
18. Use a Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets are thick blankets that are used as a sort of pressure therapy to relieve stress and encourage the brain’s production of serotonin. Around 10% of your body weight is the optimal weight for a weighted blanket since it exerts just enough pressure to make you feel peaceful and at ease without making you feel constrained.
Your body will undoubtedly appreciate it if you employ a weighted blanket throughout your nighttime routine or just before bed.
19. Try the Military Method
The military method is a technique that emphasizes deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and mental imagery. Here is a quick sleep technique used by the military.
- Relax your body’s muscles by sitting or lying down on your bed.
- Tense your muscles starting with your face, then let them relax naturally. Start inhaling deeply to relax.
- Repeat this process until your entire body feels completely at ease.
- For 10 seconds, clear your mind of all thoughts. Imagine one of the following situations when your mind is clear:
- Peacefully lying in a canoe on a calm lake
- Swaying gently back and forth in a pitch-black space
- If the aforementioned fails, repeat “don’t think, don’t think, don’t think” in your head for at least 10 seconds before trying again.
20. Try Autogenic Training
A technique for relaxing is autogenic training. Autogenic training, which is based on hypnosis principles, employs a sequence of phrases to relax your nervous system. Here are some tips for using autogenic training to fall asleep quickly.
- Lay down and tell yourself, “I am perfectly relaxed,” focusing on your breath.
- Focus on your arms and tell yourself, at least six times, “My arms are quite heavy” and “I am absolutely peaceful.”
- Turn your attention to your legs and tell yourself, at least six times, “My legs are quite heavy” and “I am absolutely relaxed.”
- Repeat the aforementioned sentences at least six times as you go to various body areas, including your heart, forehead, and abdomen.
- When you are comfortable, start to focus on your complete body, which should also make you feel warm and at ease.
- If you haven’t already dozed off, keep repeating the preceding procedures until you’re ready to open your eyes and take in the peacefulness.