How to sleep when you are stressed

Apart from shutting down a busy mind, relaxing your body also allows you to fall asleep quickly. So, you have to do everything to keep yourself free from stressful activities of the day. Often, the shadow of the undone works from the day taunt you while you try to sleep. As a result of this, your body produces stress hormones like cortisol, increases your body temperature, breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate. 

There is always a way around getting yourself a better sleep at night. One is setting aside an hour late in the day to make a list of the unfinished business from the day and promise yourself to end all work for the night before you go to bed. So, if you still have challenges getting proper night rest, here are some tips for you. 

How to relax your body before sleep

The best time to relax is in the final hour before bedtime. Check out these four amazing simple strategies to physically relax the body. 

1 Switch of your smartphones or mobile devices

At least an hour before you sleep, make sure to turn off your mobile devices. Avoid texting, calling, sending, or receiving any message on your computer. Also, make sure your TV is also switched off. 

2 Do some Pilates stretches or light yoga

Pilates stretches, or a light yoga helps you relax your body and mind before going to bed. All you need is moving gently with quiet meditation. 

3 Pamper yourself

There are different ways you can give yourself a treat. One of the few methods is getting a long and hot shower. The shower will trigger a quick sleep when you go to bed, and it will also relax your body. If you enjoy aromatherapy, make sure you use a soothing shower gel and a scented body lotion. 

4 Keep your feet warm

People often have difficulties sleeping with cold feet. This is because such feet increase your body temperature. Therefore, make sure your feet are always warm before you go to bed. You can wear socks or heated booties to bed if your feet are cold. With your feet warm, you can always have a cozy night rest without any challenges. 

How to shut down your mind before sleep: 

Having reviewed the different techniques to relax your body to sleep, here are few ways to help you shut down your mind before sleep. 

1 Put on a relaxing guided meditation or nature sounds

Before you go to bed at night, make sure you play mp3 tracks as nature sounds on a 30 to a 60-minute timer. These songs make your thinking brain bored and shut it down so you can sleep. Avoid playing audiobooks as this often holds your brain’s attention. 

2 Try mindful breathing

Once you shut off the lights for sleep, your mind becomes active. Therefore, you should practice mindful breathing as this would make your mind inactive even if the whole room is dark. To try mindful breathing, all you need to do is close your eyes, place your right hand on your abdomen, take a deep breath, and visualize a balloon filling with air. This process should be repeated until you feel your breath has slowed, and your body feels relaxed. 

The Bottom Line

Your sleep is uncertain when you are tense and stressed. A busy mind will also prevent you from having a cozy night rest. So, what do you do? Try out the tips to sleep reviewed in the post, and you will be thankful you did so.