Article #4

How To Go To Sleep

For some people, going to sleep can be a real challenge. Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the world, affecting an estimated 58% of Americans and large numbers of people worldwide. If you're having difficulty getting to sleep, the best approach to how to go to sleep is to identify and correct the cause of the insomnia. This might be any of various factors: stress, excessive caffeine intake (especially close to bedtime), use of alcohol or sleeping pills which can actually hamper sleep long-term, or a habit of exciting or simulating activity near bedtime, among other things.

Besides correcting the cause of insomnia, there are a few specific methods for going to sleep that may be of use.

 

How To Go To Sleep Fast

One method that seems to work for many people is a combined breathing and mental exercise as follows. First, lie down and clear your mind of the concerns and stressful events of the day. Hold a simple image in your mind for several seconds and concentrate on that to break your normal pattern of thoughts. Second, breath in a controlled fashion, inhaling for three or four seconds, then exhaling for three or four seconds. Continue this while relaxing each part of your body, starting with your facial muscles and working your way down.

Going To Sleep Early

One form of insomnia manifests and staying awake very late at night. This can be a serious problem for people who need to rise early in the morning to meet a schedule. If you're screaming “I can’t sleep”, there are several ways to go to sleep earlier, at a reasonable hour.

Besides the general advice of avoiding caffeine, alcohol, sleeping pills, and stimulating activity near bedtime, having a routine at night associated with going to bed can be very useful. This teaches the brain and body to associate these routine activities with sleep. Your routine might include taking a shower, getting into pajamas, a half hour or so with a book -- the details are less important than the consistency of the routine.

At the other end, a routine on getting up can also be helpful. The morning routine might include coffee or tea, breakfast, a shower and other toiletries, reading a newspaper, getting dressed, leaving for work. Again, the details are less important than the consistency of the routine. Schooling yourself to associate certain activities with sleep and other activities with waking can help shape your patterns of waking and sleeping.

How To Go To Sleep When You're Not Tired

How to go to sleep fast when you know you should but you just don't feel sleepy or tired may be a problem that presents itself from time to time. If you find yourself in that situation, there are several things that can help. Adjusting the temperature so that it's slightly cooler than what you find comfortable (but not excessively cold) is one of them -- a drop in temperature can induce sleep. Adjusting the sound level either for complete silence or for a little white noise is also good, as is covering any light sources. The breathing and mental exercise above is good for this problem as well. Soft, calming music may also help, or, if you have established a sleep-time routine and are accustomed to it, going through the steps of that routine.

As a final note, it's not a good idea to go to sleep when you're not tired too often. This can defeat the purpose of setting a regular sleep schedule and getting good sleep on a consistent basis.