It's time to discover eight relaxation exercises to sleep better
Deep breathing; the mental body scan; relaxation with visualization, counting down; progressive muscle relaxation; the meditation; Listening to relaxing music and self-massage are practices that we can do when we have difficulty resting.
1 Deep breathing
Deep breathing is a relaxation technique to sleep better that requires our full attention.
Despite its simplicity, we must focus on the way we breathe and how we do it. Usually, even when we want to sleep, we don't usually pay attention to it. Now is the time. To do so, we must follow the following steps:
Dressed in comfortable clothes , we must look for a place where we feel comfortable and where we can escape from any noise or distraction .
Relaxed, without crossing our arms or legs, we must find a position in which we perceive that we feel comfortable .
With our mind focused only on breathing, we inhale and exhale air through the nose .
As we repeat the exercise, we must take longer inhalations and exhalations . The objective is to sustain them as much as possible within our possibilities without destroying our feeling of comfort. Each time we exhale, we must pay attention to how the tension leaves our body. This breathing technique should allow us to reach an optimal level of relaxation.
2 Mind Body Scan
As in previous techniques, body scanning requires that we pay all our attention to our body and how it evolves in each of the actions we are going to perform. This method is mental and does not require any physical movement . The review of all parts of our body is carried out only through the mind:
The beginning of our mental journey through the body begins in the toes . From the left or the right, our ascension will go from the sole of the foot itself to the calf, - passing through the heel -, until we reach the hip.
Next, we repeat the action with the side with which we did not start the exercise . If in the first instance we have focused on the left side, now we must make the ascent focusing on the right.
From the pelvis to the abdomen , the next part of the journey passes through the chest and ends at the shoulders .
Finally, the ascension will travel through the hands and arms until it goes up the neck , face and reaches the head.
3 Relaxation with visualization
The relaxation method consists of evoking and visualizing positive moments and emotions before going to sleep. Leaving behind any negative input , our goal is to focus on what gives us peace . As if it were a matter of daydreaming, we must:
Lie down in bed or in a place where we feel relaxed and safe. With our eyes closed, we must visualize moments that give us peace of mind . All while we perform correct and adequate breathing.
Real or not, we must conceive scenes, places or emotions that induce us to calm . The important thing is to visualize every detail to the maximum . What smell does it transmit to us? What is heard?
We can try the possibility of incorporating music or any background sound . This external element can help us perform this technique better.
What we feel? During this visualization technique we must ensure that calm, tranquility and rest prevail in our body.
4 The countdown
The countdown is one of the best-known relaxation exercises in our society. As its name suggests, this method consists of counting. We must choose a high number and mentally lower that number until we reach zero.
Lying on a bed or in a place that relaxes us, we close our eyes and set a high number. For example, from the number 100.
Once the figure has been marked, it is time to go down the numbers. One by one. At the pace we want, without demands or nervousness , there is no rush. 100; 99; 98; 97; 96…
Sometimes this technique is applied with some variants. In numerical descent, we can visualize the silhouettes of each number or their shapes .
5 Progressive muscle relaxation
The progressive muscle relaxation technique seeks to reduce our muscle tension. Created by Edmund Jacobson , this exercise is based on the fact that tension and stress are linked. Therefore, its application seeks to minimize this physical tension to do the same with anxiety or stress. What does it consist of?
We must practice tension and relaxation of the muscle groups for about 5 or 10 seconds. The activity focuses on gradually relaxing each muscle group.
Lying in bed or in a comfortable place, we focus our attention on correct breathing .
Once we have focused on breathing, we must begin the exercises to tighten the muscles with our feet. We tense them for 10 seconds and relax them for the same period.
We repeat this action with the muscles from the legs to the facial muscles , passing through the arms.
6 Meditation
In order to escape negative thoughts, meditation seeks to focus all our energy on the now. It focuses on the specific moment before falling asleep.
As with the progressive muscle relaxation technique, meditation is a method to sleep better that requires some practice. However, as Andrew Carnegie said, the price of perfection is constant practice and every process has a beginning. To introduce ourselves to this technique we must:
Place ourselves in bed or in a place that relaxes us. Without distractions or elements that can interrupt our concentration.
With a straight back and eyes closed, the disposition of our body should convey comfort .
The most common position calls for having your arms on your thighs and your palms facing up . They require other positions and we must choose the one that allows us to feel more relaxed.
We inhale and exhale through the nose. We focus all our attention on breathing.
As we breathe, we analyze every part of our body. We must feel them without losing an iota of concentration .
7 Listen to relaxing music
Certain types of music can induce a state of drowsiness, according to neurologist Takuro Endo . Therefore, listening to relaxing music is one of the techniques to follow for a better rest. This method basically consists of listening to music before going to sleep . To achieve this state of relaxation we must:
Lying in bed or in a place where we feel comfortable. The posture must be ideal for going to sleep. It is not a matter of dancing or singing the songs as if it were a concert.
Bet on a type of music that transmits peace and relaxation . Examples of this are classical, instrumental music or even sounds linked to the environment. There are countless lists created on different platforms.
With an adequate volume , not excessively loud, the sound of music should not deprive us of the exercise of introspection.
Analyze and detect those sounds that create the appropriate context for sleeping.
8 Self-massage
Another technique that can improve our rest is the application of a relaxing massage . The self-massage method, performed by ourselves, seeks muscular and mental relaxation. The goal is to go to bed with our body prepared for rest. To get to sleep you have to:
Avoid negative thoughts and adopt a comfortable position in bed or another place that allows comfort.
Close your eyes and massage your temples with your fingertips .
If we focus on the cervical spine , we must move the head from front to back . Then, do the same towards the sides .
There are other types of massage, such as foot massage, that can help us relax. In this case, we must get to know ourselves and evaluate which ones are most effective for us .
Despite the usefulness of the relaxation techniques mentioned above, and according to the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN), if insomnia persists we should consult a specialist .