Whether you’ve experienced insomnia before or not, the chances are that the madness of recent times has left you up a night or two. Getting to sleep at the moment is hard enough, but even small disruptions likely leave you wide awake as this new reality hits all over again.
It’s an issue, and it’s one that you’ll want to tackle if you’re to hold onto your sanity. The trouble is that, despite your best efforts, you aren’t sure what you can do. Already, you’ve focused on creating a peaceful sleep space and practicing a bedtime routine. Heck, you’ve even spent nights counting sheep, and it’s done nothing to counteract the bags under your eyes!
We feel you. Luckily, there’s plenty more you can do to return to the land of nod during these sleepless nights. Surprisingly, counting sheep has nothing to do with it. Nor does lying in bed looking at the clock. In fact, as many people with long-term insomnia will tell you, getting to sleep is often about getting up and tackling this issue in the following ways.
Find things that help you to relax
Whether you turn to herbal tea or a natural topical like those offered by Every Day Optimal CBD, getting up and actively doing something that relaxes you is sure to help you out here. Unlike staring at the clock, these activities distract you from whatever got you up in the first place. Even better, they can chill you out so that you fall asleep again as soon as your head hits the pillow.
Try some gentle stretching
Stretching in the middle of the night? Are we mad? Maybe, but you’d be amazed how well this can work. Obviously, we’re not saying you should undergo a full workout at three in the morning, but gentle stretches are worthwhile. Simple yoga poses like happy baby and child’s pose are especially useful for this, while stretching your legs out straight can help to settle your central nervous system. And, by working through muscle tension, you should find that these gentle efforts help to unknot your thoughts a little, too.
Write it down
The healing benefits of journaling aren’t news to anyone at this stage, but the chances are that you don’t often reach for a pen when you can’t sleep. In reality, though, that’s precisely what you should be doing. By writing your worries and doing something symbolic like ripping them up, you should at least be able to get those concerns out of your head. And, once you’ve done that, peaceful sleep shouldn’t seem half as hard to come by as it did when you were stuck counting those dreaded sheep!
Anxiety at a time like this is to be expected, and many of us are experiencing some sleep issues as a result. But, while many other things aren’t in your control right now, this very much is. So, make sure that you truly do control it by making use of these tactics tonight.
