Sleep Without the Struggle: 7 Alternative Tips to Help You Snooze

If you are part of the group that spends over an hour looking at a ceiling with endless thoughts and no sleep in sight, I completely understand you. We’ve all experienced that. Instead of the usual ‘advice’ which involves warm milk and counting sheep, perhaps a new approach is due? Well, these are some methods that can help you relax and sleep better.

Check out these alternative solutions!

1. Acupuncture: No Needles, No Problem

Why Not Give Acupuncture a Try?

It sounds scary at first—“You want to stick needles in me?”—but bear with me. Acupuncture has been shown to put your body into a more relaxed state so you can fall asleep and stay asleep.

How It Works: Traditional Chinese medicine says energy, or Qi, flows through the body. When that flow is disrupted it can cause stress and discomfort. Acupuncture restores balance by inserting fine needles into specific points along those pathways to smooth out the energy flow and relax.

Why It Works: Research supports acupuncture for sleep. A study in Sleep Medicinefound acupuncture can reduce insomnia symptoms and improve sleep quality. The study showed acupuncture can regulate the sleep-wake cycle and reduce anxiety both of which are key to sleep.

What You Can Do: If you’re open to trying acupuncture find a licensed practitioner in your area. Many people report feeling super relaxed after a session!

2. Magnesium: Your New Sleep Sidekick

Let's talk about magnesium! Not exactly the life of the nutrient party, right? But trust me, this underdog mineral is actually a total rockstar when it comes to getting your z's. Magnesium is like that quiet friend who secretly keeps everything running smoothly—it's busy behind the scenes helping your nervous system, telling your muscles what to do, and basically giving your body the chill pill it needs when bedtime rolls around.

How It Works: So here's the deal—magnesium is basically your brain's bouncer, keeping those chatty neurotransmitters in check when they're trying to throw an all-night party in your head. It's also BFFs with melatonin (you know, that hormone that whispers "go to sleep" to your body). And those tense muscles that won't stop twitching when you're trying to doze off? Magnesium tells those stress hormones to take a hike, helping your body go from "wired and tired" to "sleepy and floppy" in no time flat.

Why It Helps: Look, I'm not saying magnesium is magic, but... okay, it's kinda magical for sleep problems. The science peeps have found that popping some magnesium can help you fall asleep faster than counting sheep, dive deeper into dreamland, and cut down on those super annoying 3 AM wake-ups to stare at the ceiling. Got insomnia? Magnesium might just be the sleep fairy godmother you never knew you needed—especially if your body's running low on the stuff.

What You Can Do: Wanna jump on the magnesium bandwagon? Easy peasy! Start loading up your plate with leafy greens (yes, like Popeye), throw some nuts and seeds into your snack rotation, and maybe befriend whole grains. Not a fan of these foods or just can't seem to eat enough? No worries—supplements are totally a thing! Look for magnesium citrate or glycinate at your local health store (they're the cool kids of the magnesium supplement world). But hey, before you go all magnesium-crazy, have a quick chat with your doc about how much you should actually be taking.

Reference:Cleveland Clinic. (2021). Does Magnesium Help You Sleep?. Retrieved from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/does-magnesium-help-you-sleep

3. Guided Imagery: the use of mental pictures for relaxation or stimulation to aid falling asleep.

Try to shift your focus to something else. Guided imagery lets you travel to a location of your preference all through the power of your thinking.

How It Works: Guided imagery is using your mind to imagine peaceful scenes, like walking through a forest or lying on a beach. Typically a soothing voice will guide you through these scenes, either through an app or recording. It’s about relaxation and imagery, not silence or concentration like meditation.

Why It Helps: Studies show guided imagery can reduce anxiety and stress by redirecting your mind to peaceful images. One study in the Open Journal of Medical Psychology looked at the therapeutic use of guided imagery for stress and insomnia. The research found guided mental imagery can break the cycle of hyper-arousal and activate the relaxation response, leading to better sleep. It shows how imagining calming scenes can help you manage insomnia by lowering your physiological and psychological stress responses (Jerath et al., 2020).

What You Can Do: If you want to try guided imagery, there are plenty of free resources available, such as Insight Timer, that have guided imagery sessions to help you relax before bed. Try out different sessions and find the one that works for you to wind down for a good night’s sleep.

4. Yoga Nidra: Sleep Without The Yoga Poses

This is for all of us who want to appreciate the art of yoga, but are too exhausted to go through a routine before bedtime. Applied yoga Nidra or yogic sleep, is a restorative type of guided meditation focused on the complete relaxation of the body.

How It Works: In Yoga Nidra, you get into a comfortable position and follow a guide through a deep relaxation process that includes body scanning, breathwork, and various visualizations. There is no stretching or physical postures—only rest.

Why It Helps: Research suggests that Yoga Nidra enhances sleep quality by decreasing stress, soothing the nervous system, and inducing deep tranquility. One study published in The International Journal of Yoga reported that practitioners of Yoga Nidra had improved sleep and reduced anxiety.

What You Can Do: There are numerous free Yoga Nidra recordings available on the internet, especially on YouTube. Choose one that matches your energy, whether it is a calming forest or beach setting, and allow yourself to relax before going to sleep.

5. CBT-I Therapy: Rewiring Your Sleep Habits

If you tend to have on-going problems with your sleep, then you may want to consider Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I). This is a type of therapy specifically intended for patients with insomnia and focuses on changing behavioral and thought patterns that lead to sleeplessness.

How It Works: CBT-I functions as a therapy protocol that a patient typically undertakes with a therapist, and it is both structured and goal oriented. CBT helps patients with sleeplessness cycle by trying to change the negative thoughts, such as “I will never fall asleep” and associated actions like watching TV in bed, into more constructive ones. It also teaches you relaxation methods and better sleep hygiene.

Why It Helps: CBT-I is arguably one of the most preferred methods for treating chronic insomnia. While not being the fastest solution, it assists you in training your body to sleep more healthily. It is recommended as a first-line therapy for patients with insomnia by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

What You Can Do: If you are determined towards overcoming insomnia, it would be best if you worked with a therapist who specializes in CBT-I. You can find these specialists in directories such as the one provided by the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine.

6. Aromatherapy: Sleep Through Scents

At times, the simplest remedies are the most effective. Relaxation through aromatherapy uses smell as its focal point, and lavender is one of the best scents that soothes and relaxes a person to the point of inducing sleep.

How It Works: The lavender, chamomile, and sandalwood essential oils are believed to have an impact on the nervous system, aiding in stress and anxiety reduction. Specifically, lavender is known to enhance relaxation and help sleep.

Why It Helps: As per a research conducted by The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, lavender oils have been proven to greatly aid sleep, lessen regarding anxiety, and facilitate falling asleep.

What You Can Do: Lavender essential oils can be diffused in the bedroom prior to sleep, or several drops can be placed on the pillow. There are also sleep aids like sprays and calming bath products designed to help relax and prepare for sleep.

7. Sound Healing Therapy: Use Energy Healing to Get Restful Sleep

Chances are that you’ve felt relaxed at a concert or while listening to your favorite playlist. You might be surprised to know that you probably used the healing efficacy of sound. As it is believed to use sound frequencies and vibrations for promoting relaxation and healing body energy sound healing is a much known technique. It enhances sleep and thus, better sound healing promotes restful sleep.

How It Works: Imagine the soothing sounds of Tibetan singing bowls, gongs, chimes, or the gentle murmur of nature playing in the background. This therapeutic technique is called sound healing. The process involves listening to the afore-mentioned therapeutic instruments and feeling their vibrations. The calming effect of these plays promotes deep relaxation and minimizes stress level by itself.

Why It Helps: Studies have shown that the relaxing and harmonious qualities in sound frequencies between the lower threes are known to greatly add somatic logic and lessen stress levels too. Sound stimuli help activate the rest-and-digest part of the nervous system, aka the parasympathetic nervous system, which fortifies sleep. On top of all that, sound healing therapies promote anxiety and stress relief, two dominant factors of sleeplessness.

What You Can Do: If you are just beginning, look for free sound bath sessions listed on YouTube, or use an app such as Insight Timer. You might also purchase a sound machine, which plays soothing frequencies and nature sounds. For a more profound level of relaxation, consider trying out a sound bath, in which you are enveloped in soothing sounds. Just sit back, listen, and soak in the vibrations.

Summary: Crafting Your Customized Sleep Strategy

No matter what options you choose, it is important to remember that finding balance is crucial. There are various approaches to consider, be it acupuncture, magnesium supplements, Yoga Nidra, or even CBT-I. Sometimes the right balance is trying different things and being patient in the process.

Now, the next time you are staring at the ceiling, wide awake and asking yourself when sleep will come to you, choose one of these methods instead.

Good night! 😴

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For more tips and mental health support, and information about online therapy sessions visit www.sleep-anxiety.com. Fill out the contact form to schedule a free 15-minute consultation with Anissa Bell, LMFT, and find out if online therapy is right for you (currently not offering in person therapy). Providing online therapy throughout California. Click HERE for more information about online therapy and therapy costs.