5 Easy Ways to Relax Your Mind for Sleep
Having trouble sleeping? Try these simple tips to calm and relax your mind before bed…
If you struggle with falling asleep at night, one issue may be that it’s hard to get your mind to calm down. Getting your mind ready and relaxed for sleep can be challenging at times – especially when you’re extra busy or under a lot of stress (which, ironically, is when you really need the most sleep). If this is an issue for you, there are several things you can do to help relax your mind for sleep.
Here are just a few simple strategies to try out for yourself:
1. Close Your Eyes
Obviously, you have to close your eyes to actually go to sleep! However, before you even get into bed, shutting your eyes for a few moments can help you to relax and de-stress after a difficult day. If you practice meditation, this is a great time to meditate for a few minutes and relax your mind. If you don’t meditate already, it could be something to consider incorporating into your nightly routine.
2. Read a Book
In a world full of screens, reading a book can really help your eyes to rest before bed and get your mind ready and relaxed for sleep. It’s important that you choose a book that you enjoy and that you can get into, but without being so exciting that you stay up for hours on end reading, which defeats the purpose.
3. Take a Hot Bath
You may not be able to do this every night, but a hot bath once or twice a week can really help you to relax. Hot baths may also have other health benefits, and adding bath salts or essential oils can further increase the relaxation response before bedtime. Lighting some candles and switching the lights off while you’re in the tub is a great way to relax your mind too.
4. Exercise Earlier
If you’re the type of person who exercises late in the evening, this can actually cause difficulty getting to sleep, as you may often find yourself energized after a workout. You should aim to exercise earlier in the day – if you can’t exercise in the morning then work out as soon as you get home from work or during your lunch break.
5. Have a Warm Drink
A hot drink at the end of the day can help you to relax and put you in a better mood to go to sleep. Among the favorite hot drinks for the end of the night are camomile tea and warm milk, although you can choose almost anything that you like. (Golden milk is also a traditional pre-bed beverage.) You should avoid anything which contains caffeine, however, as this will keep you awake for longer, and alcohol should also be avoided as it can disrupt sleep patterns.
