Relaxation Techniques to Help You Fall Asleep

(And no, the first technique does not involve counting sheep). Most of us, at one time or another, suffer through temporary bouts of insomnia due to excessive stress and anxiety. And make no mistake, stress and anxiety are almost always the culprits of sleepless nights. Unfortunately, those that suffer with chronic insomnia, falling and staying asleep can be a nightly struggle over long periods of time.

We’ve all been there…something occurred during our day to increase our stress levels, which causes the release of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones increase our heart rate, breathing rate and blood pressure. They also slow our digestion and make us more alert in case physical activity is required.

However, since our stress is mostly mental in nature, the “fight or flight” reaction is rarely triggered. But our bodies don’t differentiate between mental and physical stress. To our bodies, stress is stress and the reaction is always the same, even when we think back on our stressful day at 1:00 AM. So, our task is to “de-stress” at the end of our day and here are a few techniques to help:

• Belly or diaphragmatic breathing is a simple relaxation technique which should be used in bed, prior to attempting to fall asleep. The term “diaphragmatic” refers to your diaphragm which is a muscle at the base of your lungs that is used to pull air into and push air out of your lungs. To utilize this technique, place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage while lying on your back. Then, breathe in through your nose deeply and be aware of your belly pushing up against your lower hand. Pause for a few seconds, then, tighten your stomach muscles as you exhale deeply through pursed lips. Repeat this process 8-10 times.
• 4-7-8 breathing requires you to hold your breath for a few seconds. Therefore, if you’re unable to do so or uncomfortable holding your breath, this technique is not for you. This technique begins by inhaling through your nose for four seconds with your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind your front teeth. Then, hold that breath for seven seconds. Finally, exhale slowly for eight seconds as you would when blowing out your birthday candles. Repeat this technique 4-7 times while lying on your back in bed.
• Progressive muscle relaxation follows the principle that it is tough to be stressed or anxious with relaxed muscles. This exercise requires a bit of patience and time as it requires you to relax 16 different muscle groups within your body beginning at the top. Those 16 muscle groups are: your forehead, eyes and nose, cheeks and jaw, mouth, back of neck, front of neck, shoulders, chest, biceps, forearms, wrists, hands, hips and butt, and thighs and lower legs. You can, of course, modify these muscle groups to your liking. While lying on your back, breathe in for 5-10 seconds while tensing each group. Then, exhale slowly as you actively relax the same muscle group. Finally, keep those muscles relaxed for 15-20 seconds before moving on to the next muscle group.
• Stress visualization requires a bit of imagination on your part. First, visualize all the stress and anxiety within your body as a colored gas…your least favorite color works best here. Then, as you use the belly breathing technique discussed above, imagine the colored, gaseous stress and anxiety being gradually expelled from your body every time you exhale. Imagine it being pulled up from your feet, legs, hips, stomach, lower back, and chest, as well as down from your head, neck and shoulders. Lastly, visualize all that stress being expelled into the air around you and then slowly drifting away.

Obviously, not every technique works for every person. Experiment with each and see what works best for you or combine techniques as in the stress visualization exercise. If you find more than one works for you, alternate them on nights you’re having trouble falling asleep. Sleep is too important in the body’s healing process to just lie there and hope for the best. Become a bit proactive and try these techniques. What do you have to lose?…sleep, if you just continue on as you have been. Nighty, night.