First off, I apologize for not posting in 2 weeks. I've been prepping for college and spending a lot of time with my family, so I've temporarily taken a step back from writing. But I'm back now, with an extra long post for your enjoyment.
I bet everyone has had those kind of nights where insomnia is just kicking you right in the face. You twist and turn under your covers, but you just can't seem to fall asleep, even when you're exhausted. It messes up your sleeping schedule and you're tired literally all the time. I had this problem a few weeks ago, and to make things even worse, it was a couple nights in a row.
So, I dived into the wonders of the internet and personal history to provide you with tips that might help you fall asleep.
Let's start with my favorite tip; listening to either music or other soothing sounds. I especially love the sound of rain, it calms me down and I'll be put to sleep in no time. Although I haven't tried ocean sounds or white noise yet, that might help too.
My cousin can fall asleep when her music's really loud, whereas I can only stand it on the lowest volume. One time she was taking a nap without headphones and when I turned the music down a little, she literally woke up and asked me if I could turn it back up.
It all really depends on personal preference, so you should definitely try everything out and see what works best.
This problem only applies if it's summer or if you live somewhere hot. It's literally impossible for me to fall asleep comfortably in heat. I'm glad I live in a little country where the sun only makes an appearance five times a year, but still. I'm not a huge fan of the fan (ha ha). I don't want to point it directly at me, because that's too much, and if I turn it away, it's too little and I get hot again. It works for some, not for me. I prefer to open my window just a crack, so I can let some cool air in.
Another thing I do is read. I'll read a few chapters of the novel that I'm currently reading, yet it doesn't always help. I tend to get a little too excited and then I don't want to stop reading anymore, so it's not the best thing for me, but I like it. Although I sometimes really do feel myself getting tired while reading. When my eyelids start to feel heavy, I know it's time to put it away or I'll fall asleep with the book still in my hands. I'd be lying if I said that hasn't happened before. My mom used to suggest to read books from school, because she says it'll 'bore me to sleep'. I mean, it's worth a shot.
Something that I struggle with a lot is the fact that I have a lot of thoughts floating around in my head. With my anxiety, it happens quite often that I overthink and then it's in the middle of the night and I'm laying in bed wide awake wondering what I'm doing with my life. I've mentioned in a previous post that I keep a Post-it pad next to my bed, but a little journal could also work in this case. I just write down whatever's bothering me, so it's out of my mind for the time being. It really does help to relieve some stress, even if it's for a little while so you can fall asleep in peace.
As a kid, I always had a nightlight in my room. I'd be scared to death if I didn't have one. Now though, I can't sleep unless it's pitch black. I have a roll-down shutter in front of my window which I roll down to make my room even darker. I believe it's also healthier to sleep in an as dark as possible space and then wake up from natural daylight. I always leave a little slit from my shutter open to allow sunlight to stream in when the mornings hit.
A little trick that's handy for anyone with an iPhone; night shift mode. I only recently discovered this feature and I use it everyday now. I'm not the most tech-savvy person, so I'm not too sure how to accurately explain this, but it's to lessen the blue light from your screen. It makes your screen a more yellow-y color that's designed to make you fall asleep easier. You can find it in your control panel when you swipe up on your screen or install it so it automatically turns on everyday. I've got it installed from 9pm till' 6am, so I can be sure that it's already been on for a few hours before I go to sleep and it'll be off by the time I wake up the next day.
Even with all these tips, everyone is different and there are dozens of other methods to help you fall asleep. Try warm milk or meditation exercises for instance. Make sure you get your fair share of sleep, because it's got so many benefits for your health.
Sweet dreams, Faith
Post a Comment