Lying in bed wide awake when you want to be drifting off to sleep can be infuriating. Plenty of people struggle with dozing off for many reasons, whether it be stress or the temperature of the bedroom.
Of course a lack of sleep is not just annoying, it can lead to health issues as well. With this in mind, a sleep psychologist has come up with seven slightly unusual ways to get over the problem, reports the LiverpoolECHO.
Katherine Hall has teamed up with Happy Beds to give those struggling. She says one of them could get you off to slumber in as little as two minutes.
And the first tip certainly falls into the "unusual" bracket. Dr Hall says trying a two-minute headstand before bed helps to refresh the blood to your brain, in particular the pituitary and hypothalamus 'master' glands.
She said: "It also helps detoxify the adrenal glands to help expel negative thoughts and promote more positive thinking. Practice by supporting yourself against the wall until you gain enough balance and core strength to try a freestanding headstand.”
Another trick she suggests is to read a bedtime story. Dr Hall explained: "Bedtime stories aren’t just for children. Reading a book or telling yourself a fantasy story in your mind helps reduce stress.
"Choose a niche, like mystery, romance, or sci-fi. Avoid non-fiction books that shift your brain into problem-solving mode. Fictional stories mimic dreams, helping your mind prepare for sleep."
But you should avoid reading from a digital device, she warns, as the blue light from these screens will keep you awake. Blue light can delay the release of the sleep hormone melatonin and reset the internal clock to an even later schedule.
She added: "Just one hour of screen exposure can delay your melatonin release by three hours."
Other tips include lowering your body temperature by sleeping in lightweight pyjamas and with a light blanket, and, bizarrely, trying to stay awake.
Dr Hall said: "It may sound counterintuitive, but to fall asleep faster you may want to try to stay awake for as long as possible. It’s a technique called paradoxical intention.
"Paradoxical intention encourages you to lie in bed without doing anything to try to fall asleep. You might even want to try to stay awake in bed as long as possible.
“The idea is to tackle the worry that comes with lying in bed awake and to normalise it in your mind. Once you've faced this fear, anxiety reduces and you’ll soon find that you are drifting off to sleep.
"This is also referred to as remaining passively awake. It’s all about being aware and accepting any negative thoughts or worries that usually keep you awake, instead of fighting or blocking them. With paradoxical intention, you learn to stop spending energy on getting rid of what you don’t want, and start putting energy into what you do want... sleep!”
