Four Tips to get Back to Sleep
Ever have those moments when you wake up in the middle of the night and your mind is going a mile a minute, but all you really want to do is get some sleep? I do not get them as often as I used to but it does still happen to me. Then I am up worrying about why I am not sleeping- such a vicious cycle. Here are a few things that I have done to get back to sleep.
- Read a book, but not one that I am really into because I will stay up all night finishing it. I have recently increased my nonfiction reading and some of the books, though the knowledge gained is invaluable, are dull and take some focused intention to get through. I start to read one of them and I am soon dozing off to dreamland.
- write in my journal especially if I have a lot on my mind. It helps to get those thoughts out of your head and onto paper. If it is personal, shred it in the morning. Write it down and let it go for the night.
- meditate. Ideally, your not supposed to fall asleep while meditating but it is a really great way to clear the mind which is usually what keeps us from falling asleep.
- listen to some music and "let it go." That is my favorite motto for everything that I cannot do anything about at the time. Do not fret over not sleeping. Do not focus on how many hours of sleep you are not getting because you cannot get to sleep. Let it go and listen to a soothing melodic tune. I personally listen to a Sade station or slow jams station. Do not make falling asleep to music a habit. It is only if all else fails.
Sleep is important in helping us organize the day and mentally catalog things. It helps balance us out and get us ready to hop back into another day. Sleep is one of the top things we can do to combat negative stress in our lives. Do not let your busy mind get in the way of a good night's sleep.
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