It is already the fourth or fifth turn you have taken trying to fall asleep and you begin to question everything...
According to a study by the SEN (Spanish Society of Neurology), between 12% and 48% of the Spanish adult population has problems falling or maintaining sleep .
If you are one of them, you have ever wondered how to improve your rest. From BeZen we propose 6 good habits before going to sleep.
Plan
A very common mistake is to go to bed with your head loaded with calls, appointments and pending things to do the next day. This activates the brain and makes it think.
A very simple way to combat the stress of endless tasks to do is to plan them. Before going to sleep, try to make a list of the things you have to do the next day, those that can wait a couple more days and those that definitely have to be left behind. Sometimes, even creating a simple schedule of how long it is estimated it will take to do each activity is a way to take a huge weight off your shoulders and allow you to rest peacefully.
Writes
“Reading is good for the mind and writing is good for the heart” If no one said that, we already said it.
Many times there are issues that steal sleep: love, heartbreak, friendship, sadness, fear... All of them fight and twist in thought, even making it difficult to breathe. You don't have to be Lorca or Goethe to be able to write about what torments us: using writing as a tool to vent not only has incredible benefits for consciousness (apart from being very therapeutic), but also powers our vocabulary, the way we express ourselves, gives us an opportunity to reflect before facing situations or people that are causing us displeasure and helps us strong>relax before going to sleep (in addition to getting away from screens for a while).
It is also very important to think positive and be grateful for what we have. Asking ourselves questions about the day and how to improve is beneficial for feeling better about ourselves and improving productivity. You can write about them to make your thoughts more concrete or simply reflect, which brings us to the next habit.
Reflect, meditate and stretch
This may seem contradictory to what was said at the beginning. Wasn't it that you had to plan so as not to think? Yes and no.
You see, it is crucial for good mental health and rest to clear the mind, but this can also be done by detecting what is bothering us, making it aware of it and letting it go.
A current of thought that is gaining popularity and that is closely linked to reflection is Mindfulness. This involves paying attention to how we feel (both physically and mentally) in the present, being aware of it and accepting it (both the good and the less good). In this way the body relaxes, the mind is left blank and breathing is controlled. We invite you to investigate more about it.
We have talked about how to relax the body from the mind, but you can also relax the mind from the body: do a small stretching routine for your arms, legs, neck, back and any part that you feel stiff, It is ideal to prepare ourselves to rest.
Darken your surroundings
Melatonin is the hormone responsible for regulating and producing the feeling of sleep.
If we put on the glasses of philologists, we can see that “μελας” (melas) means “black or dark in color”, the root “-ten/ton” means “to extend”, and “-ina” is “substance”: for what “mela-ton-ina” is “the substance that spreads darkness” and is achieved precisely with that.
It is essential to turn off the lights in our environment to facilitate the natural production of melatonin and for the body to disconnect. That is why experts advise against using cell phones or computers in the 90 minutes before going to sleep. Screens not only delay the appearance of melatonin but also increase stress and activity levels, which is completely counterproductive if what you want is to sleep.
Lee
Running away from devices and screens isn't easy, but it becomes more bearable when you find a story you love. We have discussed the benefits of writing, but reading does not fall short.
Reading helps us relax, disconnect from everyday problems, develop personally and, in addition, it is proven to improve memory and the ability to express ourselves written and orally. If possible, we recommend reading paper books (if it is recycled, much better) or electronic books.
Another option for those who are not book lovers, are audiobooks. These have the advantage of resting your eyes and, if you find one with a sweet voice, it is twice as relaxing.
Temper and ventilate the environment
Ventilating the room before (and after) sleeping helps a lot to clean the air and refresh the room. Your lungs will thank you.
It is estimated that the ideal temperature for sleep ranges between 18 and 21ºC. This is because both very hot and very cold environments cause discomfort and interruptions in rest, causing greater movements and turning in bed. On the other hand, freshness also helps to produce the famous melatonin faster (we are already silent about the little word, no matter how beneficial it is for us).
