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Psychiatrists say that when you have insomnia, do not rush to force yourself to sleep. Instead, use 5 minutes of stretching, slow breathing and a certain ritual before bed, as well as sorting out work and putting down your mobile phone, which can better help get your body and mind into a relaxed state.
My body is obviously tired, but my head won’t stop after laying down on the bed. I think again and again about the day’s work and tomorrow’s schedule. I can’t help but pick up my phone to check messages. The more I want to fall asleep quickly, the more I wake up. Psychiatrist Yang Kangcai reminds that sleep does not depend on the willpower to immediately turn off the brain. Excessive demand to fall asleep on your own can increase sleep anxiety. To gradually transition the body and mind from a working state to a relaxed state, it is recommended to use a certain and simple “little ritual before sleep” combined with stretching, slow breathing and sorting out work things.
Yang Kangkai said that many modern people are so busy with work that they have already laid down physically, but mentally they have not yet got rid of work. High-intensity exercise before going to bed can speed up the heartbeat and increase body temperature, causing some people to stay more awake. Therefore, the more intense the sleep aid exercise, the better. The focus is on relaxing the body and reducing physical arousal.
Mr Lin, 52, works as the financial director of a company. He stays away from home 12 hours a day. After dinner, he is still addicted to processing company information on his mobile phone. Originally I planned to only look at my phone for 5 minutes before going to bed, but I often ended up looking at it for up to 40 minutes. After turning off my phone and going to bed, I began to worry about the next day’s briefing, the client’s situation, and the questions my supervisor might ask. As I thought about it, I often became more awake.
Later, Mr. Lin stopped processing work messages after 10:30 pm, then took a bath, stretched his shoulders, neck and legs for 5 minutes, and finally took a piece of paper to write down the three most important tasks of the next day, and reminded himself that the work has been recorded and can be left for processing tomorrow. After a few weeks, he found that he fell asleep more easily and was less likely to wake up in the middle of the night due to work worries.
Yang Kangkai suggested that before going to bed, you can relax your shoulders and neck, stretch your back, and stretch your legs. Each movement doesn’t need to be overly complicated. The principle is to be slow and gentle. You can also use abdominal breathing. Allow the abdomen to expand naturally as you inhale and slowly fall back as you exhale. Through the rhythm of slow exhalation, help the body gradually enter a state of relaxation.
In addition to physical rest, it’s also important to establish a solid bedtime routine. Yang Kangkai pointed out that sleep has habits and situational cues, such as brushing your teeth, washing your face, dimming the lights, and reading a few pages of a book every day. Over time, the brain may associate these behaviors with preparation for sleep. People can arrange for a fixed routine for 10 to 20 minutes before going to bed. For example, first put down the mobile phone, take a bath, then spend 5 minutes stretching, 3 to 5 minutes breathing slowly, and finally read a paper book. There is no need to deliberately pursue complicated rituals. The main thing is to be able to continue executing them.
Yang Kangkai said that regular work and rest schedules, caffeine and alcohol consumption, anxiety, family care responsibilities and work pressure can all affect sleep. Before going to bed, you can allow your brain to temporarily rid itself of unresolved problems by writing down the work you’ve accomplished that day, sorting out your tasks for the next day, or practicing gratitude, meditation, and prayer.
However, if you are having chronic difficulty sleeping, waking up frequently during the night, or waking up early, and this has affected your work and life during the day, you should seek professional evaluation.
Summary FAQ
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This is because the brain may still be stuck in a state of work and worry, thinking over and over again about tomorrow’s events, information and pressures. The earlier you want to go to sleep, the more you will wake up. It can also cause sleep anxiety, making it even more difficult to fall asleep.
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Light stretching of shoulders, neck, back and legs is recommended. The movements do not need to be complicated, and in combination with abdominal breathing, inhalation should be natural and exhalation should be slow. The aim is to reduce physiological arousal, not to increase exercise intensity.
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You can do a simple process 10 to 20 minutes before going to bed, such as putting down your mobile phone, taking a bath, stretching, breathing slowly, then reading a paper book and writing down tasks for the next day to let your brain know that work is finished.
