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Regardless of how tired you might feel during the day, many people find that when it comes time to go to bed, they simply can’t turn off their minds and allow themselves to relax into peaceful sleep. But because getting adequate sleep is so important for living a healthy and happy life, there’s little on your life that should be more important to you than guarding your sleeping hours.

So for those who have a hard time falling asleep each evening, here are three tips to help you relax and get yourself ready for sleep. 

Try Gentle Leg Exercises

While doing a lot of intense exercise isn’t necessarily a great way to gear up for sleep, getting a little movement in certain parts of your body can help your body to improve blood flow and relax your muscles.

According to Sleep.org, if you’re having a particularly hard time winding down your body, doing some gentle leg exercises could help. Movements like leg lifts or squats can be very helpful for improving blood flow throughout your entire body, which can have a very soothing effect on you. So if you’re needing some extra help calming down your body rather than your mind, you may want to try making some of these light exercises a part of your bedtime routine. 

Do Some Breathing Exercises

Just like how the physical exercise of moving your legs can help relax your body, doing some breathing exercises can help relax your mind as you try to slip off into sleep.

To make the most of this, the National Sleep Foundation suggests that you lay down in bed, close your eyes, and then turn all of your attention to your breath. Try to take big, deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth. As you breathe in, think about the breath filling up your body. And as you breathe out, imagine all the stress and tension leaving your body along with the breath. Keep doing this until you feel relaxed enough to fall asleep completely. 

Make Your Room A Haven For Relaxation

No matter how much work you put into getting your body and mind ready for sleep, if your bedroom doesn’t help you feel more relaxed, it could all be for naught.

To ensure that your sleeping space is helping rather than hindering you, Margarita Tartakovsky, a contributor to Psych Central, recommends that you do things like keep all screens out of your bedroom, make your room as dark as possible, turn the temperature down a bit, and use white noise to help ensure that your bedroom is a haven for relaxation. 

If you struggle with relaxing when it comes time to go to sleep, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you learn how to unwind, relax, and get some restful sleep.


Anna Johansson

Anna is a freelance writer and researcher from the Olympia, WA area who loves to obsess about weird topics and then write about them. When she isn't writing, she is outside on her bike and comtemplating her eventual trip to graduate school.

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Anna Johansson

Anna is a freelance writer and researcher from the Olympia, WA area who loves to obsess about weird topics and then write about them. When she isn't writing, she is outside on her bike and comtemplating her eventual trip to graduate school.

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