Can’t Sleep? Here Are Some Amazing Strategies That Actually Worked for Me

Grab the secrets of good sleep

I used to have sleep problems and sometimes I used to twist and turn hundreds of times in bed before going to deep sleep. Research shows that 1 in 3 adults don’t sleep properly and almost 35% of U.S. adults sleep less than 7 hours.

Good sleep is considered one of the healthiest exercises.

As we grew up we often neglect sleep because of responsibilities in our life. I was doing the same and my sleep cycle was drowning and it affected my health, and quality of life badly.

But now I give sleep as the main priority and over the past three months I experimented with different things.

Here, are strategies that helped me to sleep better. Hoping you will find some of them useful.

Sleep prayer

Night prayer is one of the best routines I have imbibed in myself and it has increased my faith in God and gave me peaceful sleep. As I recite prayer there is that feeling of trust and gratefulness that connects me to my Lord.

If you have trouble sleeping take the help of God. Say — Thank you for endless good things he does for you every single day, talk to him or recite few verses of a holy book. Try it out and feel the good vibes.

Here, is one prayer that we often forget to say:

For all the times when I was aware of your help today, all the times when your unseen presence seemed so near, thank you, God. But for all the ways you worked behind the scenes, unknown to me, moments when heaven-sent angels moved on my behalf in ways I’ll never know, thank you for those also. — by Rebecca Barlow Jordan

Comfortable Mattress and pillow

You should not avoid this. It’s important.

I was using the same mattress but when I changed I understood the comfort of it and my quality of sleep got better. People often neglect this part but this is basic. It’s a foundation for good sleep.

I can’t tell you which is the best mattress and pillow but you need to figure it out by experimenting. Here, is the list of pillows and mattresses that Forbes recommends.

Write: To-do list for the next day or write in your worry journal

Sometimes as I lie on the bed some extremes thoughts come one after the other and I am not able to sleep. I started freewriting before bed to clear my headspace and this writing felt soothing and helped me to sleep better.

If you are thinking about the next day routine or the same day problems in bed then dump all your thoughts on a piece of paper before you sleep.

Forbes article says — Writing a to-do list will help you to sleep faster and the other article of Forbes says:

If your mind races with a million to-dos the minute you lay your head on a pillow, keep a notebook by your bed to jot down thoughts as they come up.

Stop looking at the clock in the middle of the night

Sometimes I used to wake up in the middle of the night. It may be around 3 or 4 am.

I know the time because I used to check it and that was the problem. The detrimental thing was if I am not able to sleep for another half an hour and it’s 3.30 am now then I used to get stress about my sleep cycle.

So, I have stopped looking at the clock at night and it has helped me. If you are the one who gets awake in the middle of the night then please don’t see the time as you will feel anxiety because of lack of sleep.

Drink this instead of coffee and sugary drink

Research shows that servings of caffeine and sugary drinks before bed leads to shorter sleep. So, cut off sugar and coffee before bed if you are consuming it instead replace it with:

• Milk
• Chamomile tea
• Lemon tea, etc

In my childhood, my Mom used to give me a glass of milk at night but as I grew up somehow I stopped that habit. Recently, a month before I started drinking a small cup of warm milk at night it has helped me with sound sleep.

Milk is like old school as every kid must have drunk milk before bed. So, if you have halted that habit it’s never too late to restart again.

Do this 12 minutes meditation before you sleep

This is the video I watch before I sleep.

I would recommend everyone to watch at least once. It will help you to breathe, to smile, to remind things you are grateful for and will give good vibes.

The voice is beautiful and soothing. I am already in love with that video it gives me relaxation, happiness and makes me realize that I did my best today. If you have a busy day, bad day, or good day listen to it it’s like a blessing. You may cry with closed eyes or may experience different emotions.

I enjoy every part of it hope you will appreciate it too.

Sleep in dark and maintain a good temperature in your bedroom

The ambiance of the room also affects the quality of sleep.

I need darkness and a good temperature because it helps me to sleep peacefully. I sometimes even use an eye mask for it. Study shows that sleeping in darkness has many benefits — it makes a person fit, eyes feel relaxed, and you fall asleep comfortably.

But many people prefer lights but the article of Time states that even a small, amount of light leads to depression. And our body is programmed in a way that helps us to sleep better when it's dark.

Try to sleep in dark. Use an eye mask or curtains to block the light.

These are some of the strategies which have helped me to get deep and sound sleep. It also helped me to:

• Scheduled my sleep time as I wake up and sleep at the same time.
• I started spending less time on the phone before sleep.
• Started eating light meals at night.

Remember everyone’s sleep cycle is different and people prefer different environments while they sleep. Try this out and if it works continue doing it for healthier sleep. If something doesn’t work, experiment and do what works for your body.

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