How to Sleep When You’re Not Sleepy

You want to go to bed early or take a nap, but for some reason you’re not sleepy. There are many ways to help you relax your mind and body to sleep. If you often can’t fall asleep when you’re not sleepy, you can change your routine to make it easier to fall asleep even when you feel fully awake. Please start with step 1 below.

Table of Contents

Stretch the body

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Adjust the temperature. The temperature in the room should be slightly cooler than what you would normally be comfortable with. A slightly lower temperature will make it easier for you to fall asleep. This helps a lot. ^{[1] X Research Source} Don’t let yourself get too cold, especially your feet; Cold feet can disrupt sleep, so you should wear socks. You can wake up in the middle of the night and take off your socks, but that’s better than being woken up by the cold in your feet.

It can take many hours for the body to cool down after exercise or when exposed to high temperatures, so you need to make sure your body temperature is at a normal level when you are getting ready to sleep.

Adjust the light. If you like the room to be completely dark, cover all light sources such as digital clocks or any other light-emitting electronic devices in the bedroom. If you prefer to sleep in dim light, you can wear an eye patch or turn down the lights until you feel comfortable. Do not leave the lights on when you sleep, because the light will disrupt your sleep and make it difficult for you to fall asleep and relax. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Adjust the sound level. “White sounds” (engines running, fans running, etc.) have been shown to help people fall asleep faster. Many people find the ticking of a wristwatch or wall clock to have a lulling effect. ^{[3] X Trusted Source Consumer Reports Go to Source} If you like absolute silence, turn off anything that makes a sound.

You might also consider wearing earplugs before bed. It may take you a while to get used to it, but it will help block out sounds you don’t even realize interfere with your sleep. Earplugs are especially helpful if you share a bed with other people and they can wake you up.

Adjust your sleeping position. Keep your back straight and make sure not to raise your neck too high or too low. Avoid sleeping on your stomach, as this position forces you to turn your head to the side, straining your spine and neck. If lying on your side, place a thin pillow or rolled towel between your knees to keep your hips in a level position. Even turning from right to left can help you fall asleep if staying in one position keeps you from falling asleep.

Prepare the bed for comfort. Swap pillows that are too flat or too high for the ones you keep in your living room. If the mattress is not flat, you can turn it over or place the air mattress on top. The warmer the bed, the more you feel like going in. Everyone has been rocking in a comfortable hammock in the sun and falling asleep even when not very sleepy, right? That’s it, a cozy bed has the same effect.

Choose silk sheets if you feel too hot at night. Choose one made of more stomach fabric if you feel cold at night. In addition, choose a single-layer blanket instead of two-layer, because they will often be softer and more durable.
If you can’t afford a new mattress, buy a memory foam mattress cover for an extra layer of support and increased comfort.
Add a quilted mattress cover, which will help protect the mattress and make the bed softer.
Bringing your sheets and blankets to be washed will also help you feel more comfortable.

Exercise at least three hours before bedtime. Go for a run, hit the gym, go for a walk, or do a stretch to get your heart rate up before you relax and go to bed. Exercise keeps your body active and wants to rest; However, you need to exercise at least three hours before bedtime so that the adrenaline doesn’t pump right before bedtime to wake you up. You will feel like a flute if you exercise right before bed. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Avoid alcoholic beverages or caffeine right before bed. Although a glass of wine may make you drowsy at first, drinking it right before bedtime can disrupt your sleep cycle and cause you to fall into a deep sleep. If you really want to drink a glass of wine at night, you need to drink it 2-3 hours before bedtime so that you don’t wake up. With caffeine, you should avoid drinking after 2-3 pm, it is best not to drink in the afternoon because caffeine can take up to 8 hours to be eliminated from the body, and this will definitely keep you awake even when you want to sleep. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Drink cherry juice. Or you can eat a variety of foods rich in melatonin, a substance that is believed to help you fall asleep or help you fall asleep faster. While eating right before bed should be avoided because it will wake you up due to digestion or discomfort, some of the following foods will help you sleep better if eaten a few hours before bedtime: ^{[6] X Source research}^{[7] X Research source}

Other fruits that can increase your melatonin levels are tart cherries, tomatoes, grapes, and pomegranates.
Rice, rolled oats, and barley are all grains rich in melatonin.
Add melatonin-boosting veggies like asparagus, corn, olives, cucumbers, and broccoli.
You can also snack on sunflower seeds, mustard seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds or peanuts to increase melatonin levels in your body.

Bend the toes. When you get into bed, curl your toes up for a few seconds, release, and then repeat. This move helps you relax your mind and body, so repeat this 10 times if you find yourself too awake and unable to sleep. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Drink herbal tea. Herbal teas such as chamomile or peppermint have been shown to have sedative and relaxing effects on the body, helping you to fall asleep and relax. Drink a cup of tea an hour or two before bedtime – don’t drink too much liquid right before bedtime so you don’t have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. You can even fall asleep faster if you can make tea a part of your bedtime routine.

Eat a light and healthy dinner. Dinner should include a moderate amount of starch, protein, fruit or vegetables. Avoid spicy or overly hearty meals with a lot of fat or sugar, or your body will stay awake and irritable throughout the night. A healthy and balanced dinner will help you feel sleepy. Make sure to eat at least three hours before bedtime to give your body time to digest the food. Here are a few good dinner options that can help you sleep and still feel healthy: ^{[9] X Research Source}

Cheese cooked pasta
Tofu and couscous noodles
A glass of warm milk with oats
Mixed vegetables with kale, salmon and rice noodles

Try a magnesium supplement. Magnesium supplements can help you feel more relaxed. Magnesium deficiency can be an additional cause of mental problems such as anxiety and depression. Try a daily 400 mg magnesium supplement to see if it works.

Relax

Self-created boredom. This is different for everyone, but whatever the activity,

it should make your brain feel tired, not excited. Do whatever you feel most bored with.

Listen to soft and slow music, or read something you don’t like at all
Play puzzles like Sudoku or Spitaire
Listen to a dry podcast
Play tic-tac-toe alone

Practice breathing exercises. You can try belly breathing exercises, yoga pranayam, or “one minute breathing” exercises. Close your eyes and focus on breathing in and out of your body. Visualize each body part relaxing in turn. Focusing on your body will keep you from thinking about anything in the outside world.

Imagine relaxing and repetitive images. For example, imagine gentle and warm waves lapping at you in regular waves to coincide with your breathing. Meditate to relieve stress and to clear the mind. Don’t think images of excitement or suspense, or you will keep yourself awake. Picture a peaceful beach, a lush forest or a beautiful rose garden and imagine yourself walking through it.

Think of one of the most beautiful and peaceful places you’ve ever been (a clear mountain stream flowing through a field full of flowers, a calm lake, a beautiful beach with gentle breezes) in the air). This will help you relax.

Read a book. Reading can help calm your mind and get your thoughts out of the troubles of the day. Read something light and not overly engaging like local news, a book, or a piece of history. A thrilling or emotional story will keep you awake and awake longer if you can’t stop reading.

Challenge yourself and read the most boring thing you can find, from a chemistry textbook to another country’s economic report.

Turn off stimulating images at least an hour before bedtime. Put away iPads, phones, computers that are playing movies continuously and turn off the TV. You need to give your eyes a break and stop viewing images that make you awake or nervous. Quit the habit of falling asleep while watching TV or still holding the phone in your hand, eliminating all entertainment that requires sensory focus that makes your mind work harder when it’s time to sleep. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Set up a sleep-friendly sequence

Come up with a bedtime routine. If you want to fall asleep when you go to bed, you have to come up with a sequence that will help you relieve stress and be able to fall asleep as soon as you get into bed. This sequence should begin at least half an hour before bedtime, and may include activities such as reading a soothing book, listening to classical music, reading the newspaper, or doing anything non-stressful to help. you forget your troubles and begin to notice that your body needs rest. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Once you’ve established this sequence, stick to it, and if you need to go to bed a little earlier even though you’re not sleepy yet, do it earlier to trick your brain into feeling early sleepiness.

Go to bed at the same time every night. You won’t feel sleepy if you try to go to bed three hours earlier than usual because you have to wake up early tomorrow. If you want to make it easier to fall asleep, you have to get used to going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning. That way your body will get used to feeling sleepy at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning.

The bed is only for sleeping if you want to sleep easily. Even if you’re not sleepy, don’t watch TV in bed, do your homework in bed, talk on the phone with friends in bed, or do anything else in bed. You’ll be more likely to fall asleep with your eyes closed, as this is signaling to your body that the bed is only for sleep.

Find a space or room in the house to “specialize in work”. This will help you save relaxing activities for the bed.

Catch the sun as soon as you wake up. As soon as you get out of bed, go to a window or balcony as soon as you can. The bright light from the sun will tell your body’s biological clock it’s time to wake up, and that same clock will tell you to sleep in about 14-16 hours, helping you to stabilize your expression. get up and go to sleep. ^{[13] X Research Source}

Set aside “worry time” earlier in the day. If one of the reasons you don’t fall asleep when it’s time to sleep is because you stay up for two hours worrying about your relationship, your health, your position at work, etc., you need to. schedule a “worry time” earlier in the day so that by the time you go to bed you won’t have to worry about anything. It may sound silly, but if you say to yourself, “I’m going to worry from 5:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day,” and do nothing but worry, write or verbalize the things that worry you for a while, During this time, you will be able to get rid of the pressure.

If you wait until you’re about to go to sleep before thinking about your troubles, well, you’ll be awake for a long time.

Try showering or soaking in a warm bath before bed. Both ways of taking a warm bath increase body temperature. After taking a warm shower, go to a bedroom with a cooler temperature. That way your body temperature will drop, which will be a signal to your body that it’s time to go to sleep. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Take your pet out of the bedroom. Another way to develop healthy sleep patterns that keep you awake longer than necessary is to keep your pet out of the room. Even if you love this soft, cuddly animal more than anything in the world, studies have shown that people who sleep with their pets have a harder time falling asleep and staying asleep because the animals deserve it. This love can wake you up in the middle of the night. ^{[15] X Research Source}

You may think that you will sleep easier if your beloved pet is next to you, but they will actually make you more awake.

Advice

Sleep with a big pillow or stuffed animal, because no one likes to sleep alone.
Dreamy. Dreamy thoughts will help dispel stress or anxiety and transport you into your fantasy world.
Going to the bathroom before bed will help you feel more comfortable and avoid having to wake up in the middle of the night.
Think of your dream vacation. Where is it? When will come? What’s there? Is anyone there? What will you do?
You can open the window to let fresh air into the bedroom.
Drink a glass of warm milk before going to bed, it’s great!
Try not to sleep during the day even though you are sleepy. Do something and save sleep for the night.
Listen to the wind outside.
Remember to close the door so you won’t be disturbed while you’re trying to fall asleep.
Put the pillow in the freezer for 10-15 minutes, and sleep with it. Cool air will help you fall asleep faster.
Leave a fan in your room, it will cool you down and can help you fall asleep.
Do not watch horror or suspense movies before bedtime; you might be horrified by those images.

Warning

Don’t stress too much with the thought, “I have to sleep now, or else…” This will put more pressure on you to fall asleep. Instead, take it easy: “It’s fine to sleep now, but If I can’t, it’s not a big deal. At least I can rest a bit and have time to relax.”

Steps

Stretch the body

Relax

Set up a sleep-friendly sequence

Advice

Warning

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