One of my secret superpowers is my ability to fall asleep in 0.3 seconds. My man says that I will literally stop speaking and start snoring, mid-sentence. However, like most people, I occasionally have trouble falling asleep and it makes me really angry. It’s like being a straight-A student, who suddenly and unreasonably gets a D. Which, incidentally, also makes me really angry.
Here are a few little remedies you can use to help you get to sleep when it just ain’t happening.
1. Drop Your Core Body Temperature.
I read Counting Sheep last year and one of the biggest causes of insomnia is overheating. Your core body temperature must drop in order for you to get to sleep. So throw off your heavy blanket and open the window. Even having a warm shower can help because it makes your body temperature momentarily peak and then slowly lower as you fall asleep.
2. Place a Few Drops of Lavender Oil on Your Pillow
Lavender oil has a calming effect and aids in the reduction of stress. Which is exactly what we do when we can’t fall asleep, we stress about it. A few drops on your pillow, coupled with slow, steady breathing will have you snoring in no time.
3. Assume The Sleeping Baby Position
The reason why it’s so effective is because you can’t move or roll over. Sometimes your inability to fall asleep is simply a lack of stillness.
4. Clench and Release Your Body
This is an exercise that I used to use before theatre performances to relax my body, but I had to stop using it because it made me so sleepy, which makes it perfect for those nights that you are plagued by insomnia. Start with your toes, clench them for ten seconds, then release. Move on to your calves, clench them for ten seconds, then release. Move all the way up your body including knees, thighs, buttocks, hands, abdominals, chest, upper arms, shoulders, neck, face and finally your whole body. You should experience a short bout of muscle fatigue which might be enough to relax you and put you to sleep.
5. Play Mind Games
I find that a sure-fire way to fall asleep is by trying to not fall asleep. If you just repeat ‘Don’t fall asleep, don’t fall asleep, don’t fall asleep…’ in your head, chances are that the guilty napping part of your brain will jump into action and knock you out like a light.
What are your favourite getting to sleep tricks?
P.S Also you should totally sign up for my newsletter. It’s full of cool stuff.
P.P.S Don’t forget Crochet Coach has a free trial offer period at the moment so make sure you sign up!