Insomnia: 7 holistic techniques that help you relax and fall asleep

Six holistic strategies to fight insomnia and sleep better.

Do not store avocado like this: it is dangerous Six holistic strategies to combat theinsomnia and sleep better

It is beautiful to fall voluptuously, spontaneously, naturally, into Morpheus' arms: close your eyes and in an amen, like this, without any effort, without realizing it, leave the waking state and sink, abandon yourself in a deep sleep. But this is not the case for everyone. And then, even if he is in bed, there is nothing to do: the minutes pass. His eyes remain open; even if closed they do not find peace. The mind wanders. It goes round and round or not, but it doesn't change. It doesn't happen. You turn around and try letting go again but it doesn't happen. It is the nightmare of insomnia or, more generally, of the difficulty in falling asleep. Who has never happened to?

Instead of waiting for sleep to come, we can go and find it here 6 diverse strategy holistic which can help fight insomnia by promoting relaxation.

Index

Gradually "unplug" the plug

Accustomed as we are to electrical and electronic appliances that work in binary mode - on-off, open-closed, active-inactive - we end up believing that at the end of the day, tired as we are, it is enough to throw yourself into bed and we will sleep. This is obviously not the case for humans. The events of the day require attention, high levels of "activation" that are incompatible with a good rest. We therefore need a period of "settling", relaxation and preparation for the nocturnal rhythm, which can vary individually: at least an hour or two before going to bed. To pass away from the mobile phone, television, computer, from stimulating activities, lowering the level of lights. A bit like sunset does - in Nature: it leaves the dynamic fervor of the day to accompany, gently, in the slower nocturnal atmospheres.

Tap into the "power" of water

A nice long hot bath, or a slow and hot shower, savored by entering into a relationship with water (capturing the sensations it leaves on the skin, trying to consider it as an element that has its own life and "wisdom") help to dissolve the tensions of the body and mind. If you have some time, you can add fine whole sea salt (about 500 grams) to the water of the tub: an immersion of at least twenty minutes will allow for even deeper relaxation.

Guided View

The market offers several CDs for relaxation and guided viewing but that's better, do-it-yourself is also perfect. Here is a possible self-guided visualization, to be done when you are in bed (which you can change from time to time, choosing relaxing and welcome settings): bring attention to your body, to the points of contact with the mattress and with the blankets, starting from the head and then gradually, one part of the body after another (neck, shoulders, torso, pelvis, legs, feet). Feel these points of contact. And then repeat the "scan" to feel where there are points of tension, and loosen them through the breath. So imagine being - for example - on a beach, feel the heat of the sun's rays, imagine the slow sound of the sea waves and immerse yourself in these pleasant images.

Go to bed later

Those who cannot fall asleep ... can stay awake. According to a study, choosing to stay awake longer can help. What is the indication? Calculate the average number of hours you actually slept over the past few weeks. Suppose it is 5. If the alarm clock has to go off at, say, six in the morning to allow us to go to work, then you will have to go to bed at 1 am. If you can sleep well in that short period of time, then you will then be able to go to bed earlier a little at a time, anticipating a quarter of an hour each time, until you reach seven hours of sleep a night.

Breathing… with alternating nostrils

To calm inner tensions, even those that are below the threshold of our awareness, a particular alternating nostril breathing technique can help. Breathing first from one nostril and then from the other balances the cerebral hemispheres, induces deep relaxation. It can be practiced at any time of the day and even before going to bed or while under the sheets (to know the procedure to do it correctly, click here).

100, 99, 98

More than counting sheep, according to some American sleep experts, counting down can help. So here, we start from 100 and then go back. The golden rule is not to be in a hurry, let yourself be lulled by the numbers, and if you lose count… start over. As if it were a game. True, it's a boring game but that's the trick: getting your mind into a slow, uninteresting activity.

Method 4-7-8

This method developed by Harvard researchers promises to put you to sleep in less than a minute through a yoga-inspired three-point breathing technique. It would involve inhaling with the nose for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 and exhaling with the mouth for 8 (hence the name). For more info, read the in-depth analysis on the 4-7-8 method