You feel like you want to sleep, but as soon as your head touches the pillow... a global thought process begins. For some reason, you remember that shameful incident that happened in the seventh grade, analyze the reasons for the breakup with your past partner, finding out who was really to blame, and come up with the ideal image for tomorrow, because why not.
Simply put, at a time when it would seem you need to relax and let go of all thoughts, your brain begins to work in a way that it never works in the office (although that’s exactly where it should be). Common situation?
Experts in the field of sleep disorders call this state racing mind (literally “mind race”), noting that before an important event, be it an exam, an interview or a wedding, something similar is typical for everyone. However, if you constantly think about life before going to bed, and it’s more like “I’ll daydream a little so I can sleep better,” but more like “my head hurts from a bunch of thoughts,” you definitely need to do something about it.
Below are techniques that may work.
Insomnia is a modern “trend”
If this sounds familiar to you, know that you are not alone. Insomnia attacks regularly occur in 30% of adults, and their number increases every year. Even if you're one of those lucky people who usually falls asleep easily and quickly, you've probably had nights when you tossed and turned, trying in vain to turn off your annoying brain. But he kept mumbling about business, worries, debts, ideas and plans, replaying awkward moments, humming obsessive songs and didn’t want to stop talking, even if he banged his head against the wall.
Insomnia and obsessive thoughts
Night is the time when anxiety, worries, and fears most often arise. The difficulties that a person thinks about before going to bed may seem insignificant in the morning. But these thoughts keep you awake for hours, and the next morning you can feel overwhelmed and tired. This state is typical of responsible people who take on an overwhelming burden of obligations.
This is often accompanied by overexcitement caused by the turbulent events of the day. In this case, you should learn to switch from work life to home life, leaving all professional problems outside the apartment. We need to focus on enjoyable activities related to relaxation.
You need to allow yourself to relax before going to bed by watching a pleasant movie or listening to music. Any activity that evokes calm thoughts will do.
The brain is always at work
It is quite natural that the brain refuses to obey. He works like a bee. His destiny is to buzz tirelessly so that we remember, compare, calculate, plan, decide, in a word, act like people. No matter how much we would like to calm the brain, it is useless to blame it for its hectic activity - it cannot do otherwise. In addition, our brains are very persistent. He has an extremely important job - helping us stay alert and productive.
Therefore, if he considers something very important, you cannot just go and tell him: “Listen, stop fussing. Tomorrow we will deal with all urgent matters and urgent decisions.” No matter how it is! But we can stop fighting the stubborn brain, confident that it is working for our benefit, and try to lull it to sleep. Here are five tips to help calm your racing thoughts and fall asleep peacefully.
What to do if thoughts keep you awake
To clear your mind of thoughts that often interfere with sleep, you can use the “garbage bag” technique. Every time such a thought arises, you need to send it there. Imagine how space has been freed up for calm and pleasant thoughts. You need to do this with each new “garbage”, and then mentally take this bag, tie it and throw it into the abyss. After this, you can get comfortable and fall asleep.
The method of presenting pleasant sensations is suitable for people with a kinesthetic type of perception. It will be useful for them to imagine themselves lying on a soft cloud, plunging into warm sea water, or levitating in the fog. Visual learners are more suited to reproducing beautiful landscapes in their heads, while auditory learners are more suited to listening to pleasant music. Visualization and meditation are great for helping you disconnect from annoying thoughts and quickly fall asleep.
The method of reciting poems or quotes repeatedly is an exercise aimed at relaxing the mind. Reading prayers, affirmations (whatever you prefer), lyrics of your favorite songs that improve your mood will help. You have to repeat the words many times until you want to doze off.
How to get ready for sleep
Sufficient physical activity helps you fall asleep easily in the evening. You need to do exercises 3 hours before bedtime. Then you should take a warm, relaxing bath, perhaps with lavender or lemon balm essential oils. The temperature change after swimming causes drowsiness (due to decreased metabolism) and improves well-being.
It is useful to do deep breathing exercises. This helps you relax and calm your imagination. You will need to turn off the lights and sit on the floor. There should be silence in the room.
Sequencing:
- Inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
- Hold your breath for a count of 7.
- Exhale for 8 times through your mouth.
- Do 4 reps.
Another effective way to overcome insomnia is to lower the temperature in the room. To do this, before going to bed, you need to turn on the air conditioner for a while or open a window, you can change the blanket to a thinner one.
Comfortable night temperature is from 15 to 20 degrees.
Sleeping area
To ensure a complete rest, without bad dreams and difficulty falling asleep, it is important to create comfortable conditions. The sleeping place should be comfortable, the pillow and mattress should be comfortable, the underwear should be loose enough so as not to interfere with blood circulation. Before going to bed, it is advisable to turn off the lights completely, as they can disrupt the circadian rhythm and force the brain to work actively.
If you need to turn on the light at night, it is better to use lamps with red light instead of blue light, which increases performance. If conditions do not allow reducing the light in the bedroom, then you should use an eye mask.
City apartments often have a small area, so sofas serve as a sleeping place. It is important that in this case, in addition to the main mattress provided by the design, there is a topper (a thin orthopedic mattress used only at night). When buying a sofa or bed, people with musculoskeletal diseases should choose a hard sleeping place.
Relaxation
To avoid irritating the nervous system, you need to reduce the amount of caffeine consumed during the day and avoid eating before bed. If hunger prevents you from falling asleep, then you can eat a little, preferring foods containing tryptophan and calcium (dairy products, almonds, bananas, peanuts). Such food triggers the synthesis of melatonin. But it is better to avoid sweets, as they do not help you fall asleep.
If you find it difficult to fall asleep quickly, then you can turn on slow, quiet, beautiful music to relax. It’s okay if she’s boring, that’s even better. Before going to bed, it is useful to take a warm shower and meditate. There are many different types of meditation that will free your brain from annoying thoughts.
The technique of gradually relaxing the muscles of the body works effectively: you need to start from the bottom and gradually rise step by step to the head.
Stress
You can get rid of the stress that has accumulated during the day through quiet activities. Reading your favorite books or watching funny videos is very relaxing and calming.
Exercises to relax the sympathetic nervous system help you fall asleep. To do this, you need to slowly inhale through your left nostril, covering your right with your finger, exhale and repeat several times. This relieves stress and helps you fall asleep peacefully.
A few words about chronic insomnia
Before we continue, it is necessary to make a small but extremely important digression for the 10% of people who suffer from chronic insomnia. Namely:
- cannot sleep or wake up frequently almost every night;
- this continues for more than a month;
- this interferes with normal life and leads to nervous breakdowns.
If this sounds like you, try the techniques below, but keep in mind: they won't help you cope with severe sleep disorders. Most likely, you have unsuccessfully tried to overcome insomnia more than once: you followed the rules of sleep hygiene, meditated, used lavender oil, etc. Just in case, don’t really hope that these tips will become a panacea.
It’s better to ask your doctor to refer you to a specialized specialist who treats insomnia with proven methods. Everyone else - that is, those who have sleep problems only occasionally - can safely apply these techniques today.
Give up gadgets
Easier said than done. But if the problem of thoughts that interfere with sleep is familiar to you firsthand, it’s really better to give up gadgets. Experts say that even with blue light filtering to reduce eye strain, a smartphone or laptop still has a stimulating effect on the body. By the way, sleep apps, designed to improve your sleep rather than ruin it, can also play a cruel joke on you.
“When it comes to sleepy apps, I'm not worried that they don't help, I'm worried that they increase the temptation to check email at the same time,” says Dasgupta. By the way, it’s also best to avoid watching TV before bed. “Is it really all you can do before going to bed to lie down and look at the ceiling?” you ask. But no. Music, paper books and anti-stress coloring books are at your service.
In the end, let us remind you that before going to bed it is also important to give up fatty foods and alcohol, not drink a lot of water and try not to get nervous over trifles. And, of course, keep in mind that all this may be a symptom of some other disorder, physical or mental. “You could have a sleep disorder, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy, apnea, anxiety, acid reflux, or something else,” warns Dr. Dasgupta.
So if what happens at night prevents you from working at full capacity during the day, for more than a month and without obvious reasons, you should definitely consult a specialist.
Sleeping area
The place where you rest at night is also important for the process of falling asleep.
- The bed and mattress should be comfortable, and the same can be said about the pillow. It shouldn't be too high or too low. You should try to optimally equip your sleeping place for yourself. It is better if the bed linen is pleasant to the touch and is made in soothing colors, and also does not have folds or seams that could cause inconvenience at night.
- The room should not be too cold or too hot; if possible, you need to create an ideal climate. Before going to bed, you need to completely ventilate the room, fill it with fresh air.
- Thick curtains should be hung on the windows, which can provide complete darkness at night. If darkness cannot be ensured, you can use a sleep mask. You also need to make sure that noise from the street does not distract from your dreams.
The mask allows you to achieve deeper sleep
Dream plots and their nature
To date, a unified theory of dreams has not yet been created. Ancient peoples associated them with mystical ideas about the afterlife, and in the content themselves they saw predictions of future events. There were also more realistic hypotheses that dreams are a reflection of urgent physiological and emotional needs, and are closely related to active wakefulness. In Orthodoxy, as well as in Islam, there is a belief that they are considered a revelation of God.
It is important to know! The nature of dreams has not been fully studied. It is believed that their main goal is to unload the nervous system and process information received during the day from external sources and internal organs and systems. Disruption of the latter often leads to the fact that a person in a sleeping state learns about his illness, while outwardly there are no symptoms
Negative emotions experienced during the day can provoke anxiety and bad dreams. Often the causes of nightmares in adults are associated with internal experiences, dissatisfaction with their situation
Disruption of the latter often leads to the fact that a person in a sleeping state learns about his illness, while outwardly there are no symptoms. Negative emotions experienced during the day can provoke anxiety and bad dreams. Often the causes of nightmares in adults are associated with internal experiences and dissatisfaction with their situation.
Preventing insomnia - expert advice
Make sure you have a comfortable mattress and pillow. We spend a third of our lives sleeping. We carefully consider clothes for work or going out. You should do the same with sleep. If your sofa or bed is giving you back or neck pain, find something to replace it with. Overnight recovery is very important. It affects our health quite strongly. Make sure you have a quality mattress.
Choose the bedding that you like. It should be of good quality and pleasant to the body. Also with pajamas or sleepwear. Choose natural fabrics and colors that please you.
Get regular physical activity. Gym, swimming pool, yoga, running, fitness - any regular workout. Physical exercise relieves mental stress and helps you cope with stress faster. Remember regularity - 3-4 times a week.
Go to bed and get up at the same time. Even on weekends. The body gets used to order and routine. Learn to go to bed before midnight and get up before 8.00.
Add magnesium and vitamin D supplements to your diet. Take courses of these vitamins. They will promote the production of melatonin and help you recover faster.
Action is the only way out of the darkness
Sadly, all thoughts lead to my own problems, which only I can solve myself. It’s amazing how accurately System-Vector Psychology is tested by life.
Nature itself pushes us on the right path. She gives us certain abilities and strictly watches us to fulfill our role. If the visual vector does not fulfill its tasks in empathy, help, sacrifice in society - then here are your fears, phobias, suspiciousness. If you want to remove dark thoughts from your head and be happy, go and do it!
You can trace this completely independently. In a state of fear, hysteria, internal tension, it is enough to watch a film for compassion, where you can cry out of pity for the hero. It instantly becomes easier. Releases tension and bad thoughts. It may not be for long, but the mechanism can be traced.
This is how you need to start acting. Maybe not too harshly. First a movie, then connect a book (preferably a classic), cry over the plight of the heroes. Then think about how many people there are who need care and warmth, but there is no one to give it to them. And do something meaningful for at least someone. There will be pleasure from what you have done, relief from your conditions, joy for others. This will gradually begin to become a habit, because man was created with the desire to receive pleasure. And getting it from helping others is the surest path for the visual vector. After all, for him this is the natural meaning of life.
All of the above applies to the child. He also lacks communication, empathy, emotional connections, something that helps to spend accumulated emotions. The mechanism is the same
Only actions can help. You also need to know the theory, but it is not enough. This is the only way out. Thank you, daughter, for asking me this question! Otherwise, I would have continued to think that I knew the way out, and I would not have felt so keenly that I was doing little to get closer to it.
Author Anna Ryzhkova
The article was written using materials from Yuri Burlan’s online training “System-vector psychology”
How to learn to relax psychologically
Not everyone has the ability to independently relieve stress without using additional funds. Further confirmation of this is the variety of modern pharmaceutical products presented in the section of sedatives, antidepressants and tranquilizers. And the sales volumes of alcohol of varying degrees of eliteness hint at another favorite way of relaxation, which enjoys undeserved popularity among all segments of the population.
Photo from the site https://izlechenie-alkogolizma.ru
You shouldn’t rely on such an obvious and accessible way to forget about problems, because, in addition to being expensive, it is fraught with the formation of a stable addiction, which you definitely won’t be able to get rid of without specialized help. The ability to rest and completely relax can be learned, like riding a bike or reading. To do this, it is enough to study the methods recommended by psychologists, choose 1-2 that are most suitable for yourself and apply them if necessary. Psychotherapists advise techniques to relieve stress and relax, such as:
- Cyclic physical activity;
- Receptor stimulation;
- Creating an emotional vacuum;
- Concentration and isolation of attention;
- Dominant responsibility.
The psychological basis for all techniques is the conscious or unconscious redirection of brain activity, with the formation of a neutral dominant focus of activity in the cerebral cortex.
Let's look at the main switching techniques and possible ways to implement them. However, after the mechanism of the method is understood, everyone will be able to choose their own method of similar influence.
What to do during a "break"
Reading an ordinary fiction book, oddly enough, is one of the available ways to improve your psychological state. Read something from the classics, take Chekhov's stories, a novel by Tolstoy or Dostoevsky off the shelf - you will discover an amazing world for yourself! “Lighter” works are also suitable, but it is better that it is not educational literature, not science fiction, not a thriller, but a novel or fictional stories. Scientists have long proven that half an hour spent reading a book reduces stress levels much better than listening to music, computer games, or even a walk.
Slow down, I'm recording!
To overcome the stress and anxiety that make it difficult to sleep, keep a personal diary. The thoughts that are spinning in your head before going to bed should be written down in a notebook every day. It is also useful to summarize the day, make plans for the next day and simply share your experiences.
You can approach keeping a diary creatively - draw in it, design it to your liking, use stamping and other elements that will make your diary and every day unique. This will be an additional way to combat stress.
How it works?
The fact is that when we write everything down on paper, it becomes easier for us to sort out our thoughts and feelings and put them in order. Thoughts can literally jump around in your head: one thing comes to mind, then another, and it’s difficult to stop this flow. A diary will help you create some structure, organize your thoughts, put them in order, and also throw out some emotions on paper.
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Don't know where to start keeping a diary? Here are some questions to help you:
- what is bothering me at the moment?;
- What events and people make me anxious?;
- how can I influence these events and relationships with people?;
- How bad is my anxiety on a scale of one to ten?;
- Where exactly in my body do I feel tension when I am overcome by anxiety?;
- What else do I feel when I'm anxious?;
- Is my anxiety helping me in any way?;
- What can I do right now to reduce my stress levels?
It is not necessary to use all the ideas - just choose those that will be useful for you.
It turns out that running your own business is a lot of stress!
You might be lying in bed with a million new ideas running through your head: “How can I increase my damn conversions? Maybe increase your presence on social networks? Or hire new copywriters? But it’s high time to fire Sergei, otherwise he’s completely relaxed.” You may have already dozed off, but suddenly waking up, you are desperately trying to force yourself not to forget some extremely important detail, as it seems to you at that moment. Or maybe you're just worried and go to bed with dark thoughts about the future of your business, leading to thoughts about your failure as a person and the futility of existence.
If you saw yourself in these lines, then the following sentence should henceforth become your life credo. Print it out on a piece of paper and hang it in your bedroom:
Self-employment and good sleep are not things you have to choose just one of.
With the tips in this article, you'll soon be able to get rid of what's holding you back from being the captain of your own ship and enjoying a fantastic night's rest.
