There are many reasons you may have difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep at night. You may be stressed or have poor bedtime habits. Either way, lack of sleep or restlessness at night can cause much distress.
Stress and anxiety are common reasons behind sleep issues. And if that’s the case for you, relaxation techniques may help you sleep better. With plenty of ways to get your system to slow down and relax, you should find something that works for you.
Let’s get you started with these proven ways to relax and sleep better at night.
1. Breathing Exercises
Breathing exercises can help in various situations, whether you have sleep problems or panic attacks. It’s a proven technique that works through distraction.
By distracting yourself from everything else and focusing on nothing but breathing, you will be able to lower your heart rate and relieve muscle tension, encouraging your body to relax.
You don’t necessarily need a specific breathing exercise. You’re good to go with whatever feels comfortable, as that’s our objective.
However, it’s recommended to take deep breaths, hold for a moment and then slowly exhale. It’s best to make sure you’re already in bed and ready to sleep since you may drift off.
There isn’t a specific amount of time to repeat these exercises. You can keep at it as many times as you need.
2. Visualization
Visualization can help you relax by engaging your senses in things that make you happy and comfortable.
What you visualize depends on what’s more likely to trigger relaxation for you. Beautiful scenery like woods or meadows works for some people. For others, the image and smell of good food would do it.
Engage your imagination and visualize things that trigger a peaceful feeling, as that will help you relax and sleep better.
3. Herbal Therapy
Certain herbs can help you relax and get a good night’s sleep. Overwhelming research shows that herbs such as lavender, ashwagandha, valerian root, and chamomile can relieve stress and anxiety.
These herbs are best taken as teas before bed to enjoy the soothing effects.
A more powerful herb to try is marijuana. It’s great for sleep, and pain relief, among other problems. However, unlike the other herbs we mentioned, marijuana isn’t taken as a tea.
The plant is generally dried and smoked. But the safest consumption method is ingesting in the form of edibles, which are easy to prepare. You need infused cannabis oil or alcohol, calculate its potency as shown here, and use it in your cooking.
4. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
When you’re not relaxed, you’re tense, and muscle tension is a huge factor in sleep deprivation.
Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique for engaging muscles in contracting and relaxing. Basically, you learn how to tense and relieve different muscle groups around the body.
The technique promotes awareness of various parts of your body and shows you how to influence relaxation.
Find training videos online to help you learn PMR, but in a nutshell, this is how you go about it to aid with sleep:
- Lie down and prepare to fall asleep
- Take deep breaths, inhale and exhale gently
- Tense various muscle groups one at a time and release when you exhale
- Start from the top and work your way to the bottom, from head to toe.
5. Hot Shower
A hot shower is therapeutic and can help combat stress and anxiety by relieving muscle tension.
Take a warm bath shortly before bed to ease tension and trigger oxytocin release for anti-stress effects.
If you prefer a cold shower, you’ll still benefit. Cold showers are proven to aid with relaxation just as effectively as hot showers.
6. Meditation
Meditation is an age-old practice known for its mind-body benefits. It can help you attain deep relaxation by calming your mind and eliminating stress.
The practice is simple and easy to master. When meditating, you direct your attention to the present and try to focus on your breathing rather than your thoughts.
Since the practice can help you stay centered and calm, doing it at night will aid your sleep.
Conclusion
Relaxation is interconnected with the ability to get a restful sleep. If you have sleep issues, it’s worth considering one or more relaxation techniques to address the problem.
