Northern Hills Magazine 2015 Easter Issue | Page 36

ARTICLE / SLEEP 10 EASY WAYS TO FALL ASLEEP FAST One of the most agonizing things in life is when you finally manage to go to bed at a decent hour, only to lie awake for the next 2 hours. Not only is it annoying and frustrating, but it makes the following day that much more difficult. Over the years, we have all tried various things to help prevent this tossing and turning, here are 10 tactics that will most definitely help you finally fall asleep. Say goodbye to watching the clock and say hello to a full night’s rest. 1 Inhale through Your Left Nostril Nope, this isn’t a joke to see how desperate you are to fall asleep. Believe it or not, if you are struggling to sleep, this little Yoga trick will reduce your blood pressure and help calm your mind. All you need to do is lie on your left side and rest your finger on your right nostril, so that it stays closed. Take in a few slow, deep breaths and before you know it the alarm will be going off and you will be ready to start your day. This method is taught by Peter Smith in his book, “Sleep Better With Natural Therapies”, and he suggests it is especially useful for those times when you are overheating or if you are suffering from those dreaded hot flashes. 2 Lose the Noise How annoying is it when you are trying to sleep and your husband (or wife) is lying next to you just snoring away. Good luck sleeping when it sounds like someone is operating a chainsaw in your room. After repeatedly kicking your partner or plugging their nose, which is cruel, but totally warranted, you may want to try listening to some relaxing sounds. If this is a common occurrence, pick up some Sleep Phones, which are comfortable ear buds in a headband and fall asleep to some relaxing meditation music. (www.sleepphones.com) 3 Tr y To Stay Awake No, I haven’t gone crazy. Challenge yourself to stay awake and watch your brain rebel against you. Try to keep our eyes wide open and keep telling yourself that you will not fall asleep. Your brain doesn’t process negatives very well, so you are effectively telling it to fall asleep. As well, your eye muscles will tire and you will snore logs in no time. Good old reverse psychology works on 6 year olds and your egocentric brain. PAGE 34 / NORTHERN HILLS / EASTER ISSUE 2015 4 Roll Your Eyes This is the one time where rolling your eyes isn’t rude. In fact, I encourage you to close your eyes and roll them up to the top of your sockets. Why? Well, this is what natural