About a third of us have sleep difficulties occasionally, but for some people insomnia can be a chronic problem which lasts for months or even years. If you need a bit of help getting off at night, follow some of these tips to help you get a better nights sleep. 1; Instead of counting sheep, count peacocks, giraffes, or emus!
2; Go to bed at
same time every night, and get up at same time every morning.
3; Sleep on a good, firm mattress.
4; Lie on your back and gently rub your stomach in a circular motion. Gradually let circles get bigger and bigger. 5; Avoid alcohol, caffeine and tobacco.
6; Start at one, two, or five hundred, and count backwards down to one.
7; Try to recall a poem that you used to know off by heart when you were at school.
8; Think of a boy and girl’s name starting with each letter of alphabet. For example; Albert and Alice, Bryan and Betty, or Carl and Camilla. See how far you can go.
9; Listen to a recording of crashing waves, dolphin sounds, heartbeats, or raindrops.
10; Don’t have tea, chocolate or cola in evening.
11; Imagine walking through a lush valley. Hear birdsong, smell trees and visualise beauty of countryside.
12; Sleep in a well ventilated room.
13; Don’t have temperature of your room too hot, or too cold.
14; Sleep on your back, as this enables your internal organs to rest.
15; Do not fall to sleep on your front, as this results in shallow breathing and causes pressure on your internal organs.
16; Drink warm milk ten to twenty minutes before retiring.
17; Stretch your body. Point your toes, arch your back and stretch your arms above your head, then relax completely.
18; Try to recite National Anthem in your head.
19; Make a long list of words in your head by changing just one letter at a time, for example; part, past, post, most, mast, etc.
20; Have a drink of herbal tea before retiring to bed. Some health food stores sell blends which are designed to aid restful sleep.
21; Fifteen minutes of exercise a day will supply your body with activity and oxygen it needs to relax at bedtime.
22; Make a list of everything that is bothering you and therefore keeping you awake. Imagine yourself writing list onto a piece of paper and then screwing it up and throwing it away.
23; Try to settle yourself by repeating soothing words to yourself, such as calm, peaceful, relaxing.
24; Imagine you are sewing hem of an extremely wide curtain. Use tiny stitches and visualise in detail every stitch you make.
25; Try to get your partner to give you a relaxing massage just before bed, or while you are both in bed.
26; Make love.
27; If your partner is in bed with you, listen to his breath and try to synchronise your breathing with his.
