You may be getting a lot of sleep, but you may wake up feeling tired and groggy. This is because the quality of your sleep isn’t good. There are ways, however, to make sure you’re getting a deep and healthy sleep. Continue reading for tips on how to better your sleep!
Use a Visualization Method
“When you imagine something,” begins Wellness Journal magazine, “your body produces the same physiological response as if you were actually experiencing it.” This is why it’s important to try to lessen your anxiety before bed. If you’re focusing on an anxiety-inducing thought, your body will respond as if you were actually in that anxious situation. Luckily, the opposite works too. Before bed, try to focus on calming and peaceful thoughts. If you can’t do this on your own, try using visualization cards that help you relive a pleasant experience. The more you practice this, the better you’ll become at it, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work at first!
Label Your Thoughts
Oftentimes when we lay our heads down on our pillows at night, thoughts begin to race through our heads about what we should’ve done today and what we have to do tomorrow. We worry about something we said to a friend or something that was left unsaid. Anxious thoughts can keep us up at night. To help with these thoughts, try labelling them and letting them go. To start, give the thought a name. For example, if you are worrying about your to-do list for tomorrow, label that thought “tomorrow.” Next time you begin to think about tomorrow’s to-do list, say hello to “tomorrow” and cease the future thoughts related to “tomorrow.” The goal here is to distance yourself from your thoughts. Remember: you are not your thoughts!
Change Your Story
Many of us like to complain about the amount of sleep we got the night before and tell others that we are an insomniac who never gets enough sleep. These thoughts can become self-fulfilling prophecies. You will push off your bedtime because you aren’t going to fall asleep anyways. This isn’t the route you want to go. Instead of complaining about your sleep, try to reframe the story that you are telling yourself. Stop talking about how difficult sleep is for you. Instead, focus on when you have slept well.
Arbor Behavioral Healthcare is here to help you during your recovery. This includes making sure you’re getting enough deep and restful sleep. Call us today if you’re struggling. Reach us at 844-413-2690. We want to hear from you!