Fall asleep relaxed – tips for relaxing before bed

If it's difficult to fall asleep and we can't get any rest in the evening, there's usually a lack of proper relaxation. Find out now how you can reduce your stress level with simple methods, promote falling asleep and support a peaceful sleep.

Table of contents

1. Relax before sleep
   
2. 4 tips for relaxing before bed
   
3. Conclusion

1. Relax before sleep

I'm sure we've all been in this situation: you're lying in bed and just can't fall asleep. Studies show that stress and psychological strain are among the most common causes of problems falling asleep. Relaxation in the evening and before going to bed is therefore important for a healthy and peaceful sleep. We'll show you 4 methods to calm down faster and sleep more relaxed.

2. 4 Tips for Relaxing Before Sleep

#1 Shift Down and Reflect

Switch off first! During the day we receive a lot of information and impressions and have to take care of many important tasks - that is quite exhausting. The memory then becomes active, especially during deep sleep, and processes the new memories. It can therefore be helpful in the evening to review the past day and sort out tasks for the next morning. Try to organize and structure your thoughts so that you can ward off potential stressors and clear your head. Then nothing stands in the way of a relaxed sleep. By the way: You can find more about memory and sleep here .

#2 Evening routines and fixed rituals

A regular evening routine can help against problems falling asleep. Individual rituals can contribute to your relaxation by ensuring that you can relax mentally and physically and get used to fixed structures. In combination with other sleep tips, such as maintaining regular bedtimes, they have a positive effect on falling asleep and improve sleep. The warming herbal tea or hot milk with honey, an evening walk at the same time or the proven nighttime reading are excellent for promoting drowsiness and relaxation before falling asleep.

#3 relaxation techniques

We will introduce you to two well-known techniques that can bring the body into a state of relaxation and prepare it for a peaceful sleep.

Autogenic training

With the help of a kind of self-hypnosis, autogenic training should lead to physical and mental relaxation and get you in the mood for sleep.
Here's how: Lay down or sit comfortably and formulate short calming thoughts within yourself, such as "I'm tired and I'm relaxing" or "My arms are getting heavy". Repeat these short phrases over and over in your mind and feel if your body responds and you relax.

Progressive muscle relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation relies on gradually relieving your body of stress-related tension and thus optimally preparing it for a peaceful sleep by specifically tensing and relaxing muscle groups.
Here's how: Lie or sit comfortably and try to focus on individual muscles and body parts in a specific order. For example, start with the right hand. Tighten the muscles there and release the tension completely after holding it for a moment. This is continued over the arms, legs, shoulders and other areas until the body is completely relaxed.

Here you will find more information and a great guide to progressive muscle relaxation.

#4 breathing exercises

Breathe in, breathe out – fall asleep! Breathing techniques help to relax before sleep and have proven to be simple sleep aids. Which method ultimately leads to fatigue, everyone has to try it out for themselves. While some techniques of breathing, counting, and holding your breath work fine for some, they stress others and make it difficult to fall asleep. That's why we show you two different methods.

The 4-7-8 method

The 4-7-8 technique is a well-known breathing technique for falling asleep. She promises to fall asleep within 60 seconds.
This is how it works: Breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds and then breathe out as evenly as possible for eight seconds. These steps are repeated until you fall asleep.

The Deep Breathing

If you tend to sweat while breathing and counting at the same time, deep breathing may be more appropriate for you.
This is how it works: Breathe in and out as evenly as possible. In this way you simulate the calm sleep breathing and can relax your body and lead it to sleep.

3. Conclusion

• Relaxation is an important prerequisite for peaceful sleep and promotes falling asleep.

• The intellectual reflection and structuring of information, impressions and tasks creates clarity and supports mental relaxation.

• Relaxation techniques such as autogenic training or progressive muscle relaxation can prepare you for sleep and help you fall asleep.

• The 4-7-8 method or deep breathing calms the body and mind and gently supports sleep.