Relaxation: techniques and exercises for better sleep. Relaxation techniques before bedtime Relaxation before bed

The night sleep of many people is disturbed for one simple reason - the body and mind refuse to relax and switch to rest. The consequence of this condition is insomnia, weakness in the morning, decreased ability to work in the daytime, and even depressive states. You can solve this problem by following simple rules aimed at relaxation. They will help you wake up refreshed and full of energy every day.

Relaxation for the body

The modern pace of life can negatively affect our psychological and physical health. If you don't know how to relax before bed, then these simple rules created especially for you. With the help of relaxation, you can normalize your night's rest, make it better in just a few weeks.

Consider what will help our body tune in to a sound restorative sleep.

1. Physical exercise.

By tiring your body, you will be able to sleep better in the evening. Sports should be part of your daily routine - an adult needs to be physically active at least 30 minutes a day to keep fit and have a good rest at night.

However, keep in mind that you need to take the first half of the day for exercise or the gym, muscle loads excite the nervous system, so it is best to exclude them in the evening.

1. Breathing practices.

Relaxing breathing practices help you fall asleep quickly and distract from worries. Before starting the exercise, you need to lie in bed so that you are as comfortable as possible. We inhale through the nose, and exhale through the mouth.

At first, inhale deeply and slowly, try at this time to imagine how the air passes through everything. Airways, fills every cell with oxygen. At the highest point of inhalation, pay attention to all your muscles, try to understand which ones are tense, and relax them as much as possible. Then exhale slowly, making sure that the length of the inhalations and exhalations is approximately the same.

1. Progressive muscle relaxation.

This technique will be useful for those who suffer from constant muscle tension and do not know how to calm down before going to bed. The technique is quite simple and lies in the fact that you learn to find mutual understanding with your body.

Before performing, we lie down in bed on our back, you should be comfortable. We close our eyes and begin to strain all muscle groups in turn, starting from the legs, moving up. We hold each group in a tense state for 5-6 seconds, after which we relax and move on to next group. During the exercise, breathing should be measured and calm, you do not need to hold it.

After working out the whole body, you will notice how relaxed the muscles are, and the mind is cleared, you can quickly fall asleep and sleep soundly until the morning.

1. Massage.

A light massage will relieve tension, give you peace and tranquility. It is desirable that a partner do it for you, but if this is not possible, you can also use self-massage. Start from the bottom of the body and work your way up. The muscles of the neck and shoulders should be given as much attention as possible, since they are the ones that are most strained during the day.

If you use a special massage oil, choose soothing scents (melissa, chamomile, lavender, vanilla).

1. Proper food before bed.

Often we get home quite late, have a hearty dinner, and then wonder why we can't sleep. It's very simple: our digestive system cannot "turn off" because we have loaded it, it sends signals to the brain, and this prevents normal sleep.

Eat dinner 2-3 hours before bed with light and useful products, if you really want to eat before bedtime, drink half a glass of low-fat kefir. So you can get rid of problems with falling asleep and even night mosquitoes.

Relaxation for the mind

Releasing muscle tension is quite an important aspect for good sleep, but the mind must also be prepared for a night's rest.

In order to "disconnect" from household and work alarms, you need to use simple tips. Relaxed, you can quickly immerse yourself in the arms of Morpheus, sleep well and protect your nervous system from stress.

Let's take a closer look at practices aimed at stabilizing the psyche.

• Visualization in detail.

Psychologists recommend this calming training for both adults and children. It helps to completely isolate oneself from problems, tune in to positive, gives quick relaxation before going to bed and calms the nervous system.

Before performing visualization, we take the most comfortable position in bed. Next, we think about a place on the planet that we really want to visit, or where we have already been. We try to imagine it in the smallest detail, we recreate the details in the brain, down to the rustles and smells. It is desirable that it be a picturesque corner. At first, disturbing thoughts can distract you from the lesson, but only when you catch yourself that you “fell out” of the visualization, return to it again.

At first, you will not be able to completely abstract yourself from everyday troubles, but if you work on yourself, then after a few weeks you will be able to mentally be transported to the most interesting places on the planet.

• We put things in order in our thoughts.

We often worry that we will not have time or forget to do something. Anxious thoughts tend to pop up in the mind just before bedtime. In order not to be distracted by worries, you need to make a list of planned tasks every day. In the evening before going to bed, cross out what you managed to do and make a new list for tomorrow. So you can "unload" your mind.

If you are worried about some more important problems, write them down in a diary - transferring your experiences to paper, you will free your mind from them.

• We learn to “turn off” in time.

Often we cannot fall asleep, even if we are very tired. Insomnia occurs against the background of mental overstrain, because people who work late on complex projects do not get enough sleep.

In order to teach the mind to “turn off” in time, you need to completely leave all work an hour before a night’s rest, you shouldn’t think about it either, convince yourself that in the morning you will take care of everything, and now is the time allotted for relaxation.

• Create a calming environment in the bedroom.

First of all, start using the bedroom only for its intended purpose, stop watching TV in it, playing on the computer, reading newspapers, eating and doing other things. Your brain must understand that this room is special and you need to relax in it. The temperature comfortable for sleeping is 17-20 ° C, try to maintain it all night, if possible, open the window for ventilation.

Choose a quality comfortable mattress, pillow, bedding and pajamas, nothing should make you uncomfortable. Use blackout curtains to avoid light pollution, close the door to the room so that noise cannot interfere with your rest.

You can listen to soft classical music before going to bed, it also helps some people fall asleep.

• Create a sleep ritual.

Our brain is a unique system, it can create associative links with certain actions. We can use this for evening relaxation. Create a ritual for preparing yourself for a night's rest. This may include showering or bathing, applying cosmetics, brushing your teeth, and other routine activities. However, they must be performed in the same sequence every day. After a few weeks, you will be surprised to notice how quickly the mind switches to rest after the preparatory ritual.

Summing up

We need to relax our body and mind before going to bed. Simple and easy-to-follow relaxation rules will help to completely eliminate problems with falling asleep and the quality of a night's rest. If you calm down properly every evening, you can not only sleep well, but also strengthen your psyche.

Follow the advice of experts and restore your strength while you sleep.

The night sleep of many people is disturbed for one simple reason - the body and mind refuse to relax and switch to rest. The consequence of this condition is insomnia, weakness in the morning, decreased ability to work in the daytime, and even depressive states. You can solve this problem by following simple rules aimed at relaxation. They will help you wake up refreshed and full of energy every day.

Relaxation for the body

The modern pace of life can negatively affect our psychological and physical health. If you don't know how to relax before bed, then these simple rules are made especially for you. With the help of relaxation, you can normalize your night's rest, make it better in just a few weeks.

Consider what will help our body tune in to a sound restorative sleep.

1. Physical exercise.

By tiring your body, you will be able to sleep better in the evening. Sports should be part of your daily routine - an adult needs to be physically active at least 30 minutes a day to keep fit and have a good rest at night.

However, keep in mind that you need to take the first half of the day for exercise or the gym, muscle loads excite the nervous system, so it is best to exclude them in the evening.

1. Breathing practices.

Relaxing breathing practices help you fall asleep quickly and distract from worries. Before starting the exercise, you need to lie in bed so that you are as comfortable as possible. We inhale through the nose, and exhale through the mouth.

At first, inhale deeply and slowly, try at this time to imagine how the air passes through all the respiratory tract, fills every cell with oxygen. At the highest point of inhalation, pay attention to all your muscles, try to understand which ones are tense, and relax them as much as possible. Then exhale slowly, making sure that the length of the inhalations and exhalations is approximately the same.

1. Progressive muscle relaxation.

This technique will be useful for those who suffer from constant muscle tension and do not know how to calm down before going to bed. The technique is quite simple and lies in the fact that you learn to find mutual understanding with your body.

Before performing, we lie down in bed on our back, you should be comfortable. We close our eyes and begin to strain all muscle groups in turn, starting from the legs, moving up. We hold each group in a tense state for 5-6 seconds, after which we relax and move on to the next group. During the exercise, breathing should be measured and calm, you do not need to hold it.

After working out the whole body, you will notice how relaxed the muscles are, and the mind is cleared, you can quickly fall asleep and sleep soundly until the morning.

1. Massage.

A light massage will relieve tension, give you peace and tranquility. It is desirable that a partner do it for you, but if this is not possible, you can also use self-massage. Start from the bottom of the body and work your way up. The muscles of the neck and shoulders should be given as much attention as possible, since they are the ones that are most strained during the day.

If you use a special massage oil, choose soothing scents (melissa, chamomile, lavender, vanilla).

1. Proper food before bed.

Often we get home quite late, have a hearty dinner, and then wonder why we can't sleep. It's very simple: our digestive system cannot "turn off" because we have loaded it, it sends signals to the brain, and this prevents normal sleep.

Dine 2-3 hours before bedtime with light and healthy foods, if you really want to eat before bedtime, drink half a glass of low-fat kefir. So you can get rid of problems with falling asleep and even night mosquitoes.

Relaxation for the mind

Releasing muscle tension is quite an important aspect for good sleep, but the mind must also be prepared for a night's rest.

In order to "disconnect" from household and work anxieties, you need to use simple tips. Relaxed, you can quickly immerse yourself in the arms of Morpheus, sleep well and protect your nervous system from stress.

Let's take a closer look at practices aimed at stabilizing the psyche.

• Visualization in detail.

Psychologists recommend this calming training for both adults and children. It helps to completely isolate oneself from problems, tune in to positive, gives quick relaxation before going to bed and calms the nervous system.

Before performing visualization, we take the most comfortable position in bed. Next, we think about a place on the planet that we really want to visit, or where we have already been. We try to imagine it in the smallest detail, we recreate the details in the brain, down to the rustles and smells. It is desirable that it be a picturesque corner. At first, disturbing thoughts can distract you from the lesson, but only when you catch yourself that you “fell out” of the visualization, return to it again.

At first, you will not be able to completely abstract yourself from everyday troubles, but if you work on yourself, then after a few weeks you will be able to mentally be transported to the most interesting places on the planet.

• We put things in order in our thoughts.

We often worry that we will not have time or forget to do something. Anxious thoughts tend to pop up in the mind just before bedtime. In order not to be distracted by worries, you need to make a list of planned tasks every day. In the evening before going to bed, cross out what you managed to do and make a new list for tomorrow. So you can "unload" your mind.

If you are worried about some more important problems, write them down in a diary - transferring your experiences to paper, you will free your mind from them.

• We learn to “turn off” in time.

Often we cannot fall asleep, even if we are very tired. Insomnia occurs against the background of mental overstrain, because people who work late on complex projects do not get enough sleep.

In order to teach the mind to “turn off” in time, you need to completely leave all work an hour before a night’s rest, you shouldn’t think about it either, convince yourself that in the morning you will take care of everything, and now is the time allotted for relaxation.

• Create a calming environment in the bedroom.

First of all, start using the bedroom only for its intended purpose, stop watching TV in it, playing on the computer, reading newspapers, eating and doing other things. Your brain must understand that this room is special and you need to relax in it. The temperature comfortable for sleeping is 17-20 ° C, try to maintain it all night, if possible, open the window for ventilation.

Choose a quality comfortable mattress, pillow, bedding and pajamas, nothing should make you uncomfortable. Use blackout curtains to avoid light pollution, close the door to the room so that noise cannot interfere with your rest.

You can listen to soft classical music before going to bed, it also helps some people fall asleep.

• Create a sleep ritual.

Our brain is a unique system, it can create associative links with certain actions. We can use this for evening relaxation. Create a ritual for preparing yourself for a night's rest. This may include showering or bathing, applying cosmetics, brushing your teeth, and other routine activities. However, they must be performed in the same sequence every day. After a few weeks, you will be surprised to notice how quickly the mind switches to rest after the preparatory ritual.

Summing up

We need to relax our body and mind before going to bed. Simple and easy-to-follow relaxation rules will help to completely eliminate problems with falling asleep and the quality of a night's rest. If you calm down properly every evening, you can not only sleep well, but also strengthen your psyche.

Follow the advice of experts and restore your strength while you sleep.

Develop consistency in relation to sleep. Consistency is essential if you want to sleep well. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Routine routines (such as taking a bath before bed) will help your brain relax and get ready for sleep.

Create a relaxing bedroom. Your bed should be exclusively for sleeping! It's a bad idea to do work, make phone calls, pay bills, etc. without getting out of bed. Your brain needs to realize that your bed is a place to sleep and be free from all work related. When you go to bed, the room should not be too hot, nor too cold, and as dark and calm as possible. In the morning, turn on the lights or open the curtains to help your body recognize that it's time to get up.

Switch off. Allow your consciousness to switch off. Don't work until the last moment before going to bed. Finish any work at least an hour before bedtime.

Put your mind in order. Write a list of what you managed to do during the day, or cross your accomplishments off your to-do list. It can be everyday routine activities that most often cause stress. Make a new to-do list for the next day. Good way smash your mind - write down your thoughts in a diary.

Breathe. Proper breathing is the simplest and most effective relaxation technique, but few use it correctly, and many think that you just need to take "deep breaths." Place one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. While inhaling, concentrate on the abdomen, expanding it so that the arm moves. While exhaling, concentrate on squeezing the abdomen, while the shoulders and chest should remain motionless. Try to ensure that the inhalation and exhalation are approximately the same in duration.

Choose carefully what you eat and drink before bed. Caffeine and tobacco interfere with the relaxation process and can disrupt the natural rhythm of sleep. Alcohol can cause drowsiness, but too much of it also has a detrimental effect on sleep rhythms. Warm drinks before bed, such as warm milk or hot chocolate fit much more. You should also make sure that during the day there is no excess or shortage of calories in food. Snacking before bed can help, but don't overeat as it will take your body half the night to digest your food. Milk, turkey, and peanuts contain nutrients sleep aids, so why not have a turkey paté or peanut butter sandwich before bed?

Learn to release stress. If you're worried about something, write down the problem and think about what you can realistically do to fix it. write down possible options, then discard this piece of paper, and with it the associated voltage.

Visualize. If you're still feeling stressed, try doing a visualization exercise. To do this, you need to imagine a place where you feel calm and happy. It can be a real, or it can be a fictional place, in the company of a certain person or in solitude. Imagine the sights, sounds, smells and tastes you would like. Concentrate on the other people there, their clothes, the weather. The more detailed the picture, the more effective the result will be.

Healthy sound sleep has become a luxury item today: modern people they work too much and end the working day late, they worry and worry a lot about the news, they rarely really rest - and as a result they sleep little and restlessly. Stress and poor sleep vicious circle: the more nervous you are, the worse you sleep, and the worse you sleep, the more difficult it is for you to cope with the stress of a new day. It is difficult to do something about external circumstances, but still do not forget: you can noticeably improve your own well-being with the help of simple ways that depend only on you. Teleprogramma.pro tells what you can do to get a good sleep.

1. Change your diet

Normal restful sleep begins with a stable regimen. Of course, rule number one should be to go to bed at the same time every day (and wake up too).

But diet is just as important. Don't overload digestive system before bedtime! If you can’t stop eating after six or eight in the evening, then at least make sure that the last evening snack is at least an hour and a half separated from going to bed. It is also important not to drink too much fluid before bed. If you try to drink more water every day, then trying to compensate for missed meals during the day with increased drinking before bedtime is definitely bad idea. Do not drink more than one glass of liquid. By the way, it can be chamomile tea or warm milk with honey - an effective natural sleeping pill.

2. Reduce your caffeine intake

Caffeine is found not only in coffee, but also in tea of ​​all varieties, cola, energy drinks, lozenges and bars, some types of chewing gum. The link between daily caffeine intake and nighttime sleep quality is direct and should not be ignored. Yes, a cup of coffee with milk that you drink during the day counts too!

If you want to see a noticeable result, then give up caffeinated products in general. By the way, this substance causes not only excitement, but also addiction, so it will be difficult to break off relations with it. But you will definitely feel the difference.

3. Learn to rest

Some people do not know how to rest and relax at all. Watching TV, lively chatting and going to the gym in the evening is not a vacation! Before going to bed, it is recommended to immerse yourself in an atmosphere that will relax the mind and body: calmness, lack of stress, a warm and well-ventilated room, some quiet activities.

4. Turn off bright lights an hour before bedtime

Like the previous preparations, this will serve as a signal to the body that sleep is ahead, and it is time to gradually move into the appropriate state. An hour before bedtime, turn off the overhead lights, close the curtains if there are bright lights outside, turn off the TV and computer, try not to use your phone or tablet - anything that would irritate your eyes. It is important to turn it into a habit, a nightly ritual. Then it will bring wonderful results.

5. Take a hot bath in the evening

With hot baths, a simple rule applies: no later than an hour and a half before bedtime, no longer than 15 minutes, and, if possible, with soft lighting. Relaxing water can be added essential oil or your favorite bath salt. Few things can compare with the effect of water procedures in relieving stress.

Reading is one of the best relaxation techniques before bed. Moreover, it is better to read a book already familiar to you with a well-known ending. You say it's for an amateur? In fact, even a fundamentally "non-reading" person, if he tries, will be able to remember some text that is certainly pleasant to him. It does not have to be a literary masterpiece, there is only one criterion here - your positive emotions and the calming effect of reading. If rereading books you've already read is somehow too much for you, then you can take a chance and take on a fresh bestseller, promising yourself that you will definitely go to bed on time, no matter how exciting the book is.

7. Take breaks and workouts throughout the day

Move more during the day and switch between activities more often, do not get hung up on one thing. If possible, take ten-minute breaks to walk, get some fresh air, stretch, or even do some simple exercise. Thus, you will make your day more active, you will be able to maintain your tone, and all this will provide you with a pleasant feeling of muscle relaxation in the evening.

8. Do breathing exercises

Everything in yoga is useful for optimizing your lifestyle, but among its main findings are invaluable breathing exercises that help a person to control his own condition very effectively. For example, a good exercise is breathing through the left nostril, which helps a person to relax. With the index finger of the right hand, pinch the right nostril (the pressure should not be too strong). Breathe deeply, evenly and evenly through your left nostril for five minutes, listening to your own breathing. You can try this exercise at night, before going to bed, and breathe in this way until you feel an overwhelming desire to sleep.

9. Eliminate thoughts that interfere with sleep

Often we are disturbed by thoughts that we cannot cope with. The cause of sleep disturbance can even be the fear itself that we will not be able to sleep, we will suffer all night and be late for work in the morning! It happens that a person in the evening so torments himself with this fear that this is exactly what happens to him.

The problem with this sleep disturbance is that one such failure sets off a whole series, and our regimen is completely upset for a week, or even two. Is it possible to counteract thoughts and fears that have piled up on your own, without the help of a psychotherapist? First, try to cope with them, look for ways to calm down. If they do not work, then do not knock on a closed door. Do not wait for the situation to change on its own - do not hesitate to ask for help.

10. Spend a few minutes alone before bed, looking up at the sky.

If the day was too hard, if nothing works out for you, if you don’t want anything, including turning your problems to third parties, if you feel that you can’t do anything at all, don’t be lazy. Get dressed, go outside or on the balcony alone and spend some time by yourself, looking at the sky. This is a very relaxing activity. Take your time: after a few minutes, the vise of heavy thoughts will loosen, you will be able to distract yourself from what you are fixated on, and you will be able to relax. Breathe evenly and deeply, and if the situation allows, then take a glass of warm milk with honey with you.