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Do you know how to fall asleep? It may seem like common knowledge since we did all learn it in our very first days on earth. But how do we really travel to the land of nod? If you are a serial sheep counter like me then you would have tried every trick in the book to get some shut-eye at a normal time, but could there be just a simple trick to teach us how to fall asleep faster? Our guest blogger Charlotte Cook finds out…
Charlotte is a blogger, homemaker, baker, coffee addict, and creative mind who writes the blog The Ramblings Of Lottie. Enjoy!
Do you know that voice in your head that only seems to pop up as you close your eyes and rest your head to sleep? That small amount of anxiety that only seems to surface when you’re trying to end the day? That’s, what I call, a Sleep Demon. It’s like a sinister and malevolent version of your voice and if you allow it, it will manifest into a presence that sits heavy on your chest. In times of stress or fatigue, it becomes a regular visitor. It’s so familiar, you expect it. It doesn’t matter how tired you are, how much you have looked forward to getting some much-needed shut-eye *poof* there it is.
It might creep in with something innocent like “Did you put the bins out?” Yep, green. I remember. “Did you lock the front door?” Yes, I locked it after I got home. “That’s good because imagine what could happen if you didn’t…” I shut my eyes and try to think of something else. “Robber, murderer, you might even come downstairs in the morning to a drunk man asleep on the sofa. He might get violent. He might have a knife” The door is locked, go to sleep.
The worst part is, it’s apart of you so it knows your darkest secrets, it knows what is most important to you and it knows your weaknesses. “Is the baby asleep?” Yes, so I can relax now. “Are you sure she’s asleep? Are you sure she’s breathing?” I check. Yes, she is. “Imagine if she wasn’t?” No. Think about something else. We’re going to take her swimming next week, that’ll be fun. “Hope she doesn’t drown”. She won’t! I will be there. “What if someone takes her away from you?” I crumble. You win.
After a while, it just punches me in the gut, gives me an upper hook at the sound of the bell. Doesn’t bother easing me in, just goes for the knockout. “What are you doing with your life? You’re broke. What if you never make it? What if you have to go back to doing jobs that you hate and you spiral into depression again? You can’t do anything right.” Then, I find myself laying there, the monster on my chest, unable to breathe in the darkness. Paralyzed. Wide awake. Suffocating. Feeling like I have been buried alive in the place I should feel at peace and revitalized.
Demons hate it. Try to picture a ball of white light coming out of your chest and slowly expanding until you are surrounded by the light and then expanding further until it fills the entire room. Alternatively, try to picture the chaos inside your head like a messy room. Then clear the chaos until you can see an empty white room.
Try to deepen your breathing, in and out through your nose. Notice where you are breathing: your chest, your stomach, or diaphragm. Try to take deep breaths from your stomach and in a slow, rhythmic pattern. In for 2 and out for 4. Imagine waves retracting from the beach with every inhale and then them gently washing up on the sand with every exhale.
If you need something stronger, I highly recommend reading. In books, we can find escape and it allows you to focus on something outside of your head. Not only that but it will give you something to think about after you’ve closed the book. I always find it takes no more than 2 chapters to make me sleepy enough to drift off, uninterrupted by sleep demons. Check out my post; Best Bedside Books to see what books I reach for in the night and help me settle my uneasy mind.
If books aren’t your thing, then I highly recommend the Headspace app. It has a feature called ‘Sleepcasts’ which I find extremely helpful. It’s like someone reading you a story with added ambiance and it allows you to alter your experience, making it more ambiance or voice prominent. I talked more about it in my post 10 Ways To Do Self Care at Home.
If you’re looking for a more hands-on approach to learning how to fall asleep, then I highly suggest you check out: https://www.mindpanda.com/
They have multiple products designed to help you practice mindfulness on the go, anytime, anywhere, and away from all distractions. Helping you achieve a healthier, happier, and well-balanced lifestyle. They produce products such as stress balls and mindfulness cards and are currently offering 15% off your first order and free shipping!
I hope this helps keep your sleep demon at bay. If you need more help with how to fall asleep then I recommend visiting Sleep Hubs. Click here for the SleepHubs Check-Up. In 1 minute it can assess your sleep and determine your risk level of insomnia. From there, they can offer all kinds of solutions specific to your needs. Everything from a pre-bedtime routine, a mattress topper or even Cognitive Behavioural Therapy courses for insomnia.
Click here for the 1-minute checkup completely free.
Happy sleeping!
Also, have a look at this video for some funny insights into how sleep techniques actually affect your sleep quality, we promise it’s worth it just for the funny drawings!
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