“Sleep through the night isn’t a spell you cast; it is a way of life”.We cannot count how many times I’ve heard this claim by a friend, professional, or blogger. It seems so true to so many people that stress increases dramatically during the night. It’s almost as if the minute you go to bed, your brain latches on and demands more sleep.
But there are ways to combat this, all with a very simple goal in mind: Sleep better.
Page Contents
How?
By easing the pain of sleep deprivation and increasing quality, you’ll not only reduce your stress levels but also create healthier, happier you. Below are few tips to help you reduce stress and calm your mind and body during the night.
Get Away from Your Screen
source:health.harvard.edu
Prolonged use of screens has been proven to increase levels of stress due to a high amount of constant mental stimulation. As well as this, the blue light emitted from phone, laptop and television screens hinders and consequently reduces the amount of melatonin produced by the body, making it much harder to fall asleep.
This also increases stress as sleep is disrupted and the mind is no longer able to function as well as it should due to being too tired. It is relatively agreed that stopping screen time an hour before bed has the best results to calm your mind, but positive results have also been produced from cutting off-screen time a mere 30 minutes before you sleep. Some even claim that their insomnia has been cured!
Listen to Calming Sounds
source:psychcentral.com
There is nothing more disruptive to your sleep pattern than a busy mind, and when you’re full of stress it can be difficult to shut out your thoughts and focus purely on sleeping. If this is the case, distraction is the best medicine. When you’re focusing on the fact that you can’t sleep, you’re helping your mind stay awake as you are increasing stress levels. Try distracting your mind with calming music or audiobooks so that you can focus on something other than your own thoughts. ASMR is also a popular choice. Focus on something other than your own thoughts
Any time you are deeply affected by a stressor, the first thing you need to do is get away from the situation that is causing the stress.
Use mindfulness tools
source:hindustantimes.com
Recognizing where you are in your day can help reduce stress. The same simple method that makes you more successful on the big days can make you calm on the small days.
Start your day with a mindfulness exercise, such as writing down your feelings, or simply just breathing. Next, sit down and notice how you’re feeling. If you feel anxious, count your breath and count down from 10. You can also use written reminders to keep your mind occupied, such as reciting poetry or building the numbers 9, 10, 9, 10. Keep reminding yourself throughout the day until your mind is settled.
Make Sure You’re Comfortable
source:pxfuel.com
One of the best ways to relieve stress and calm your mind at bedtime is to make sure that you are completely comfortable in bed. You don’t want to be tossing and turning all night, trying to find a way to get comfortable, as this will only frustrate you and lead to a lack of sleep which will greatly increase your stress.
A foolproof way of making sure that you can easily get comfortable is by investing in a good quality mattress. If you’re finding that your bed simply isn’t comfortable enough, click here for a comprehensive list of the best mattresses available to shoppers in 2024.
Bedtime Mood Setting
source:pxfuel.com
Coffee – It is one of the most widely consumed beverage in the world, but so many people miss their caffeine fix at bedtime because it is often taken early in the day when the body is much more in need of relaxation and sleep. This early coffee can cause insomnia and insomnia-related symptoms.
Eat Well – Food will make you happy and calm. Make sure that you have a large healthy breakfast, light breakfast with a good amount of fruit, a steady flow of water throughout the day and a light snack.
Try Different Scents
source:pxfuel.com
A great way to relieve stress and calm your mind is by making use of aromatherapy. This is an inexpensive, non-invasive, and genuinely enjoyable way of preparing your mind for relaxation. There are many different ways in which you can access different aromas, such as candles, essential oils, reed diffusers and more, meaning that you can choose the option that is perfect for you.
In the world of aromatherapy, different scents have different effects on your mind, so make sure that you choose the right aroma to calm your mind. For example, citrus scents like sweet orange will do a better job of keeping you awake than sending you to sleep as they are extremely refreshing. Soft scents such as lavender have been used to calm the mind and body for years. Make sure that you research what effects different scents have before you buy.
Forget Grey Moods: See What Your Mood Looks Like at Any Hour
Your personality affects your relationships, too. In fact, study after study shows that certain personality traits make it easier for us to find and stay in romantic relationships and to choose who we want to marry. Here is the most common and powerful of them:
A Smiling Personality
source:pxfuel.com
Researchers have found that smiling can literally make us more attractive to others. And we can do that by paying attention to the way we speak. Research from Thailand found that individuals with high levels of positive emotion expressions — those that tell you you are happy calm your mind and the body the most!
Going to bed with a busy and stressful mind means that you are limiting your chances of getting a good night’s sleep, which in turn can increase your stress levels. Don’t lose sleep, try these seven ways to relieve stress and calm your mind instead.
