What to Do When You Can’t Fall Asleep
Whether you’re stressed, excited, or simply replaying your day, use these tips to help quiet your racing mind — before thinking too much at bedtime becomes a habit that’s too intense to stop on your own.
1. Ditch the Devices
The apps, websites, and news you’re reading on such devices are actually designed to keep you and your brain engaged, he adds. “The internet is designed to capture attention so that you spend more eye time on screens, which can be a detriment to sleep,” says Chan.
2. Schedule Some ‘Worry Time’
Just as you schedule time to see friends or get a massage, you can do the same with your worries. Schedule 15 to 30 minutes a day, at least one to two hours before bed, to write down those worries. In addition, create at least one action item you can do to help deal with the issue. Thinking through those potential stressors earlier in the day should help ease how much you worry about them when your head hits the pillow, Chan says. “Ideal sleep depends on creating routines and schedules, and this is no different,” he says.
3. Create a Routine to Power Down Your Brain
Most people assume that sleep is like breathing: Your body will just do it. Not true. Modern-day living has created so much stimulation during the day that brains now operate at warp speed. If you don’t give yours time to rest, it’ll continue going at that speed at bedtime, says David Brodner, MD, founder of and principal physician at the Center for Sinus, Allergy, and Sleep Wellness in Boynton Beach, Florida.
4. Keep a Gratitude List
The impact of those positive thoughts is greater when you write them down. So try spending a few minutes each night listing three to five things you’re grateful for.
5. Practice 4-7-8 Breathing
You’ve heard how deep breathing can help combat stress, but it can also help you fall asleep. In order to sleep, your heart rate needs to slow down, Breus says, and breathing techniques are one of the most effective ways to achieve that goal.
One of Breus’s favorites is 4-7-8 breathing. Start by inhaling for a count of four, hold for seven, and then blow out for eight. Do this at least five to seven times to slow your heart rate.
6. Try Progressive Muscle Relaxation
As you lie in bed, tense and relax all of your muscles one by one, starting at your toes and ending at your head. Not only is this incredibly relaxing, as the name implies, but it also forces you to think about the physical parts of your body. Doing so will direct your attention away from whatever thoughts or stressors you’re fixating on, Breus says.
