Why is it so tough to relax before bed? Have all generations leading up to now had similar issues? It seems that the modern age has all but stripped us of the ability to fall asleep at night. We are now better connected than ever before with people scattered all over the world. Constant Facebooking, looking for WhatsApp updates, waiting for that phone call from a different time zone, watching a football game being played in a different time zone, and not rising with the sun as a result of it. We seem to have walked straight into zombie land from woke land, if you please.
Why can we not seem to catch a break? We know all the diktats of “switching off” prior to sleep: turn off the telly and the phone, mute your lights to a dull yellow, read a book, avoid the white glare of a computer screen, darken the bedroom, etc. But even with all those sleep-friendly tips and tricks, we seem to hit mounting sleep debt month on month. Given that, are there ways and means to actually relax before bed? What are some good sleep habits that we can follow to get a sound night’s sleep when we need it? Here are some tried and tested ideas to relax before bed. Try one, try them all – anything for a good night’s sleep, yes?
- Chamomile tea: Drink a cup of chamomile tea at night. Chamomile tea has naturally occurring melatonin, a supplement prescribed for insomniacs. This gentle sleep aid is popular the world over as a surefire way to relax before bed. For best benefits, drink at least an hour before bed. You will find yourself slipping into a natural stupor that doesn’t feel drug-induced about 30-40 minutes after drinking it.
- Lavender Oil: Yup, that’s right. Make your own lavender spray, and spritz some on your pillowcase just before you sleep. Or dab a few drops of lavender essential oil on your pillowcase/temples. Lavender calms the mind and induces a feeling of lightness.
- Take a hot bath: No, not a hot shower. A proper soak in the tub with some Epsom salts, a few drops of any of our favourite stress relief oils, some rose petals, and an eye gel pack. The change in temperature induces stupor, as it relaxes muscles and joints and relieves stress. Remember to not take a hot shower, though. That can make you want to hit the gym, or worse still, work on your computer.
- Eye gel pack, or used tea bags for the eyes: Have an eye gel pack in your refrigerator always ready. A cold eye pack can help soothe the nerves around the eyes, and give welcome respite to our open eyes. Sometimes, when we struggle to fall asleep, we notice our eyes are open, even though our brains are ready to shut down. Gently nudging the eyes to close this way can help. If you don’t have an eye gel pack handy, store those used chamomile tea bags in the fridge for a few minutes between drinking the tea and getting ready for bed. Use chamomile tea bags make for a great makeshift eye pack.
- Shavasana: Get into the corpse position. Either count sheep, count backwards from 100, or slowly count your own breaths, backwards from 25 or 50. Gently guide your body to relax with your mind. In those few minutes of silence, as your breathing regulates and deepens, your mind will quieten, and your brain will switch off. Sleep will follow.
- Stretches: Here are some yogic stretchesyou can try to relax before bed. Alternatively, lean forward, bend down, and let your arms hang by the sides of your body. Sway side to side for a few minutes.
- Meditate: Always the answer. For anything and everything.
- Glass of warm milk with honey: Your mother wasn’t wrong. Because mothers are never wrong. A glass of warm milk with honey is rich in B-12, a vitamin required for metabolism and sleep. Pro tip: don’t drink hot chocolate.
- Get your partner to give you a gentle back rub: Because when has that not worked? Sometimes, we tend to carry the day’s stress in our trapezius – the shoulder muscle. You will notice that where you carry the burden the most is in between your shoulder blades. This causes most of the muscles along the spine to tighten and strain in response. A back rub (preferably with lavender-scented body oil) can help you relax into sleeping.
- Listen to instrumental music: Listening to the gurgle of a stream, or pan flutes echoing somewhere up in the mountains, helps me relax before bed. Choose a number that you know will calm you down. Try and avoid songs – once your mind starts singing along, it will find it hard to relax.
