FALL ASLEEP NATURALLY

Many persons living with insomnia can lie in bed wondering how to fall asleep. Being unable to fall asleep can be frustrating and have consequences for the next day. When someone is unable to fall asleep, they can take medications that induce sleep. However, natural techniques such as avoiding screens before bedtime, checking your eating habits, or practicing mindfulness may also be able to help.

A person can try using the tips below if they have a problem falling asleep naturally. Some are long-term lifestyle changes, while others are short-term solutions to try at the moment.

• Create a consistent sleeping pattern

Going to bed at different times every night is a common habit for many people. However, these irregular sleeping patterns could interfere with sleep because they interrupt the body’s circadian rhythm.

The circadian rhythm is a selection of behavioral, physical, and mental changes that follow a 24-hour cycle. A primary function of the circadian rhythm is to determine whether the body is ready for sleep or not.

This is heavily influenced by a biological clock that releases hormones to induce sleep or wakefulness. Going to bed at the same time every night helps the body clock predict when to induce sleep.

• Avoid napping during the day

Taking naps during the daytime, particularly those that last longer than 2 hours, can also disrupt the circadian rhythm. Persons who napped at least three times per week and those who napped for longer than 2 hours each time had lower sleep quality than others who did not.

After a poor night’s sleep, it is tempting to take a long nap. However, try to avoid this, as it can adversely affect a healthful sleep cycle.

• Avoid using your phone

The idea that using a mobile device, especially before bed, might be detrimental to sleep is not new. Using a mobile screen for more than 8 hours a day or for at least 30 minutes before going to bed can negatively affect sleep. Keeping the mobile device near the pillow while sleeping had a similar association with worse sleep quality.

• Keep the light off

When I was younger, I often wondered why my parents would always put off the lights when they want to put me to bad. Apparently, light also influence the circadian rhythm, which helps the brain and body judge when it is nighttime. Keeping the room as dark as possible when going to bed might help bring on sleep.

• Avoid caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant and also the most abused of all. It stimulates wakefulness and can disrupt sleep patterns. It takes about 3-5 hours for the effects of caffeine to wear off. Therefore, it is best to avoid caffeine for at least 4 hours before going to bed.

In some persons, consuming caffeine at any time of the day could have a negative impact on sleep quality. For these persons, it may be best to avoid caffeine altogether.

• Don’t wake yourself up

Often times, we are the orchestrator of our sleepiness. When a person relaxes before bed, they will usually feel sleepy.

An individual who is having a hard time falling asleep may actually want to avoid doing things like brushing teeth, removing make-up, washing their face, or entering a brightly lit bathroom right before they get in bed.

It is better to do these activities at least half an hour before bedtime and then take some time to relax in a dimly lit, non-stimulating space before heading to bed. This way a person does not disrupt their natural pre-bed sleepiness.

• Get some exercise during the day

Physical exercise have a positive impact on sleep quality. Exercising may be able to improve the quality or the duration of sleep. Engaging in physical exercises 4 - 5 times a week for a period of 8-12 weeks can significantly improve primary insomnia (difficult in falling asleep).

However, it may be a good idea not to exercise too close to a person’s bedtime, as that may actually disrupt sleep.

• Try meditation or mindfulness

Meditation and mindfulness can help reduce anxiety, which can often disrupt sleep. Using these techniques can help calm an anxious mind, distracting the person from busy thoughts and allowing them to fall asleep more easily.

• Read a book

Reading books can be relaxing and may help prevent anxious taught patterns that could interfere with a person’s sleep. However, while reading before bed can be relaxing, it may be best to avoid actually reading in bed. A person with insomnia who wakes up in the middle of the night should read in a different room using a dimly lit light.

It is also a good idea to avoid books that might cause strong emotional responses, which could prevent a person from relaxing sufficiently in order to fall asleep.

• Change your eating habits

What a person eats, particularly in the evening, can have an impact on their sleep. For example, eating a large meal within one hour of going to bed may impair a person’s ability to sleep.

Specifically, certain foods might prevent a person from getting quality sleep. For example, though the evidence on this is mixed, some research indicates that eating refined carbohydrates could interfere with sleep quality or trigger insomnia. Avoiding processed foods and eating a healthy diet comprised of low glycemic index (GI) foods can have a positive influence on the ability to fall and stay asleep. Good foods to eat include whole grains, nuts, low and nonfat dairy, fruit, and vegetables.

However, no matter what a person eats, digesting a meal can take at least 2–3 hours. Lying down during this period can cause discomfort or feelings of nausea and slow the digestive process in some people.

It is best to allow the body enough time to digest a meal before lying down. The exact time this takes will vary from person to person.

There are many other ways to fall asleep naturally but trying the methods highlighted in this article can increase the chance of falling asleep without needing to use any sleep aids.

Thank you for reading.