How to Relax Your Mind Before Bed

When your head hits the pillow, does a whirlwind of thoughts start spinning in your mind? This is typical, as many people bring their worries, problems, stressors and fears into bed with them at night. Replaying certain thoughts or trying to problem-solve as you are lying in bed before your night’s rest can be detrimental to your overall well-being. Here are some steps you can take in order to clear your mind before your mind goes wandering at night.

1.    De-clutter your brain by making a to-do list. How often do you remember things that you forgot to do during the day, and then either try to squeeze the task in before dozing off or just continue to worry about it through the night? To-do lists can help erase feelings of anxiety that may be keeping you up at night. Write down all the things that you need to do during the day so that you can recognize what you will be facing tomorrow. Planning your activities the day before will keep your mind at ease before bed!

2.    Visualization. Instead of flooding your mind with all the different stressors you may be facing the next day, try to imagine a peaceful place. Pretend you are in your favorite vacation destination, or somewhere you desire to visit. Bringing in feelings of happiness and tranquility before bed will help you fall asleep much faster than worrying thoughts.

3.    Write your problems down. Has there been an issue with family, friends or work that you just can’t seem to release from your mind? Write it down. Then after you have pinpointed what exactly is bothering you, write down a few solutions to the problem. Writing down problems or keeping a journal will lessen or eliminate the amount of time that you obsess over your concerns at night.

4.    Stop working! Okay, we know that you are so overwhelmed with your workload that you insist on working all hours of the night. Cut it out! Performing job responsibilities right up until you hit the hay is not good for your mind. It does not give your brain enough time to “switch off,” and will keep it in a constant movement. In order to fall asleep easily and without any stress, you must give your mind time to slow down and relax. Working, amongst other stress-inducing activities, will not allow your mind to be peaceful at night.

5.    Breathing and muscle relaxation techniques. When your mind just won’t stop running, it’s time to let your body get control of the situation. Try some deep breathing exercises. Start off by closing your eyes and taking deep breaths. Make sure your next breath is also deeper than the previous one. If that doesn’t work, move on to muscle relaxation. Starting from your feet, tense up all the muscles in your body as tightly as you can. Then slowly relax yourself from your toes to your head in order to feel the tension physically leave your body.

We hope that these were some useful tips for you. If you have any other techniques that have worked in relaxing your mind before bed, please feel free to leave them below. For more information on sleep and mattresses, browse our blog, or stop by the Dormia Sleep Library.