1. Breath work
Breath work might sound like a simple action, but it can make a big difference in your sleep! It helps those suffering from anxiety and depression by calming our nervous system (fight or flight). And calming our nervous system can affect our blood pressure, allow us to naturally release stress, and get a better night’s sleep.
Try Box Breathing
The technique is also known as “resetting your breath” or four-square breathing. It is easy to do, quick to learn, and can be a highly effective technique for people in stressful situations.
- Close your eyes. Breathe in through your nose while counting to four slowly. Feel the air enter your lungs.
- Hold your breath inside while counting slowly to four. Try not to clamp your mouth or nose shut. Simply avoid inhaling or exhaling for 4 seconds.
- Begin to slowly exhale for 4 seconds.
- Repeat steps 1 to 3 at least three times. Ideally, repeat the three steps for 4 minutes, or until your nervous system calms down.
2. Guided Meditation with Headphones
Recently, I’ve been practicing meditation before bed with headphones, and it has helped tremendously when it came to my sleeping cycle. In the past, I would either take the sleep capsules or sleep gummies, but once I incorporated a guided meditation, I was able to fall asleep faster due to the synergistic effect. The headphones are optional, but it helps to reduce distractions and I feel more connected to my body.
3. Turn Down Your AC
Many sleep experts say that sleeping in a colder room is very beneficial when it comes to sleep because your body begins to drop in temperature right before you fall asleep. During sleep, your core temp is reduced by 1 to 2°F, as a way to conserve energy. Sleeping in a colder room will help you drop to that level faster, which will help you fall asleep (and stay that way) quicker.
4. Eye Mask or Black Out Curtains
Blackout curtains are amazing when it comes to a deep sleep! They keep the room dark without any interruptions from the sun rising especially if you are a light sleeper or have an eastern-facing window. And just like blackout curtains, eye masks help keep the sunlight from disrupting your sleep and can be a very cheap solution if you are not looking to upgrade your curtains anytime soon.
Products for Sleep
