So why can’t you conk out? “When you’re wired from stress or excitement, your sympathetic nervous system reacts, making your blood pressure rise, your heart beat faster, and your muscles tighten up,” explains Frisca Yan-Go, MD, medical director of the UCLA Sleep Disorders Center in Santa Monica, California. “That reaction keeps you from falling asleep.”
The next time you find yourself in that frustrating state, employ one (or more) of the following strategies that are guaranteed to help you drift off to dreamland in no time.
FALL-ASLEEP STRATEGY 1: Make a Plan of Action
When you’re stressed out about the gazillion things you need to accomplish the next day, jot your thoughts down. “This will keep you from obsessing,” says Dr. Yan-Go. Get out of bed, grab a pad of paper, and write down a quick to-do list for the next day, along with any ideas you’re afraid you might forget. Seeing the list in writing will help you feel more in control, and knowing you can review it in the morning will help you push it out of your brain for the night. You can also leave yourself a voice mail at the office so you’ll have a reminder when you arrive in the a.m.
FALL-ASLEEP STRATEGY 2: Create a Bedtime Story
If you can’t stop analyzing something that happened earlier in the day, distract yourself with some creative visualization. Picture yourself in a place that’s unrelated to whatever’s dominating your thoughts, and focus on the specifics of the scenario, suggests Charles Pollak, MD, director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. For example, relive a favorite vacation, such as that trip to Mexico, and call to mind sensory details such as the feel of the water on your skin, the colors of the fish you saw while snorkeling, and the taste of the margaritas you sipped at sunset. “This distracts you from your stimulating thoughts,” says Dr. Pollak.
FALL-ASLEEP STRATEGY 3: Hide the Clock
When you’re wired, any sensory stimulation in the room can make it worse. The biggest culprit: the digital clock. “One thing that contributes to sleeplessness is the stress of lying there at 3 a.m. and watching the time go by on the clock,” says Carl E. Hunt, MD, director of the National Center on Sleep Disorders Research. If you’re worried about oversleeping, set two alarms, then turn your clock away from you.
FALL-ASLEEP STRATEGY 4: Try the Comb Trick
Having someone scratch your arm lightly and gently is ultra relaxing, and this move from Instant Calm, by Paul Wilson, produces a similar effect: While lying on your back with your eyes closed, take a comb and make short upward strokes on your right hand. Start at your fingertips, then gradually move to your palm, then to your wrist, then up your arm, all the way to your shoulder. Repeat on the other side.
FALL-ASLEEP STRATEGY 5: Soak in a Warm Bath
Once you leave the warm water, your core body temperature drops, which can signal the body that it’s time to sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. So if you suspect you’re going to have trouble nodding off, or if you’re in bed but doing more worrying than dreaming, hit the tub about 15 minutes.
FALL-ASLEEP STRATEGY 6: Get Busy
“The hormones produced at orgasm cause relaxation that often leads sleep,” according to Patti Britton, a certified sex educator in L.A. So if your guy is lying beside you, wake him up for a quickie. If you are solo or just don’t want rouse your man, try masturbating indulging in a sexy fantasy.
FALL-ASLEEP STRATEGY 7: Melt Into the Bed
Experts say this exercise is the gold standard in go-to-sleep techniques. “When your sympathetic nervous system is activated, your muscles tense up, and that keeps you alert,” says Dr. Yan-Go. Tame that tension with this exercise: Focus on your feet and try to make them feel very heavy, as if they’re sinking into the bed. Next, focus on relaxing your ankles. Repeat on one small area at a time as you very slowly work your way up your body, until you reach your head. Lastly, if any part of your body still feels tense, focus on feeling its weight sink into the bed.
HOW MUCH SLEEP DO YOU NEED?
The eight-hours rule doesn't fit all...
Most experts agree that seven or eight hours of sleep per night is ideal, because any less leads to decreased alertness and mental functioning. But some people can get by on six with no problem, while others really need nine to function. Your sleep needs are partially decided by genetics, but lifestyle factors also play a role, since the more quality sleep you get, the less you need quantitywise, says Michael Breus, PhD, cofounder of SoundSleep Solutions. Things that can keep you from sleeping soundly: alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, and some prescription drugs.
There are two key ways to find out if you’re getting enough shut-eye, says Breus. First, pay attention to how long it takes for you to conk out. If you used to take 10 to 15 minutes to fall asleep but now you’re unconscious the minute your head hits the pillow, it’s likely you’re sleep deprived. But if you generally lie in bed for about 15 minutes first, you’re probably getting enough shut-eye. Waking up before your alarm is another sign that you’re getting plenty (unless you’re waking up early due to stress).
The second way to gauge your sleep needs is how you feel in the morning. If you get out of bed easily and feel alert by the time you exit the shower, that means you’re well-rested, even if you logged less than seven hours. But if you still feel foggyheaded half an hour after you awoke, that’s a likely sign you need to catch more zzz’s.