You’ve got work in the morning, well in a few hours now because it’s 2am. Oh 2am, we haven’t missed you!
We’ve all been there, laying in bed trying to get some sleep and it’s just not happening. We’re also embarrassed to say we’ve tried counting sheep just for the fun of it…clearly did not work! Falling asleep seems like the easiest thing to do, but when you’re surrounded by distractions your brain has other plans than sleep.
Buy a good book for bedtime
The biggest piece of advice we can give you is to put down your phone and read a book instead. Reading stimulates your brain as you’re concentrating instead of absentmindedly scrolling through Instagram. The light from your screen will also keep you up later than intended so just switch it off! Check out some of our recommendations here!
Make yourself a warm drink
A warm drink is something that definitely gets you in the mood for bed. Avoid coffee like the plague otherwise, you will be up all night! Green tea is great, chamomile will definitely help lull you to sleep, or if you’re feeling slightly more indulgent, have a small hot chocolate. Drinking hot drinks before bed is especially good in the winter months.
Listen to white noise
Softly play some music, or white noise, if you’re struggling to get to sleep. We’re not saying it’s time for an impromptu One Direction sing-along, as fun as that sounds! But we are saying it might be a good idea to create a playlist full of acoustic songs to help you dose off.
White noise, or rain sounds, are perfect for falling asleep to because they’re repetitive and will help you doze off. If you’re feeling lazy, Spotify have lots of playlists already created by others that you might find helpful.
Hypnotize yourself
If you’re really struggling, lie down, close your eyes and try some visualization. Picture yourself walking down some stairs, every time you step down you relax more. Repeat the words ‘sleeping deeply’ over and over in your mind. It might just work!
Try the sleep paradox
Psychotherapist Julie Hirst says that if you’re struggling to sleep, instead of saying “I need to sleep, I need to sleep!” over and over, challenge yourself to stay awake. The brain has trouble processing negatives. So if you keep your eyes open and repeat “I will not sleep” to yourself, your eye muscles will tire and sleep should come easily!
Let us know if you have any other tips that might help fight that night time insomnia!
