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Insomnia treatment tips I:
Relaxation and stress management
In general, the more relaxed you are before bed, the better your sleep will be. Aside from engaging in quiet activity before bed, the following relaxation and stress management techniques can help you enter a more relaxed state. Consistent practice will help you to relax even when you are thinking about a stressful event.
To learn more about the techniques listed below, including scripts and practical tips for practicing, see Relaxation and Meditation Techniques in Related Links belowEngaging your mind in counting or spelling
Try your own variation of “counting sheep”. Engage your mind in something unimportant like spelling or counting backwards can help you relax. The secret is to numb your brain by making it perform a dull, boring task. Abdominal breathing
Most of us don’t breathe as deeply as we should. When we breathe deeply and fully, involving not only the chest, but also the belly, lower back, and ribcage, it can actually help our parasympathetic nervous system, which controls relaxation. Close your eyes, and try taking deep, slow breaths, making each breath even deeper than the last. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. You can try making each exhale a little longer than each inhale.Progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive muscle relaxation is easy to do. Lie down or make yourself comfortable. Starting at your toes, tense all the muscles as tightly as you can. Then, after tensing, completely relax your muscles. Continue to do this for every muscle group in your body, working your way up from your feet to the top of your head.Visual imagery
Close your eyes and imagine a place or activity that is calming and peaceful for you. It could be a beach of warm sand, or your childhood bedroom, or the image of yourself golfing or horseback riding. Concentrate on how relaxed this place or activity makes you feel, and “remain” in this imaginary place until you can completely wind down from your day.Guided relaxation
Guided relaxation can be very helpful in learning relaxation techniques. It involves a script that you follow step by step to relax. It may include a combination of deep breathing, muscle relaxation and visual imagery. Listening to a script before bed is a good way to incorporate several techniques. An example of guided relaxation is autogenic training, specific exercises that can make your body feel warm, heavy, and relaxed.Meditation
Meditation has been proven to induce deep relaxation, which can in turn reduce insomnia. Meditating is an active process involving focusing on breathing, a word, an object, or your body’s own sensations to “quiet your thoughts” and unwind. Stress and anger management
Stress and anger from your day can stay with you and plague your mind consciously or unconsciously, making it hard to relax at night. Managing your time effectively, handling anger and stress in a positive way, spending time with other people, exercising, and maintaining a positive outlook, can stop stress and anger from disturbing your sleep.
Stress Relief provides information on developing a stress management plan.
