6 strange but effective ways to trick your mind into falling asleep

Insomnia often plagues people, especially during wartime. Therefore, the most effective thing you can do in this case is to calm your mind. There are several less obvious ways to do this.

According to NuffRost, experts support 6 methods. They will help to deceive your mind and put it to sleep.

1. Stay awake

Trying to stay awake is to force yourself to fall asleep by deception. As practice shows, trying too hard to fall asleep never works.

"By doing the opposite and forcing yourself to lie in bed and stay awake all night - a phenomenon called paradoxical intention - you will at some point inadvertently fall asleep. In your mind, you're actually trying to stay awake, but sleep eventually comes," Deirdre Conroy, a sleep psychologist and clinical director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the University of Michigan, said.

2. Focus on your morning routine

Your morning routine can affect your sleep. It has been proven that sleep begins in the morning.

"First thing in the morning, set your alarm and turn on the lights: this signals your body not only when it's time to wake up but also when you should start sleeping. Wake up when the alarm goes off at the same time every day and expose yourself to daylight, setting your internal clock and making it easier to fall asleep before bed," Cathy Goldstein, a sleep neurologist at the University of Michigan Sleep Disorders Center, recommends.

3. Allow yourself to worry

If you worry at the beginning of the day, it will help you fall asleep before bed. It's better to spend time worrying about things a few hours before bedtime rather than right before you go to sleep.

"A little tip: take 15 minutes to write down those worries in a journal so you can put them on paper and leave them there. This can actually reduce the amount of anxiety that occurs at bedtime," Conroy added.

4. Think about nature

The sounds and darkness of nature are natural sleep-inducing ingredients. Nature reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, slows down intense pace, and reduces muscle tension.

"To fall asleep, think of nature, like the last time you slept in a remote hut or lay under the stars. It can even be as simple as building a fire, lighting a candle, or spending time on a porch, patio, or terrace to allow the darkness and silence to resonate with you rather than the light and noise," Jeffrey Durmer, a board-certified sleep medicine physician and sleep coach for the U.S. Olympic weightlifting team, advises.

5. Focus on the sound of your breath

Slow, deep abdominal breathing relaxes and induces sleep. This technique also distracts from worries and anxieties.

"Shifting your attention from the environment to something that is completely under your control (breathing) helps the mind to calm down and settle," Durmer added.

6. Tire your mind, not your body

Training tires the body, but not the mind. That's why it's better to read a book than jog in the park.

"After a marathon, your body may be tired, but that doesn't mean your mind will be ready for sleep. Regular exercise generally improves sleep, but exercising just to fall asleep won't do you much good. We are social people, our brains like to learn, so if you don't interact with the world during the day, it can affect your sleep," Conroy said.

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