Falling asleep before bedtime can be a challenge for many people. Maybe you’ve had a stressful day at work, you’re worried about money, or there are other events keeping your mind overly active. You don’t want to make the step toward sleep aids that require a prescription, but you think you need some additional help when it comes to putting your mind at ease and going to bed. Thankfully, there are a variety of ways you can put your mind at ease, both with the aid of noise and without. If you find yourself having trouble getting to bed, check out these suggestions and see if you find it easier to rest after trying and finding one that works for you.
Try ASMR On YouTube
While you don’t want to fall asleep to TV shows or movies, ASMR channels on YouTube are a different animal. These channels often feature soothing scenery, such as a fireplace or the sounds of snow, complete with soothing noise, like a crackling fire, soft rain, or other calming noise. There are a variety of different ASMR channels you can find, some that use sounds and scenery from popular TV shows or movies. Since there is no plot to get involved with, you won’t need to worry about getting caught up in a story and unable to go to sleep. Try playing around until you find one that you think looks calming, and see how you feel while listening to it. If you have a smart TV that has the capabilities to play YouTube and you are trying to make the transition from watching TV to simply listening to sounds on it, this might be a helpful route to take.
Use a White Noise App
If you’re wanting white noise but don’t want a TV screen at all, there are many white noise apps that can help. These apps often have different sounds, and sometimes you can even combine sounds together. You might be able to hear icy snow falling on the street, the gentle sounds of thunder or even birds chirping. Many of the apps have the ability to shut off at a certain point, allowing you to fall asleep with no worries of the app running through the night. Pay attention when choosing an app, since some can cost money, and you might have to pay to unlock certain features. If you can, preview the app with any free sounds first, and see if it is right for you. This can also give you an idea of how useful it is for falling asleep.
Try The Soothing Sounds Of a Radio
Radio can be a good source of sounds to sleep to, depending on what you choose as your station. Some folks might find it helpful to listen to talk radio, while others hear a classical station, and feel this meets their needs the best. Thanks to online radio, you can listen to just about anything you want from a variety of devices. See what kinds of programming you can find during the time you want to sleep at. Then, pay attention to how you feel when listening to it. If it’s a talk show or political program and you find yourself caught up in the content, this might not be the best choice. Give listening to the radio a couple of tries before you decide if it is for you or not. Some radio options have few or no ads if you pay a subscription price.
Let Your Fan Help
Fans have long been regarded as a form of white noise that makes it easy for many people to sleep. Sometimes just having total silence makes it easier to hear anything that might be happening, from your spouse getting up in the middle of the night to your neighbors starting their car. Having an ambient noise like a fan can be useful in not only getting to bed but masking other small sounds as well. If you find yourself uncomfortable with room temperature, running a fan can help you stay cool too, making this a form of noise worth trying.
Experience Classical Music On a CD
A CD player and a classical music CD could be the way to go if you find other methods are not working for you. The CD player will stop on its own, so you don’t need to think twice about waking up. There are many different CDs of classical music created with the aim of helping you go to bed, so you’ll have a variety to pick from. If you find this isn’t working for you, it can be helpful to pass along to another family member, such as your child, if they also have a tough time staying down at night.
Take A Warm Bath
Perhaps the issue is not with what you are listening to, but how you are getting your body ready for sleep. A warm bath can help aching muscles and joints while making it easy to relax. In turn, this can prepare you for getting both your body and mind into a restful state, so that when you do lay down, sleep comes to you easily. You could also try doing a warm bath in combination with one of the sound techniques mentioned above, and see how this works for you. Perhaps both methods might be just what you need to get a good night’s rest.
Read Something Boring
Reading something boring sounds very off-putting at first, but think about it. If you read something exciting, that would encourage you to stay awake and keep going for the next chapter. Of course, what someone else thinks of as a boring book, you might find interesting, so proceed with caution. Overall, reading is a helpful way to lull the mind into slumber and it can make it easier for you to get your mind focused on something else, and then begin the process of winding down and going to bed.
If you are trying to sleep without the help of your favorite TV shows and movies, there are a variety of options out there. You can try ASMR or online radio, or go for more tried-and-true methods, like CDs of classical music or even your fan. A warm bath might be just the ticket you need to help you go to bed while reading a book that you think is on the dull side could be just enough to put your mind at rest. Anyone who wants to try safe and natural methods first should give these tips a shot and see how well they work for them.
In general, the expert advice is to turn the TV off before going to sleep. It is the best way to create a scenario that will allow your brain and body to give you adequate sleep. So, even if there are a few benefits and one or another essay on television says it’s OK, it is best not to take the risk and hit the OFF button on the remote.
At Alaska Sleep Clinic, we encourage everyone to practice good sleep hygiene. However, your sleep issues could be a sleep disorder that must be correctly diagnosed and treated to make a difference.
Alaska Sleep Clinic has the most experience with Sleep Telemedicine than any other lab in the state, having used it with our patients for years now. Your sleep health doesn’t have to be put Aside right now. Call one of our labs today for a FREE sleep assessment.
