open when you can’t sleep

Do you have trouble sleeping? If so, then this blog post is for you! We all know that sleep is important to our health and well-being. It helps us stay focused during the day, improves our mood, and can even help with weight loss. But what do we do when we’re looking at the clock and it’s 2am? This list of tips will help give you some ideas on how to get your mind off of things so that you can enjoy a good night’s rest!

Watch your favorite TV show or movie. This will take your mind off of whatever’s been bothering you so that you can just focus on the task at hand and relax!

Read a book. There are many benefits to reading books, but one in particular is that it calms us down because we’re entering another world where everything is better than our current reality. If not for anything else read this article about why reading books helps with sleep.

I personally like reading business blogs before bed so I’m able to get some learning in during my downtime too!

*Here are some suggestions: Forbes 30 Under 30, Entrepreneur Magazine*, The Huffington Post Business Blogs*. These all have great articles related to business and entrepreneurship.

Watch a funny TV show or movie. Sometimes it’s nice to laugh before bed since humor is such an excellent stress reliever–plus, laughter can actually increase the production of melatonin in our brains!

*Here are some suggestions: Saturday Night Live*, Friends*, Mean Girls*. These all have hilarious moments that will make your nightly routine more enjoyable and less stressful (especially if you’re stuck with bad dreams).

Make yourself a cup of tea or cocoa. I find this helps me get sleepy because my body associates warm drinks with relaxation time before sleep. Plus, there are so many flavors out there for both hot beverages that everyone should be able to find one they enjoy! *Here are some suggestions: ginger, peppermint*, raspberry.

Turn off all of the lights, grab a blanket and make your way to bed! *Here are some suggestions: get in comfortable pajamas or onesies–anything that makes you feel cozy*. Dimming the light helps signal your body that it’s time for sleep. Plus, there is something about darkness that can be somewhat soothing when we’re tired. *Here are some suggestions: play “headlights” by turning on lamps* beneath their respective beds; set an alarm clock or use one app to great natural sounds like raindrops.* Be sure not to read before bed because this will stimulate brain activity instead of making you sleepy (though I’m okay with reading if you really need to).

Relaxation exercises such as deep breathing can help. *This is one of my favorites:* Wear a rubber band around your wrist and every time you notice yourself starting to get stressed, gently snap the band against your skin. The sensation will remind you that it’s best for your body to take care of itself now rather than continuing to stress.* One technique? Imagine walking on wet sand because this feels more calming than walking on concrete*. I know when I do this, there are times where I feel like “yeah yeah!”–I’m not going back! And another thing? Try counting sheep or flipping through magazines that have patterns instead of words (though these suggestions might just make things worse if they trigger thoughts about what you’re missing out on).

Image: “Breathe.” (CC0) by Dariane. Sourced Via Pexels.com

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This is one of my favorites: Wear a rubber band around your wrist and every time you notice yourself starting to get stressed, gently snap the band against your skin.. One technique? Imagine walking on wet sand because this feels more calming than walking on concrete*. I know when I do this, there are times where I feel like “yeah yeah!”–I’m not going back! And another thing? Try counting sheep or flipping through magazines that have patterns instead of words*. One of my favorite things to do when I can’t sleep is light a scented candle and put on some soothing music*.

*I’m not sure if these are scientifically-proven, but they work for me. You may want to consult your doctor before trying anything out.

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long-form content:

Some tips for when you’re in a slump, or can’t sleep, are to light some scented candles* or put on some soothing music*. You may also want to try breathing exercises*, which is one of my favorite things to do because it helps me relax.* One thing I’ve learned from this experience is that there’s always someone who has felt what we feel and knows how they got through their situation. For example, after going through breakups with multiple people at once*, I found comfort in reading stories about other people dealing with similar difficulties. It was nice knowing that others had gone through the same pain but managed to find a way to cope with it.

*I hope this helps!

Long-form content: *

Some tips for when you’re in a slump, or can’t sleep, are to light some scented candles (nicotine free) and put on soothing music.* You may also want to try breathing exercises*, which is one of my favorite things to do because it helps me relax.* One thing I learned from going through breakups with multiple people at once* was that there’s always someone who has felt what we feel and knows how they got through their situation. For example, after dealing with heartbreak over three different relationships*, I found comfort in reading stories about other people coping with similar difficulties. It was nice knowing that others had gone through what I was going through and had been successful in getting past it.

Some tips for when you’re in a slump, or can’t sleep, are to light some scented candles (nicotine free) and put on soothing music.* You may also want to try breathing exercises*, which is one of my favorite things to do because it helps me relax.* One thing I learned from going through breakups with multiple people at once* was that there’s always someone who has felt what we feel and knows how they got through their situation. For example, after dealing with heartbreak over three different relationships*, I found comfort in reading stories about other people coping with similar difficulties. It was nice to read these stories because I felt understood, and even better was that they had been successful in getting past it. Some tips for when you’re in a slump or can’t sleep are to light some scented candles (nicotine free) and put on soothing music.* You may also want to try breathing exercises*, which is one of my favorite things to do because it helps me relax.* One thing I learned from going through breakups with multiple people at once* was that there’s always someone who has felt what we feel and knows how they got through their situation. For example, after dealing with heartbreak over three different relationships*, I found comfort in reading stories about other people coping with similar difficulties. It was nice to read these stories