How to go to bed earlier - 10 effective ways

There are probably no people today who have not wondered how to go to bed early? After all, if you fall asleep late, then in the morning you will be haunted by a feeling of weakness, fatigue, and joylessness. Even when a person has sound sleep, but in small quantities, when waking up, he will still be haunted by a feeling of exhaustion.

In addition, modern realities impose certain requirements of existence, as a result of which today’s homo sapiens have to work hard. And when he comes home, he wants to relax, for example, by watching TV shows, reading literature, or talking with friends, having fun playing computer games. As a result, there is practically no time left for sleep.

The importance of quality sleep

Sleep is a state in which the body and all body systems receive maximum relaxation; it is in sleep that a person should fully rest. In addition, many processes take place in the body of an individual as a biological being that do not pause even in sleep. Therefore, sleep is also an indispensable component of good health.

So, when we sleep, the hormone somatotropin or “growth” hormone is produced. Only the lazy have not heard the phrase that children grow in their sleep. Thanks to this hormone, these are not just words. But for adults, its benefits are difficult to overestimate, because with its help the following processes occur:

• regulation of muscle mass;
• slowing down the aging process;
• normalization of metabolic processes;
• tissue restoration.

Reference! For those who want to lose weight, night rest plays no less important role than proper nutrition and exercise. Indeed, during this period, leptin is produced - a hormone that affects appetite and, together with somatotropin, regulates fat deposits, promoting the breakdown of fat cells.

When a person sleeps, the amount of the hormone cortisol in the blood decreases, thereby reducing stress. During sleep, the brain assimilates the information accumulated during the day; the immune system is strengthened. The deficiency is fraught with the following consequences:

• absent-minded attention;
• slow reaction;
• poor memory;
• headache;
• decreased brain activity;
• decreased ability to work;
• irritability;
• deterioration in appearance (bruises under the eyes, puffiness, unhealthy complexion, saggy skin), etc.

Causes of late bedtime and prevention

The primary source of misunderstanding why you need to go to bed early and wake up early is the loss of awareness of time, the lack of friendship with it. For inspiration, you can read Stefan Rechtshafen’s book “Time Workshop”; a lot of useful literature on the topics of time, Ayurveda, and self-knowledge is also now available.

When a person realizes why he needs to wake up early tomorrow morning, enjoys every day, lives in contact with nature, then the reasons for falling asleep on time come by themselves. It is important to periodically ask yourself questions: “Who am I? What am I living for? Where am I coming from and where am I going? What are the cause-and-effect relationships of what is happening?” - and look for answers to them. Awareness of the eternity of time on the scale of the Universe gives an understanding that there is always time. Excessive fuss in pursuit of desires is an illusion into which a person immerses himself, making the body a testing ground in the form of lack of sleep, oversleeping or untimely sleep. If a person cannot go to bed early and is thinking about how to fix it, then it is better to start with introspection.

Prevention includes obtaining knowledge in a given direction, its practical application, the formation of healthy habits, changing character, worldview and further soft transmission of one’s experience to those who want to hear it.

Rules for healthy sleep

For sleep to have the desired effect, you need to know how to sleep properly. Despite the simplicity of these mandatory rules, most people forget or systematically violate them, for which they subsequently have to pay not only with lack of sleep, but also with health problems.

Bed and accessories

It is important to consider what you sleep on. It is worth understanding that the dimensions of the bed, as well as the mattress, must correspond to the dimensions of the person, and in no case should they restrict his body movements during sleep. Orthopedic mattresses are recognized as the optimal solution, which will prevent curvature of the spine and other back problems.

At the same time, the choice is always individual, and the criterion of rigidity is influenced by both health characteristics and age:

• up to 30 years – hard mattress;
• 30–50 – medium hardness;
• from 50 – the most comfortable option.

Experts advise paying attention to the weight of the sleeper: softer mattresses are recommended for people weighing up to 60 kg; those over 90 kg are recommended for models with increased rigidity.

You should sleep on low orthopedic pillows made of elastic and elastic material (latex, artificial fibers, etc.). Such devices maintain an ideal position and allow the cervical vertebrae to rest and recover at night during sleep.

Ambient conditions

Our body is designed in such a way that sleep should take place in complete darkness. This promotes greater relaxation and eliminates various light stimuli. For those who for some reason cannot plunge into pitch darkness, there are special eye masks. And to make your face look young and fresh the next morning, there are special offers with helium pads.

In addition to darkness, the following conditions must be met:

• absence of noise (earplugs help to distance yourself from sounds);
• air temperature – 16–18 °C, humidity – 50%;
• Every day you need to ventilate the bedroom an hour before bedtime;
• bed linen should be made from natural materials.

Pose

Few people think about the correct position to go to bed in. But in vain, because the position of the body can both have a beneficial effect on the condition and worsen it. Thus, the position on the back is considered optimal: all muscles and systems of the body relax. Sleeping on your side is no less beneficial.

Doctors believe that the “embryo” position on the left side helps improve digestion, since the intestines and stomach are in a natural position, and nothing interferes with their normal functioning, activates blood circulation, since pressure on the vena cava is minimized, reduces the load on the spinal column and reduction of lumbar pain.

But sleeping on the right side is useful for stress and gallstone disease, but it puts a strain on the liver. It is not recommended to sleep on your stomach, as the chest is compressed, which makes breathing difficult. The arteries in the cervical spine are also compressed, blood flow is disrupted, pressure on the pelvic organs is aggravated, and body weight puts stress on the internal organs.

Period and duration

“To get enough sleep, you need to go to bed on time,” everyone heard from their parents. But what does this mean and when does this “on time” occur? Scientists have proven that the most favorable period, when the body rests as much as possible and the peak production of all hormones is noted, is the period from 22:00 to 2:00.

If a person is used to going to bed no earlier than 3 am and thinks to compensate for lost rest with morning sleep, which often flows into the afternoon, the attempt will be in vain. After 6:00–7:00 am, sleep is no longer beneficial. Depending on a person’s individual needs, somnologists advise sleeping 8–9 hours and going to bed at 10:00–11:00 pm in order to be in the deep sleep phase at 2 am.

How to turn early bedtime into a habit?

In trying to answer this question, it is useful to think for yourself about how to start going to bed early and why it is needed. It is more productive to write down all sorts of individual points on a piece of paper. Everyone has their own. Make a clear decision to create and ingrain a habit. Write down an action plan for the month and week ahead. If the situation is critical, that is, there is no routine, then every day you can gradually train yourself to go to bed 15 minutes earlier, after a few days another 15 minutes, and so move towards the goal - a certain time of going to bed. It is important to follow the regime both on weekdays and on weekends.

Your own event program will be unique if the following structure is used:

• wake-up time;
• morning checklist;
• daily list of actions;
• evening checklist;
• time to fall asleep.

When designing a personal practice, it is important to include:

• habits that it is desirable to correct;
• what moments to exclude from life;
• what new actions are useful to introduce into the rhythm of life.

Start the week on Sunday. For seven days, act according to plan, without being distracted by mind games, internal excuses, and analyze the past week on Saturday evening.

Additional help in the process of accustoming yourself to going to bed early are:

• patience, perseverance in various circumstances;
• self-analysis, identification of cause-and-effect relationships;
• using habit trackers;
• keeping a diary;
• studying books, lectures, notes on this topic, practical application of acquired knowledge;
• study and practice of time management;
• communication with people who have good habits;
• assistance to someone who solves a similar problem (if a request has been received from this person);
• getting up early in the morning, even if you couldn’t fall asleep on time;
• personal experience that can be shared with other people.

The plan has been written, all that remains is to implement it. Action grows from thought.

Rest for pregnant women

In the first 12 weeks, pregnant women are allowed to sleep in any position, but after crossing this line, they will have to think about organizing proper rest. For expectant mothers, the choice of position is modest and limited to the right and left sides. Doctors recommend paying attention to the second option.

This way, the baby receives the optimal amount of nutrients and oxygen, and the heart works well.

Attention! Sleeping on the right side is undesirable due to the fact that the fetus puts pressure on the liver, causing the organ to work in emergency mode. In the future, this may affect the woman’s health.

From 28 weeks you should not sleep on your back:

• blood flow to all organs is disrupted;
• lower back pain;
• limbs go numb;
• the baby's oxygen supply deteriorates.

Pregnant women need at least 10 hours of regular sleep. If you feel unwell, an additional 2-3 hours of sleep during the day will improve the situation. If the expectant mother is bothered by something in her sleep or has problems falling asleep, the following will help fix it:

• charger;
• healthy eating;
• water aerobics;
• aromatic baths before bed;
• herbal teas;
• yoga;
• relaxation;
• gymnastics for pregnant women.

conclusions

In the whirlwind of events, we forget how to enjoy a simple and useful thing - healthy sleep. Many people have simply forgotten how to go to bed early, although there are no barriers to this.

No matter how important the reasons that make you stay up late may seem, ask yourself: “Is it worth it?” And sleep soundly and healthy!

In our article we examined one of the “diseases” of our time - falling asleep late. We hope that you have gained useful information for yourself and are one step closer to a healthy regime.

Putting the baby to bed

Children's sleep is very sensitive, so first of all it is worth protecting the child from any extraneous noise and bright light. In young children, sleep is cyclical, and it is common for the child to wake up several times during the night. This can be facilitated by hunger, colic, full diapers, teething, etc.

As your baby gets older, his sleep becomes more sound and interrupted less often. If the child wakes up too often (up to every hour) and the awakening is accompanied by crying and hysterics, you need to show the child to the pediatrician. Often the causes are various diseases: enuresis, anemia, apnea, allergies, infections.

The baby should be put to bed at the same time, excluding all active games 2-3 hours before falling asleep. Feed no later than half an hour before going to bed. Soothing baths with the addition of valerian, lemon balm, calendula, and oregano help.

A certain “ritual” that the child associates with sleep also works well. This could be reading a bedtime story, a massage, bathing, a toy, a kiss from a parent, etc.

The child must be provided with active leisure and regular walks in the fresh air. This also has a beneficial effect on quickly falling asleep without hysterics and tears.

Dream according to Feng Shui

Eastern sages insist that the main role for a healthy and comfortable sleep is played by the position of the body relative to the cardinal points, as well as a certain arrangement of objects in the bedroom. Chinese philosophers have an interesting view on the position of the body in a dream in relation to the door.

Any passage is a boundary between energy spheres. Everything that is behind the door is considered a “dead” zone, and everything in front is considered a “live” zone. Therefore, you should not lie down with your head or feet towards the exit. This will not lead to death, but it threatens lethargy and loss of strength due to weakening vital energy.

According to Taoist practice, the sleep ritual must comply with the following rules:

• You shouldn't sleep on the floor. This is the place of maximum accumulation of negative energy.
• Do not place household appliances near the sleeping area. Otherwise, a headache the next morning is inevitable.
• Don't sleep on a bed that has already had owners. Any energy is stored for a long time on used things, but you can resort to a ritual of cleansing the energy.
• The bedroom should be spacious, so you should not clutter it with furniture. It is especially bad if the sharp corners of the cabinets or tables are in the direction of the bed.
• The sleeping person should not be reflected in mirrors. This also threatens the outflow of positive energy and a high risk of disease. Therefore, there is no need to hang mirrors opposite the bed, or make mirrored ceilings.

Attention! Doctors recommend that people with heart disease sleep on their right side, which will reduce the load on the heart by lowering blood pressure and the frequency of contraction of the heart muscles.

Well-being and other quality characteristics of life depend on which side the head of the bed is directed to:

• north – characterized by stability and peace, so those who are tired of worries and stress, lying with their heads to the north side, will return life to a calm, measured course;
• East - sleeping with your head to the east is useful for tired people with a catastrophically reduced vitality. This will give you energy and new strength to accomplish all things and tasks;
• West – those who need variety, creativity, creative ideas and simply new sensations should sleep with their head facing west. After a few weeks of such a dream, a person’s life will sparkle with new colors, and his usual life will be supplemented with new interesting events;
• south - a way to increase material well-being with the help of strong southern energy involves falling asleep alone, it is contraindicated for people who are impressionable and in difficult stressful situations.

To decorate a bedroom, it is good to use the color type of the yin sign (green, purple, blue) or light pastel colors

How to fall asleep quickly

The technique of falling asleep quickly will help you get rid of the problems of immersion in the kingdom of Morpheus. The desired sleep does not always come as quickly as we would like: stress, depression, fears, and worries “add fuel to the fire.” Therefore, there are several methods for immediately falling asleep:

• “Ten”: counting the number of inhalations and exhalations in 10 seconds, 4–5 approaches are required. At the same time, the body is completely relaxed, breathing is even and deep. The person is focused on arithmetic manipulation, chest contractions and air movement.
• “4–7–8”: after lying down in bed, place the tip of your tongue against the upper palate and close your mouth. On the count of 4, inhale through your nose, on the count of 7, hold your breath, and on 8, exhale. Repeat 8 times.
• Suvorov's method: taking a supine position, place your hands at the seams, palms up. Even out your breathing, close your eyelids and roll your eyes upward without effort. This position of the eyeballs is considered physiologically normal during sleep, so the onset of sleep will be faster.

In order to sleep not only comfortably, but also with health benefits, you need to know what to do before bed and what to avoid. Somnologists advise:

• fall asleep only in a clean, dark and quiet room;
• in 5–10 minutes. before bed, use white noise or quiet, calm classical music to relax;
• in 15 minutes before bed, meditate or take the advice of yogis;
• in 30 min. Before going to bed, it is mandatory to take relaxing baths with herbal extracts, sea salt or aromatic oils;
• an hour before bedtime, distance yourself from multimedia devices and work;
• During the day, the body needs physical and mental stress, which will allow you to fall asleep faster in the evening;
• organize a stable regime.

It is forbidden to consume unhealthy and heavy food before bedtime, the same applies to alcohol, coffee and nicotine, to use a sleeping place for other purposes (for reading, computer games, eating food, etc.), the bed should be associated with sleep, long “oversleeps” during the day, any psycho-emotional stimuli before bedtime (horror films, loud music, games).

The benefits of quality sleep on the body can be felt by each of the body systems. And he will tell you about it even faster if any process is disrupted due to lack of sleep.

Failure to take sleep rules seriously can result in irritability, depression, decreased concentration, and even illness. Therefore, if you are still experiencing problems with your well-being after waking up, it is worth reviewing your daily routine and making adjustments to improve the quality of your sleep.

Get ready to go to bed early

Waking up on Brahma Muhurta is the first step in preparing for the habit of going to bed early. Morning actions set the rhythm for the whole day. The day smoothly flows into evening, gradually calming down. As night approaches, nature becomes quieter. At this time, it is favorable to slow down and begin to prepare for falling asleep.

The dream of the “blessed child” requires preliminary preparation:

• exclude coffee, stimulating drinks, and intoxications from your lifestyle;
• postpone the resolution of important issues and active events until the morning or tomorrow;
• avoid physical activity in the evening;
• take a warm shower after a hard day’s work;
• eat food appropriate for evening time;
• in the evening regularly practice measured yoga, pranayama, meditation;
• create a comfortable atmosphere in the room (clean, ventilated, dark, no noise, Internet and telephone turned off);
• clothes are clean and comfortable;
• conduct quiet activities in the evening;
• write down today’s results in your diary and plan for tomorrow;
• remember pleasant moments, thank the world for the day you lived;
• practice eye palming;
• do trataka practice with a candle;

practice prayer;

• practice chanting the mantra AUM;
• reading spiritual, moral literature by candlelight;
• study, practice suitable Ayurvedic practices;
• consult an Ayurvedic doctor;
• other personal pacifying actions.