If you haven't heard before, sleep is important for human beings. It provide a time and space for healing of the body. Sleep is where the brain has internal rather than external stimuli. Sleep is where the brain has time and space to sort all the information absorbed during the last waking period. The one sleep study that impacted my opinion of sleep the most is where they experimented to see how long people could stay awake. Let's just say that they had to end the experiment for safety reasons. A doctor friend said that a lack of sleep leads to premature aging. So if you want to get old looking quick..limit your sleep. now for the tips...
1) Start to make the place you sleep special. Limit the other activities you do in that room. Begin to train your brain that when you go into this room that sleep will soon follow.
2) Remove sleep distractions from you sleep space. Limit the electronics. If possible have ZERO electronics. Charge you phone somewhere else. Make the room as dark and quiet as possible.
3) Set up a sequence of tasks where the final result is sleep. For example,
- Breathing exercises.
- Have a warm beverage.
- Have a shower or bath.
- Put on special clothes that you only wear when you are going to sleep.
- Write in your journal.
- Brush your hair.
- Brush and floss your teeth.
- Read or recite a poem.
- Go into your sleep room.
- Say a prayer.
- Get into bed.
4) Make the sequence your own. Include elements that make sense for you and your culture. The list above is not meant to be exhaustive. Add or delete elements. The important part is to do the same sequence every time you want to sleep. Your body and brain will get into a routine.
This has worked for me. I have heard it called sympathetic magic. For me it works like magic. I often fall asleep within five minutes of my head hitting the pillow.
Rest well.