Have you ever had a hard time falling asleep? According to a study done by the National Sleep Foundation in 2008 of 1000 adult men and women, more the ½ of all the people surveyed said that they have had trouble sleeping. Whether it is stress keeping you up, or your schedule at your job, or just too many distractions (like your teenagers), all of us sometimes have trouble relaxing and turning off our minds.

Count backwards from 1000:

This is a tip I highly recommend. Now there is an art to it. When you first start counting backwards, every thought in the world comes into your mind, disregard them. Concentrate on the numbers. Sometimes you may lose count, this is fine. Just start back at a number approximately close to where you left off. This counting process helps to relax your mind, relax your body and focus your thoughts. Often, you will slip into a dream and not remember what number you stopped counting at.

Breathe Deeply:

After you have settled in to your bed, are in a comfortable position, concentrate on your breathing. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply. For a few minutes, just think about your breathing, in and out, in and out. Make sure that you breathe in with your diaphragm and that you breathe out slowly. This will relax your mind, slow your pulse, and help to restore much needed oxygen to your body. (Make sure that you do not hyperventilate. If you start to feel light headed return to normal breathing).

Start Relaxing for Bed an Hour Before you fall Asleep:

Prepare for bed an hour before you want to fall asleep. Relax by not doing any strenuous exercise. When you exercise it takes your body time to return to a resting state. This time is usually between 5-6 hours. During this time, you may want to try stretching and listening to peaceful music. Create a routine that will help you to rid yourself of the stress of the day, let go of concerns that can keep till tomorrow, spend time doing things that make you feel pampered. Putting on lotion or taking a warm shower are good examples of how to pamper yourself.

Understand that it is Normal to take time to fall Asleep:

If you fall asleep 5 minutes after your head hits the pillow this is usually a signal that you are sleep deprived. Although, most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep each night, each person is different. The fact that it takes you more than 5 minutes to fall asleep is actually a good thing. In fact, it is “normal.” Sleep has five different phases and the first phase starts after we are drowsy. Then we move into light sleep, deep sleep, deeper sleep, and then REM sleep. Then these phases repeat at least 4 times in an eight hour period. Moving from drowsiness to light sleep takes more than 5 minutes and differs for each person.

Falling asleep is difficult for all of us at times. Counting backwards from 1000, breathing deeply, preparing for bed an hour before we want to sleep, and understanding the time it takes for us to fall asleep, will are great ways to fall asleep faster. Wishing all of you fast and sweet dreams each and every night!