Ways To Induce Sleep!
We often find ourselves tossing and turning the night away these days, unable to drift-off into a blissful slumber. We've explored a few things that can be done to help alleviate the consequences of not getting the allotted 7-9 hours.
Breathing
Yes, we often read how breathing techniques can cure ailments overtime, the powerful affect breathing has on your body, for your immune system and quality of life. What if we told you this is linked to sleep? When we get our night-time shuteye, we are able to articulate efficiently after our brain gets to rest instead of being in over-drive. You may have observed in yoga, or meditation, we are able to provide our brain a sort-of nap by using deep-breathing to clear our minds. A trick is Nasal Breathing.
Nasal breathing is also known as "Alternate Nasal Breathing" and has been proved to calm down your cardiovascular system, giving you a sense of control which promotes your well-bring through anxiety reduction. The method itself includes breathing out of one nostril for a number of breaths, lets say 3 deep inhales through our nose. This is followed by blocking both nostrils for 3 counts and proceeding to exhale out of the other/alternate nostril for 3 before repeating the cycle! The method as well as its profound benefits on your body, mental health and profound stress-deduction is available down below for anyone interested!
Adjust Your Body's Natural Clock
Since we find ourselves confined to our homes we are enshrouded by a deep sense of monotony which has led people to feeling or experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety; this can be due to over exposure of news on social media, being suffocated with no sense of schedule etc. The detrimental effect of staying closed up in our rooms is our sleep being compromised. The precious hours we get at night are never made up for no matter how many afternoon naps we succumb to.
Therefore, we desperately need to stimulate our body's internal clock via waking it up with some sunshine. Sunlight is key in the day as it provides our brains with the chemicals we need to stay awake, appealing to our natural functioning. There is a reason we feel more active in the day time, as we are meant to, but staying indoors in a dark environment does not enable us to feel the morning energy we receive from natural sources of light. At night, when the sun sets, our brains produce chemicals to induce drowsiness, a main "sleep-hormone" being melatonin; therefore, staying in the dark all day disrupts our body's sense of alertness and circadian rhythm, or being awake, causing confusion and rendering one sleepless!
Exercise
Exercise, physical movement and staying active ensures a healthier lifestyle and better feeling body. Whether it be a walk outside for 20-30 minutes or at-home-cardio, yoga, any type of movement, it produces endorphins and the feel-good hormones, such as dopamine and serotonin which promote healthy feelings and leave your body feeling good. When we exercise we exert ourselves and this effort contributes to not only a stronger immune system and active body but also exhausts us in the most natural way, making it easier for us to dose off later at night instead of harboring pent up energy which has been expelled through (vigorous) movement!
What You Eat
Naturally, our diet plays a pivotal role in our daily functioning as well as our sleep. A few foods that have been known to improve sleep due to their antioxidant properties and vitamin D, serotonin, omega 3, all the chemicals which induce sleep;
- Almonds & Walnuts
- Fatty Fish (salmon, trout, tuna)
- Kiwi
- Chamomile Tea
- Bananas
- Oatmeal
It is important to note that effect vary from person to person, but the health benefits have been proved in various studies, for example, those known to consume two kiwi fruits one hour before going to bed fell asleep 42% faster than those who consumed nothing. Similarly, the high levels of fiber, and ability to lower cholesterol levels of these food groups have been shown to not only aid in sleep but promote over all health! Avoiding meals before bed or caffeine at night or in the evening is also key to keep anxiety and alertness levels as bay, as this bars us from activating our melotonin and keeps us awake despite our body's timetable.
Electronic Elimination
Keep your electronics away at least an hour before your intended sleep time. The reason advertisements on social media on blue-light glasses are rampant is due to the blue light exposure we get from screens, electronic devices.
Blue light is known to be harmful for not only our eyesight but it slowly eradicates the effects of melatonin, keeping us unnaturally awake for longer than we intend or realise. The harmful effects of blue light can hamper your sleep routine which is why experts usually advise individuals to put away their phones or laptops and let the natural sleep pattern take over once our brains are not engaged in activity and we remain clear-headed. This is why some would suggest meditation before sleep as a tool to retain calm and composure, a level-head before resting.
Lower Your Room Temperature
Our room temperature can have an adverse effect on our sleep-schedule. Since our body heats up while we sleep we usually fare better in colder temperatures. Trying to sleep in a warmer environment can and is proven to be strenuous rather than a cooler temperature which our body's find more suitable to induce drowsiness.
Taking in consideration, we should apply this more so when we really need to doze off at night as long irregular day time napping is in itself another reason why sleep deprivation ensues for some people.
Sleep plays a key role in your health, keeping you active, healthy and calm. When our cycle's are disrupted it affects us and our mental and well as physical functioning, causing memory problems, mood swings, irritability, fatigue and many other issues as well. For long term durability, a good night's sleep is crucial to performing well in society. Incorporating some of these tips as well as anything that may help such as listening to music in bed or taking a warm bath, anything which calms you down and invites a sense of peace is a welcome factor in this difficult period of quarantine!