health

People who struggle with sleep share the one trick that helps them nod off.

Counting sheep, listening to music, envisioning a white piece of paper — these are just a few of the age-old sleep tips that get wheeled out time and time again.

But that doesn’t mean they’ll work for everyone.

This week, a group of troubled sleepers has come together to share their tried and tested tricks on how to get a better sleep, and some of them are a little unusual.

The discussion was held on anonymous forum Reddit after one user posed the question: “What’s a good trick that helps you fall asleep?”

Breathe it out

“Surprised no one has mentioned controlled breathing yet. Take a long slow deep breath, hold it in for 3 seconds, then blow it out slowly. Repeat 5 times. This helps slow your heart rate and relax you.”

via GIPHY

R & R: Rain and Reading

“Reading or listening to a rain soundscape. Combine both and it’s just very relaxing.”

Time after time

“You’ve heard this one before, but it’s one of the best pieces of sleep advice around: wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day. Your body will become conditioned to follow this schedule, meaning that you will become tired and be able to fall asleep at a predictable time every night.”

Beds are strictly for sleeping

“Don’t read, watch TV, or work in bed. Associating waking activities with your sleeping space can confuse your body and make it more difficult to use that space for sleeping.” (Post continues after gallery.)

 

The Final Countdown

“The best thing I do is count down from 100. Typically, I won’t make it down to 50 before I am asleep.”

Turn it on and turn it off

“Turn on a movie or sitcom that you enjoy and know pretty well… Keep the volume pretty low. Go to bed, close your eyes and just visualise what is happening in the show. It’s pretty rare I make it though a full episode of anything.”

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Sweet, sweet fantasy, baby

“I make up my own fantasy stories that get weirder and weirder until I get into a nebulous state of consciousness. Then I am out.”

Relax from toe to tip

“Focus on relaxing every muscle in your body starting from your toes and work your way up.”

Watch: Segmented sleep, explained. (Post continues after video.)

Blank space, baby

“The best thing I do is count down from 100. Typically, I won’t make it down to 50 before I am asleep.”

Natural selection

“I’ve started doing this when my mind is racing, but like to watch nature documentaries (Planet Earth). Shows with story lines are way too easy to get wrapped up in and keep me up longer. Nature docs are interesting enough to distract me from my thoughts but uninteresting enough to fall asleep to.”

No screen zone

“Keep the TV and computer off for 30 to 60 minutes before bed. The light from the screens can trick your body into thinking that it’s still daylight and not time for sleeping.

Featured image: Paramount Pictures