How to sleep with insomnia without medication

Probably, everyone at least once faced with a situation where you toss and turn all night, but you can’t fall asleep. And in the morning there is an important meeting where you need to appear fresh and full of energy. How to quickly fall asleep and get enough sleep if counting sheep does not help, but you don’t feel like drinking sleeping pills – KP will tell you

10 best ways to fall asleep with insomnia at home and sleep well

Insomnia, lack of sleep, frequent nighttime awakenings greatly affect overall well-being. And if it lasts for a long time, it can lead to serious health problems.¹. If we do not sleep well at night, then in the morning we feel completely overwhelmed, tired, with a headache and muscle weakness.

Of course, many people have problems with sleep. This is especially affected by stress, intense mental work, conflicts at work and at home, physical overstrain. Insomnia can also occur as a result of certain diseases and conditions, for example¹:

hormonal disorders (hyperthyroidism, when the thyroid gland produces too many hormones);
restless legs syndrome;
chronic pain (for example, with injuries);
mental disorders;
diseases of the nervous system (Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, etc.).

If the cause of insomnia is a disease, then only therapy aimed at eliminating the underlying cause can improve sleep. The doctor may prescribe sedatives and sleeping pills.

If you cannot fall asleep after a hard or eventful day, stress, then there are several simple and effective ways to quickly fall asleep and sleep without the use of drugs.

1. Darken the room as much as possible

Sometimes a person cannot fall asleep due to the fact that the room is very light. A night light turned on, the light from street lamps, the light from the screens of gadgets – all this can knock down the biological clock, because of which our brain will stubbornly believe that it is already morning and it’s time to get up². To fall asleep faster, you need to darken the room as much as possible – turn off all the lights, garlands, turn off gadgets. If the light comes from the street, close the curtains tightly. You can buy special curtains made of blackout fabric, which absolutely do not let in light and create a favorable atmosphere for sleeping in the room.

2. Ventilate the room

If the room is hot, stuffy, dry and stale, or disturbed by some irritating odors, it will be very difficult to fall asleep. Therefore, before going to bed, it is necessary to ventilate the room for at least 10-15 minutes. It is good if there is a humidifier that will provide optimal humidity. The coolness and fresh air will quickly calm and relax the overheated brain and body, and it will be very easy to fall asleep. If possible, you can not close the window or window at all at night, then in the morning you will wake up rested and full of energy. The main thing is to make sure that mosquitoes or other annoying insects do not fly into the room – otherwise it will definitely not be up to sleep.

By the way, strong and pungent odors, such as perfume or the annoying fragrance of fabric softener, can also be distracting, making it difficult to fall asleep. If you are used to relaxing before bed with the help of aromatherapy, choose the most light and unobtrusive aromas.

3. Turn falling asleep into a ritual

It will be great if you begin to go to bed not only at the same time, so that the body develops the habit of falling asleep at certain hours, but also turn the process of going to bed into a pleasant relaxing ritual.

For example, 30 minutes before bed, put your gadgets aside and turn off the TV. Put on your favorite soft and cozy bathrobe, take a warm bubble bath, drink warm milk or herbal tea. Turn on quiet music for meditation or with the sounds of nature. Relax as much as possible, letting go of all the heavy thoughts and experiences of the day

4. Skip the big dinner

Overeating can also adversely affect sleep. Well, what kind of dream is there if your stomach is full, and the body is actively busy digesting food. Therefore, if you want to fall asleep quickly, give up a heavy dinner and snacks before bedtime. From the last meal to sleep should be at least 3 hours.

By the way, the dinner itself should also be correct. Refuse fatty foods – pork, smoked meats. Cheese, chocolate, alcohol is also better to exclude, as they have an invigorating effect. Some people think that alcohol in small doses can serve as a sleeping pill, but this is not so. But dairy products, nuts, fish, bananas contain magnesium, which calms the nervous system and relaxes the muscles. Instead of strong tea, coffee and carbonated drinks, drink herbal tea, a glass of warm water or milk.

5. Take a warm bath

We have already written about the benefits of a warm bath before going to bed, but nevertheless we will dwell on this point in a little more detail. Warm (but not hot!) water will help relax the muscles and calm the nervous system. You should also avoid a contrast shower – it is good in the morning when you need to quickly cheer up. You can add herbal preparations, aromatic oils to the water (coniferous aromas help to relax and fall asleep faster) or magnesium salt.

6. Cover yourself with a heavy blanket

Another rather unusual, but effective way to fall asleep quickly is to cover yourself with a heavy blanket or buy a special blanket with a weighting agent. Initially, such blankets were created for children with autism and disorders of the motor system, but now they are also often used by people who have problems with the nervous system (for example, with the same restless leg syndrome). A heavy massive blanket imitates hugs, thanks to which a person feels at peace and security, quickly relaxes and falls asleep.

7. Exercise for falling asleep

If you can’t sleep, you can try to perform special exercises related to tension and relaxation of the muscles of the body.³.

Tighten your toes and hold your breath. As tension builds up in your feet, exhale and relax.
Alternately strain all the muscles of the body, starting from the bottom up.
When you reach your face, raise your eyebrows as high as possible and freeze for 5-10 seconds, then exhale sharply and relax.
Tighten your cheek muscles as much as possible. For example, smile broadly for 10 seconds, then close your eyes and squint. Relax with an exhale.
Tilt your head back and look closely at the ceiling.
Count to 5 silently, then relax completely and close your eyes.

By the way, this set of exercises is often used by athletes when they have difficulty falling asleep after strenuous workouts. Sound sleep and vigorous awakening in the morning are guaranteed.

You can also do the reverse blink exercise. Its essence is that you need to close your eyes, and then open them for a second at regular short intervals (from 5 to 15 seconds). Within a few minutes you will be able to fall asleep quickly.

8. Acupressure

The effectiveness of acupressure for insomnia was appreciated by the inhabitants of ancient China. Acupressure generally helps with many problems – for example, with a headache or with pain in tense muscles.³.

Place your fingers where the neck meets the head.
Gently massage the area in circular motions. Make sure that the pressure is felt but not painful.
Watch your breath. Breathe evenly and deeply.
Continue massaging for 1 minute. This time is enough for the body to completely relax and the person quickly fell asleep.

9. Breathing exercises

Another way to fall asleep quickly and soundly, without resorting to sleeping pills, is breathing exercises.

It has long been noted that correct breathing, adjusted to a special rhythm, can calm a person, relieve discomfort and even pain.³. No wonder women are taught to breathe correctly during contractions in order to relieve severe pain. The advantages of breathing exercises have long been appreciated by yogis: during meditation, it is proper breathing that helps to relax the body as much as possible and disconnect from extraneous thoughts. With panic attacks, breathing exercises also help to quickly regain control of the body and relieve anxiety.³.

So, let’s look at a simple but very effective breathing exercise exercise that will help in the fight against insomnia.

Place the tip of the tongue behind the front teeth;
take a normal breath, then slightly open your lips and exhale through your mouth;
purse your lips, slowly count to 4 and inhale deeply, slowly, slowly;
hold your breath for 7 seconds;
open your lips and slowly, at the expense of 8, exhale;
repeat the exercise 7-8 times.

Concentrating on controlling the process of breathing, you will forget about unpleasant thoughts and physical discomfort that prevent you from falling asleep.³.

10. Clean up

Yes, yes, you heard right. If it turns out that you can’t fall asleep and toss and turn in bed from side to side, you don’t need to suffer from boredom. Try to trick your body – get up and do a calm, monotonous task – tidy up your room, iron your clothes, read a boring book (just don’t immerse yourself in gadgets and social networks, otherwise you won’t fall asleep until morning). When you feel sleepy, immediately return to bed and fall asleep.

Psychologist tips

How to quickly relax and fall asleep if there is no sleep in either eye, Elena Akhromeeva, a consultant psychologist, a member of the Russian Psychological Society, will tell.

1. Exercise «Cloud»

Insomnia is very often facilitated by various obsessive thoughts that “I don’t want to think, but they still climb into my head.” There is an effective exercise to quickly disengage from them.

Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths in and out.
Imagine that you are lying on a summer green meadow. You are warm and comfortable, and you are watching the clouds. Spend 1-3 minutes getting a detailed introduction to yourself and the meadow.
When a cloud floats by, you notice that a thought is written on it that disturbs or upsets.
The cloud with this thought slowly floats away. You follow him with your eyes. When the cloud disappears, take a deep breath.
Now a new cloud is coming. On it is written another disturbing thought of yours. Watch how this cloud goes.
Perhaps there will be one and the same obsessive thought. Just keep watching the clouds.

The point of this exercise is not to get rid of disturbing thoughts, but to observe them. For example, you are worried that you cannot sleep, which means that it will be difficult for you to work the next day. Try “planting” the thought “I can’t sleep” on a cloud and watch it float away. Your task is simply to observe the thought without getting emotionally involved.

Emotionally not getting involved means:

• do not argue with yourself and this idea;

• do not try to persuade yourself;

• do not scold yourself;

• don’t blame yourself (and others);

• do not convince yourself otherwise.

2. Exercise “Conversation with insomnia”

There is an important condition here: the exercise must be performed during the day, and not before bedtime. Listen to your feelings and thoughts and answer a few questions for yourself.

Imagine what your insomnia might look like. What image, metaphor, fantasy arises when you think of it? Maybe insomnia appears in the form of a blue ball or gray fog, Baba Yaga and some specific person, or maybe it’s just a shapeless substance?
What sensations arise in the body when you look at this image? Do you feel tightness in your chest or numbness in your arms or a “lump in your throat”? Describe your feelings.
What do you feel when you look at this image? Fear, anxiety, resentment, irritation, anger, relief, joy, interest, etc.?
Now imagine that you have become this symptom… What are you doing in this role? Maybe you protect, protect, scold, get angry at this person, etc. (this person is yourself);
As a symptom, what would you say to this person who is being kept awake? Perhaps: “Pay attention to me, I want to warn you about something important …”;
Now be yourself again. How do you feel when the symptom comes to you? Maybe you became interested, joyful or anxious;
Now become a symptom again. What changes when he arrives? Perhaps the symptom is trying to be helpful, make your life easier, or point to an area in your life that needs to be changed;
Now be yourself again. Is there anything in these changes that you would like to do for yourself? Or for your loved ones?

The Talking to Insomnia exercise aims to explore the hidden meanings that may lie behind the troubling symptom of insomnia. What role does insomnia play? What tasks does it solve? What function does it perform? Perhaps insomnia does not allow you to relax and calls you to pay attention to something important.

3. Exercise “Bringing to the point of absurdity”

Take any thought that worries you and keeps you awake. For example: “I should go to sleep right now!” Ask yourself the question: “Okay, so what’s next?”

“Otherwise I won’t sleep!”

– And what next?

I make mistakes at work.

– And what next?

The boss will fire me!

– And what next?

– I’ll be unemployed.

– And what next?

– I will worry!

– And what next?

“I won’t fall asleep again, I won’t be able to go to interviews.

– Okay, what’s next?

“I’ll lose sleep completely and go crazy!”

“Great, what’s next?”

“They’ll put me in a psychiatric clinic!”

– And what next?

— I will tell other patients about my work.

We bet you are already smiling!

– And what next?

— I will conduct master classes for patients and doctors!

The purpose of this exercise is to bring your frightening (catastrophic) thought to the point of absurdity. The exercise can be considered completed if you have reached the answer that makes you smile. And if you smile, then the tension subsided. And that’s all we need!

How to sleep with insomnia without medication

10 best ways to fall asleep with insomnia at home and sleep well

1. Darken the room as much as possible

2. Ventilate the room

3. Turn falling asleep into a ritual

4. Skip the big dinner

5. Take a warm bath

6. Cover yourself with a heavy blanket

7. Exercise for falling asleep

8. Acupressure

9. Breathing exercises

10. Clean up

Psychologist tips

1. Exercise «Cloud»

2. Exercise “Conversation with insomnia”

3. Exercise “Bringing to the point of absurdity”

Popular questions and answers

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