Sometimes falling asleep at night seems like an impossible task, no matter how tired you are during the day. Stress, anxiety, illness or pain are the most common factors that can prevent us from sleeping well.
In this regard, doctor Myro Figura shared some tips on how to fall asleep, including what you absolutely should not do if you can't fall asleep. Namely, he points out that we should not stay in bed if we have not been able to fall asleep for 30 minutes. He explained that our brain is then "over-activated" and that you need to change the environment.
"The number one thing you shouldn't do is stay in bed. If you can't fall asleep after 30 minutes, your brain is overactive and you need to change your environment," he explained.
He suggested going to another room and doing some kind of activity.
"Go into another room and do something boring in a dimly lit environment. Things like knitting, reading or looking out the window. You have to restart the secretion of melatonin in your pineal gland," he said.
However, he warns that you should never use mobile devices, watch television and the like. Namely, the blue light emitted by screens will interrupt the cycle of melatonin secretion. It is better to practice deep breathing techniques or meditation.
He also recommended taking melatonin if you can't sleep. However, melatonin is mostly only available as a prescription drug and the NHS warns against buying it online for safety reasons, reports klix.ba.
Otherwise, most adults with healthy sleep patterns need 15 to 20 minutes to fall asleep during a typical night. The NHS advises that you talk to your doctor if you feel that changing your sleeping habits has not helped your insomnia, you have been having trouble sleeping for months, or your insomnia is affecting your daily life.
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