We love to sleep! But sometimes we find it a bit difficult… Take note of these 5 sleeping tricks and try them until you find the one that best suits you!
Sleep is a primary function of human beings. We sleep every day and love it; in fact, it’s usually quite hard to get out of bed afterwards. So why do we sometimes have such a hard time falling asleep and need some tricks to fall asleep?
The frenetic pace of everyday life means that bedtime comes and we lie in bed with our eyes wide open, or it takes us a long time to fall asleep.
The reasons can be very diverse, but there are a number of tricks to sleep that help us a lot. A good diet, sports and a good mattress are basic, we know that. But there are also a number of special tricks in case that is not enough.
Take note of these sleep tricks and try them out until you find the one that works best for you:
Breath-centered technique
One of the best tricks to sleep is to control our breathing. It is a great option to relax and, thus, facilitate sleep. The 4 – 7 – 8 technique consists precisely in that, in controlling our breathing.
It is a very simple, fast and surprisingly effective technique. It is natural and has a solid scientific basis to back it up. It consists of controlling our breathing in cycles of different seconds and is performed as follows:
- Breathe in through the nose for 4 seconds
- Hold that air in for 7 seconds
- Exhales all air for 8 seconds
The process repeats until you fall asleep. It is not usual to last more than a couple of minutes performing the technique.
2. Mental focus trick
Mental exercises are a great way to relax our mind and promote a state conducive to sleep. The “brain games” keep our brain busy, thus avoiding annoying thoughts and are often so boring that they do not allow you to stay awake for a long time.
This is the origin of one of the oldest sleeping tricks: the “counting sheep” trick. In fact, some studies show that you fall asleep faster if you are distracted and not focused on a fixed thought. The concentration required for this type of task prevents your mind from being occupied with other matters.
But counting sheep may be too easy to keep our minds fully occupied, so we should opt for other options that require more mental focus. One of the most popular is to count backwards by threes. Starting with a high number, such as 300 or 400. Since it is a mechanical and concentration task, you get into a drowsy state and end up sleeping out of boredom.
3. Muscle relaxation trick
Controlling our breathing and our mind are great ideas, and controlling our muscles is also a good sleep trick. We must start from the premise that it is necessary to exercise regularly to achieve a physical fatigue that will facilitate a good rest.
But an extra help is muscle relaxation, which can be carried out in many different ways. For example, by doing progressive muscle relaxation exercises, gradually tensing all the muscles of the body and then relaxing them one by one. While tightening and releasing all the muscles of our body we must not forget our breathing. It must be constant, deep and relaxed. A good trick is to start at the feet and work your way up to the head in an orderly fashion. This is one of the simplest and most effective sleep tricks. A complementary option is to pinch the muscles one by one gently.
Another similar option is to perform a small self-massage on the head. Exerting pressure with the fingertips on the different areas of the head. Using circular movements with a moderately strong but pleasant pressure from the forehead to the nape of the neck. Several minutes is enough to reach a state of high relaxation.
4. Conscious yawning
We know that it is our mind that sends orders to our body on how to behave, and we also know that if we are sleepy, we usually yawn. This trick starts from that premise and uses it in just the opposite way. “Trick” our body into thinking it is sleepy by conscious yawning. In this way we encourage our body to sleep.
This sleep trick is very simple, since it consists of closing the eyelids slowly and yawning softly. Normally, at 5 or 6 repetitions true yawns begin to emerge.
In addition, an extra facility is that yawning oxygenates our brain more and that helps us to relax.
5. The 90-minute rule
This last one is more of a sleep tip than a sleep trick. We have heard all our lives that you have to sleep 8 hours, but the truth is that our sleep cycles are 90 minutes long. Therefore, the most sensible way to sleep would be not to wake up in the middle of any cycle.
Sleep consists of 5 phases, some deeper and some shallower, which are completed in approximately 90 minutes. Ideally, we should get up just after finishing one cycle and before starting the next one.
In conclusion, we should sleep in multiples of 90 minutes, i.e., 6 hours, 7.5 hours or 9 hours.
In this way we will feel much more rested, it will be less difficult to wake up and we will feel less tired during the day because we will feel more energetic.
In Dupen we care about your rest and for us your trust is very important, so we strive every day to keep improving and to offer you the best rest, both in materials and rest tips. That’s why you should also keep in mind that if you think your sleeping difficulties are a serious problem, it is best to see your doctor.
Did you find these sleep tips helpful? Do you know any other tricks to fall asleep quickly?
Tell us about it.
Sweet dreams.
