Problems falling asleep - 4 ways to relax at night

After going to bed you should switch off, there should be no more daytime problems to think about. You should not get up again to check e-mails or get a glass of water. It is fundamental that you use the bed only at rest times, because in this way you often postpone your time to fall asleep by a long way, and in case of doubt you still have the annoyance of thinking about the remaining time to sleep, and finally you are less able to rest because of the excitement. What is important now is that you learn to let go. The necessary calmness to fall asleep can show you some basic relaxation techniques that you can learn and that will make it easier for you to fall asleep.

Autogenic training

Since the 1930s, psychiatrist Johann Heinrich Schulz has been studying the effect of self-hypnosis on patients. If these techniques are performed correctly, they are helpful, among other things, to relieve mental problems. If you are not able to find the necessary rest in the evening because of your stress, autogenic training helps you to learn how to block out these stresses and thus rest better in the evening. In general, autogenic training techniques help you slow down your breathing and lower your heart rate. This means that even if you are not brooding over a hard nut, these techniques will help you to calm down in the evening.

Progressive muscle relaxation according to Jakobson

Progressive muscle relaxation is especially worthwhile for those who cannot or do not want to remain in a completely resting position while falling asleep. Shortening the time it takes to fall asleep makes it much easier for you to do so. This method is also very easy to use: You make yourself comfortable, preferably lying on your back. The muscles of individual body parts are tensed and relaxed in a certain sequence. You will feel the relaxing effect of this exercise on the spot. The tensing and relaxing of the muscles brings a feeling of well-being to the muscles, which some people describe as warming or tingling. If you practice progressive muscle relaxation for a while, you will also notice in your daily life where you tense muscles unnecessarily and where there is potential for further relaxation.

Military Method

The Military Method comes, as the name suggests, from the military field. Since there are many young men who come together in an unfamiliar environment with many new impressions and many strangers around them, but somehow have to get to rest, this method has proven that young recruits get the sleep that you need during strenuous training phases.

As with other relaxation techniques, you will relax a number of body parts. The exact steps are:

Relax your face, especially the inside of your mouth.
Drop your shoulders and take the tension out of your hands. Let them lie loosely next to your body.
Breathe out and relax your chest.
Next, relax your legs, thighs and lower legs.
Cleanse your mind by imagining a relaxing scene for ten seconds.

This method is supposed to make it possible to fall asleep within a few minutes.

4-7-8 Breathing technique

The 4-7-8 breathing technique is an exercise that you can practice four times a day with two passes each time. It is simple to implement:

You breathe in through your nose for four seconds.
Then hold your breath for seven seconds.
Finally, exhale through your mouth for eight seconds with your lips pressed together. When you exhale, make a sound that can sound like "wooossssch".

This breathing technique is a natural sedative and generally helps you to become calmer. But also in situations that are particularly stressful or upsetting for you, controlling your breathing can also help you control your nerves and thus your thoughts. If you have problems finding peace in the evening, it can be very helpful if you consciously control your breathing before going to sleep. Breathing exercises can be combined with mindfulness exercises, such as inhaling with the awareness that "I am taking a deep breath", and holding your breath and exhaling with a similar awareness.

These techniques will help you not only to fall asleep, but generally to increase your well-being. It is optimal if you try different techniques to find out the one that suits you best.