Sleep is incredibly important for us. After a day's work, our bodies become fatigued and need sleep to relieve stress. Sleep is a vital function for our bodies, helping us relax and reduce fatigue. Some people struggle with poor sleep, leading to a lack of energy. So, what methods can help improve sleep? Unlike certain bodily activities that can be controlled at will, sleep doesn't come and go on demand.Those with insomnia often struggle to induce sleep. In fact, mild, early-stage insomnia can often be improved through self-care methods, summarized as follows:
1. Maintain a calm and natural mindset: Don't worry excessively about insomnia. The more tense you become, the harder it is to fall asleep, often leading to the opposite effect.Some individuals become particularly anxious when insomnia persists for several consecutive nights, fearing that their brain isn't getting adequate rest and that this will lead to premature aging or illness. Such excessive worry, fueled by these concerns, can be even more detrimental to sleep and overall health.
2. Identify and address the causes of insomnia: There are numerous factors that can contribute to insomnia. By carefully examining your routine, you can pinpoint the elements affecting your sleep. Don't dismiss poor sleep as a minor issue.
3. Relaxing Body and Mind Benefits Sleep: Taking a short walk outdoors before bed to unwind, followed by a warm bath or hot foot soak before retiring, offers numerous benefits for falling asleep smoothly. Various techniques can induce sleep, such as relaxation exercises, which are widely practiced and can be utilized.Additionally, here are two simple yet effective techniques:
① Closed-Eye Quiet Method: After getting into bed, close your eyes. Then slightly open them to maintain a faint connection with the outside world. Though mental activity continues, the tension of the sympathetic nervous system significantly decreases, gradually guiding the body into a drowsy state.
② Heavenly Drum Technique: Lie on your back with eyes closed. Cover your left ear with your left palm and your right ear with your right palm. Use your fingers to tap the back of your head, creating a rhythmic thumping sound. Continue tapping until you feel slightly fatigued. After stopping, slowly lower your head onto the pillow and let your arms rest naturally at your sides. You will soon fall asleep.
4. Sleep Induction: Listening to rhythmic, soothing music can aid sleep and help establish a conditioned response for sleep induction.
5. Warm Milk Method: Drinking a cup of warm milk with sugar before bed increases insulin secretion, allowing more amino acids to enter brain cells and stimulating the release of sleep-inducing serotonin. Additionally, milk contains trace morphine-like substances that calm the mind and promote restful sleep.
6. Optimal Sleeping Position: While comfort is paramount and preferences vary, side sleeping is generally recommended. Health expert Cao Cishan noted in The Art of Sleep: "Lie on your left side with your left leg bent, left arm bent to support your head, right leg extended, and right hand placed between your thighs. Reverse this for right-side sleeping." This position promotes full-body relaxation and sounder sleep.
7. Eating fruit: For those struggling to sleep due to fatigue, consider consuming fruits like apples, bananas, tangerines, oranges, or pears. The aromatic scent of these fruits has a calming effect on the nervous system, while their natural sugars help inhibit the cerebral cortex, facilitating the transition into sleep.
8. Mental Relaxation: If insomnia arises from being away on business and feeling unsettled by unfamiliar surroundings, prepare mentally beforehand. Proactively adjust your mindset to prevent anxiety from disrupting sleep. Combine this with the above sleep-inducing methods to avoid sleeplessness.
9. Self-Hypnosis: Don't dismiss "counting sheep" as mere childish nonsense without scientific basis.In fact, counting sheep is a form of self-hypnosis. When troubled by life's problems and unable to sleep, lie in bed and count sheep. As you count, imagine yourself lying on a vast grassland: one white sheep after another leaping from one side of the fence to the other... You'll soon regain a calm state of mind and drift off naturally.
10. Romance for Stress Relief: For many working professionals, collapsing into bed immediately upon returning home is their default routine. After a grueling day at work, who has the energy left to engage in romantic conversation with their partner after dinner? In reality, after a busy day, sharing a relaxed moment with your loved one to unwind tense nerves can be far more effective at relieving work stress than rushing to sleep.