Anyone who has difficulty with falling or staying asleep can arguably attest to how damn miserable the experience is. You’re lying in bed, exhausted, and all you yearn for is sleep; however, your brain decides to launch into hyperactivity mode and start planning your schedule for the next three consecutive years.
If you are someone who struggles with bedtime, I might have a trick for you that actually assists with falling asleep. I can say that is truly works because I’ve tried it myself, and it has become my go-to tactic whenever I cannot shut my brain up and fall asleep.
The nice thing about this trick is how versatile it is, and you will understand what I mean by that shortly.
Begin by choosing a category that interests you (this is where the flexibility comes into play). As an example, say you decide to pick food (this is the category I normally go with); you’re going to go through the entire alphabet and mentally list off foods that begin with each letter of the alphabet. If you want to be more snazzy, perhaps try naming food dishes as opposed to singular ingredients. If you get to the end of the alphabet and find you’re still awake, repeat the process with a different category of interest.
I’ve read a little bit about how this tactic works. Apparently, forcing your brain to focus and hone in on one specific category while working your way through it alphabetically allows the chaos in your mind to settle. Because you have to focus on the category you have selected, you’re no longer enabling your brain to wander through material and go off into the abyss.
You might not be able to apply every letter of the alphabet to your category, but give it your best shot. If I can’t think of an option, I skip that particular letter and move on to the next.
Give this trick a shot and see if it works for you.
Photo by Vladislav Muslakov on Unsplash
ontheedgeofeverything 