothering you more than you’d care to otherwise admit or address, Dr. Breus says. “It’s generally a sign that something stressful is going on in life.”
Whether you’re stressed, excited, or simply replaying your day, use these tips to help quiet your racing mind — before thinking too much at bedtime becomes a habit that’s too intense to stop on your own.
What to Do When You Can’t Fall Asleep
1. Ditch the Devices
Sleep doctors have been telling you for years to stop using smartphones, laptops, and tablets right before bed for good reason. Not only does the light from electronic screens mess up your melatonin production, which makes sleep physiologically harder to achieve, but smart devices can also heighten anxiety and worry if you’re reading stressful news on it. This habit makes the cycle of ruminating about bothersome or unpleasant news that much worse, Dr. Chan says.
Plus, the apps, websites, and news you’re consuming on such devices are meant (in large part) to keep you and your brain engaged, he adds. “The internet is designed to capture attention so that you spend more eye time on screens, which can be a detriment to sleep,” says Chan.
To protect your shut-eye, switch off your devices one to two hours before bed, ideally, or at least 30 minutes if you can’t swing that.
2. Schedule Some “Worry Time”
Just as you schedule time to see friends or get a massage, do the same with your worries. Schedule 15 to 30 minutes a day, at least one to two hours before bed, to write down those worries. In addition, create at least one action item you can do to help deal with the issue. Thinking through those potential stressors earlier in the day should help ease how much you worry about them when your head hits the pillow, Chan says. “Ideal sleep depends on creating routines and schedules, and this is no different,” he says.
3. Create a Routine to Power Down Your Brain
Most people assume that sleep is like breathing: Your body will just do it. Not true. Modern-day living has created so much stimulation during the day that brains now operate at warp speed, and if you don’t give yours time to rest, it’ll continue going at that speed at bedtime, says David Brodner, MD, founder of and principal physician at the Center for Sinus, Allergy, and Sleep Wellness in Boynton Beach, Florida.
At least 30 minutes before you go to bed, start your preparations and then do something relaxing like listening to music or reading. Keep it consistent, and you’ll train your body to expect sleep after that relaxation period.
4. Keep a Gratitude List
Now that you’ve dumped your worries, replace the void where those negative thoughts once lived with positive ones by starting a gratitude journal, Breus suggests. The impact of those positive thoughts is greater when you write them down. So try spending a few minutes each night listing three to five things you’re grateful for.
5. Practice 4-7-8 Breathing
You’ve heard how deep breathing can help combat stress, but it can also help you fall asleep. In order to sleep, your heart rate needs to slow down, Breus says, and breathing techniques are one of the most effective ways to achieve this goal.
One of Breus’s favorites is 4-7-8 breathing: Inhale for a count of four, hold for seven, and then blow out for eight.
Do this at least five to seven times to slow your heart rate.
6. Do Progressive Muscle Relaxation
As you lie in bed, tense and relax all of your muscles one by one, starting at your toes and ending at your head. Not only is this incredibly relaxing, as the name implies, but it also forces you to think about the physical parts of your body, directing your attention away from whatever thoughts or stressors you’re fixating on, Breus says.
7. Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Going to bed and waking up at the same times each day is one of the pillars of sleep hygiene — those guidelines sleep docs recommend for ensuring a good night’s sleep. It helps the mind, too. “If you try to go to bed early, when your brain’s not ready to sleep, it will focus on other things,” Breus says, which keeps the brain excited and awake.
What to Do if You Wake Up in the Middle of the Night
1. Get Out of Bed
As counterintuitive as it may seem, climbing out of bed after about 20 minutes of worrying is the tried-and-true advice sleep doctors tell everyone they help and one of the hallmark steps of therapy for insomnia.
If you spend time in bed worrying, your brain will begin to associate the two and not be able to sleep, Chan says. You’ll create a vicious cycle for yourself, whereby your bed increasingly becomes a space where it is difficult for you to sleep.
Instead, get out of bed and do something calming, such as reading a book, doing light chores, or journaling. As soon as you start getting sleepy, head to bed. “The goal is to increase your sleep efficiency, meaning that when you’re in bed, you’re sleeping,” Chan says.
2. Slow That Heart Rate
You may have used the 4-7-8 breathing technique or deep muscle relaxation before bed. Now try them again, as your goal is to not only lower that heart rate but also take your mind away from your thoughts, Breus says.
3. Write Down Your Worries
Keep a notepad and pen by your bed to scribble down worries that are at the front of your mind, Dr. Brodner says. This isn’t the same as pre-bed structured worry time, since you’re not creating solutions; you’re just getting your worries out of your head so your mind can rest.
4. Turn on the TV (and Half-Close Your Eyes)
This tip may be controversial, but a much-loved movie or TV show can take your mind off whatever is bothering you and potentially help you relax, says Breus.
Now, we know what you’re thinking: Yes, TVs emit blue light, which can mess with your melatonin production and make it harder to nod off. But unlike smartphones and tablets, which you hold close to your face, TVs are usually positioned “so far away that you’re not getting as much blue light as you think,” says Breus. Plus, most people aren’t actually watching TV as much as listening to it with their eyes closed, and blue light can’t penetrate closed eyelids.
Note, though, that most sleep guidelines recommend against TV in bed, including some experts from Sleep Foundation.org, so if listening to the TV isn’t helping you sleep, don’t do it.
It’s also worth stating that everyone has trouble sleeping from time to time. But if restless nights become the norm, rather than an occasional occurrence, tell your doctor.
If you’re experiencing symptoms of insomnia, there are ways your doctor or a sleep specialist can help.
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6 ways to trick your mind into falling asleep that really work
Insomnia often torments people, especially during times of war. Therefore, the most effective thing that can be done in this case is to calm your mind. There are several less obvious ways to do this.
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According to HuffPost, experts support 6 methods. They will help deceive your mind and put it to sleep.
1. Stay awake
To try not to sleep is to trick yourself into falling asleep. As practice shows, too diligent attempts to fall asleep never bring results.
“By doing the opposite and forcing yourself to lie in bed and stay awake all night, a phenomenon called paradoxical intention, you will inadvertently fall asleep at some point. In your mind, you are actually trying to stay awake, but sleep eventually comes.” , – says sleep psychologist and clinical director of the Clinic for Behavioral Sleep Medicine at the University of Michigan, Deidra Conroy.
2. Focus on your morning
Your morning routine can have a big impact on your sleep. It has been proven that good sleep begins in the morning.
“First of all, set your alarm and turn on the lights – this not only signals your body when it’s time to wake up, but also when sleep should begin. Wake up when the alarm goes off at the same time every day and expose yourself to daylight, adjusting your internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep before bed,” recommends sleep neurologist at the Center for Sleep Disorders at the University of Michigan, Cathy Goldstein.
3. Allow yourself to worry
If you’re anxious at the start of the day, it can help you fall asleep before bed. It’s better to spend time worrying about things a few hours before bed rather than right before bed.
“A word of advice: take 15 minutes to write these concerns down in a diary so you can write them down and leave them there. It can actually reduce the amount of anxiety that comes before bed,” added Conroy .
4. Think about nature
The sounds and darkness of nature are natural sleep-inducing ingredients. Nature reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, reduces intense pace and reduces muscle tension.
“To fall asleep, think about nature – like the last time you slept in a remote cabin or lay under the stars. It could even be just making a fire, lighting a candle, or spending time on the porch, patio, or terrace to let the darkness in.” and silence will be reflected in your mind, and not light and noise”, – Advised by Certified Sleep Medicine Physician and US Olympic Weightlifting Team Sleep Coach Jeffrey Dürmer.
5. Focus on the sound of your breath
Slow, deep belly breathing relaxes and induces sleep. Also, this technique distracts from worries and anxieties.
“Shifting your attention from your environment to something that is completely under your control (breathing) helps the mind settle down and calm down”, – Durmer added.
6. Tire your mind, not your body
Exercise tires your body, but not your mind. Therefore, it is better to read a book than to run through the park.
“After a marathon, your body may be tired, but that doesn’t mean your mind is ready for sleep. Regular exercise generally improves sleep, but exercising to get you to sleep won’t do you much good. We’re social people, our The brain loves to learn, so if you don’t interact with the world during the day it can affect your sleep.”0016, Conroy assured.
As reported by OBOZREVATEL, there is a simple and proven method of how to fall asleep in 2 minutes, which is to relax the facial muscles and take a deep breath. This method was tested and used in the US Army, which is why it was called the “military method”.
Only verified information is in our obozrevatel Telegram channel. Don’t fall for fakes!
How to fall asleep in 10, 60 or 120 seconds
Life
January 24
Proven methods to quickly relax and turn off thoughts before sleep.
Fall asleep in 10 seconds
Strictly speaking, this method takes more time, but it is the last 10 seconds of the exercise that should put you to sleep. Initially, it was developed for the military, who need to fall asleep in conditions that are not the most suitable for this. They say that it took them six weeks to train, but then they could sleep as they liked: sitting, with the sounds of shelling, and even after drinking coffee.
Here’s what you should do after getting comfortable in bed:
- Relax your facial muscles and tongue.
- Lower your shoulders to release tension from them.
- Place your arms loosely along your torso.
- Inhale deeply and then exhale, relaxing your chest.
- Relax your leg muscles.
- Try to clear your mind of thoughts for 10 seconds. Repeat the phrase “Don’t think” to yourself.
You should be asleep in the next 10 seconds after doing these steps.
Fall asleep in 60 seconds
The 4-7-8 breathing technique will help with this.
At first, you may need more than 60 seconds, but gradually you will train to fall asleep during this period.
First, place the tip of the tongue so that it rests on the palate behind the two front teeth. He must be in this position at all times.
- Open your lips slightly and exhale through your mouth with a whoosh.
- Close your lips and inhale through your nose. As you do so, mentally count to four.
- Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
- Exhale with a noise, stretching the exhalation for 8 seconds.
- Start the next cycle. Try to concentrate primarily not on the count, but on the sensations of breathing.
Do four breaths in this way. If you feel ready to fall asleep after the second or third, don’t force yourself to continue.
If you have any respiratory condition, it is best to consult your doctor before trying this technique. Or choose other options.
Fall asleep in 120 seconds
Try Progressive Muscle Relaxation
In this exercise, you must first tense and then relax the muscles.
This will help you feel the tension leaving your body. After you have relaxed one muscle group, concentrate on the pleasant sensations for a few seconds, and only then move on to the next part of the body.
- Raise your eyebrows as high as you can for 5 seconds to tighten your forehead muscles, then lower them.
- Smile broadly and hold the smile for 5 seconds. Return your face to a calm expression.
- Close your eyes tightly for 5 seconds, then relax them.
- Tilt your head back slightly, as if looking at the ceiling, and hold this position for 5 seconds.
- Lower your head back to a comfortable position.
- Tighten and relax the muscles of the body in turn, moving towards the feet.
In the process, you will feel sleepy. If you did not have time to work out all the muscles and fell asleep, it’s okay. In the event that after this exercise you still can not sleep, do one of the following.
Repeat “Don’t sleep”
Paradoxically, this helps you fall asleep faster.
This method is recommended for people suffering from insomnia, and, according to research, it really works. Try it if you usually get nervous about not being able to sleep.
Imagine a quiet place
If your brain is too active due to the need to count in the previous exercises, try turning on your imagination instead of counting. According to scientists, people who use images to relax fall asleep faster than those who simply try to distract themselves from thinking.
Try to visualize in detail the peaceful place and the emotions you have when you are in it. For example, imagine a waterfall in a forest. Imagine the sound of running water, the singing of birds, the smell of wet grass. The place can be real or fictional. The main thing is that this image occupies all your thoughts, not letting thoughts about business or worries about tomorrow seep into your head.
General tips
The methods described above will help you fall asleep faster, but there are additional ways to make falling asleep easier.