11 weird tricks that really do help you go to sleep

Sleep tips from the experts that will help you get a good night’s sleep.

If you want to fall asleep faster, think about staying awake. “It sounds counterintuitive, but for those who find it difficult to sleep because they keep worrying about not falling asleep, do the opposite,” says Dr Sujay Kansagra. Most of the time falling asleep is an involuntary process that takes virtually no effort on our part, but if we’re anxious, we do things like looking at the clock and calculating how little sleep we’re going to get, which then causes sleep performance anxiety. “Instead of worrying about falling asleep, think about staying awake instead. This often lessens anxiety and gives your mind a chance to relax enough to fall asleep. It’s a technique known as paradoxical intent, a cognitive behavioural therapy technique used to lessen the anxiety around falling asleep,” says Dr Kansagra.

If you have cold feet, your brain may not get the signal it’s time to snooze. According to Dr Joseph Krainin, founder and president of Singular Sleep, LLC, wearing socks to bed can decrease the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. “The benefit of wearing socks to bed seems to be vasodilation. The best explanation is that warming the feet causes blood vessels to dilate, and this signals to the brain that it’s time to fall asleep.”

Warm feet and the right bedtime snacks will help you sleep better. Find out which bedtime snacks are best.

This sleep trick involves a little practice, but when you get proficient at it, it has big payoffs – not just for insomnia but other stress-related issues you may have. According to Dr Svetlana Kogan, autogenic training is a self-relaxation technique dating back to the 1930s. It is based on self-hypnosis coupled with progressive muscle relaxation. The training produces a feeling of warmth and heaviness throughout your body, which results in a deep state of physical relaxation and mental peace. “International research studies, including a 2002 study published in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, support that it works,” says Dr Kogan. If you want to give it a shot, make an appointment with a qualified hypnotist.

Stress is not helpful when you’re trying to doze off, read on to find out how you can learn to relax.

Studies show that an ancient treatment called Shirodhara may help with insomnia. “This ancient Ayurvedic treatment involves dripping warm brahmi oil onto the forehead of the patient,” says Dr Kogan. Ananta Ripa Ajmera, a certified Ayurveda health practitioner and yoga instructor and author of The Ayurveda Way, offers another option from the Ashtanga Hridayam text: “Oil your feet, the top of your head, and the backs of your ears before sleeping.” But who wants to crawl into bed with an oily head? No worries. Sit on a towel and warm the container of oil in a bowl of hot water. Ajmera recommends sesame oil for winter and spring or if you have pain, and coconut oil for summer, as it has a cooling potency. Follow with a warm shower and non-drying soap.

Magnesium is a busy mineral in our body, responsible for hundreds of bodily functions, including promoting relaxation. Bananas contain a lot of magnesium but the banana peel is where it’s at for sleep. Dr Michael Breus, a fellow of The American Academy of Sleep Medicine, created a recipe for banana tea that can help you fall asleep. “Take an organic banana, wash it, cut off the tip and the stem, and then cut it in half, leaving the fruit in and the skin on. Put it in boiling water for three to four minutes, and drink the water with a little honey.” Why honey? According to Dr Breus, it helps regulate blood sugar throughout the night, which is a common reason why some of us wake up in the middle of the night.

Honey has been used for thousands of years as a sweetener and as a medicine, read on to learn more about honey’s healing properties.

Martin Rawls-Meehan, CEO and founder of the sleep technology company Reverie, shares this technique with his clients, because blowing bubbles activates a similar mechanism to taking deep, meditative breaths. “It also has the effect of redirecting your thoughts from the worrying to the more light-hearted. The act of blowing bubbles reminds us of the joy of childhood, which is a good way to de-stress,” says Meehan.

This technique is something Harley Sears, a consulting hypnotist, teaches his clients when they are looking for ways to get to sleep. All it takes is three steps. First, breathe in deeply through your nose for four seconds. Then hold your breath for seven seconds. Then exhale through your mouth for eight seconds. Repeat this process four times. Why does it work? “This exercise allows the lungs to become fully charged with air, allowing more oxygen to be circulated throughout the body, which promotes a state of relaxation,” says Sears. For maximum benefit, practice this technique twice a day.

Restrict sleep to get more sleep? It’s all about setting a sleep cycle. Sleep restriction therapy is actually a behavioural treatment for insomnia that limits your time in bed to the actual time of sleeping. Less time in bed can result in mild sleep deprivation at first, but it can also help promote an earlier sleep onset. “This earlier sleep onset should decrease the insomnia and then give the patient confidence in his ability to regain natural sleep,” says Dr Damon Raskin, who specialises in sleep medicine. How does it work? The patient keeps a sleep journal for one to two weeks and records the average time slept plus 30 minutes. For the next two weeks, the patient limits his time in bed to that average sleep time, using a fixed bedtime and wake time. If all goes well and the patient feels good, the schedule stays in place. If the patient feels tired during the day, he should add 15 minutes to the time in bed, with 15 minutes added each week until the patient feels well rested after a night’s sleep. “Research has shown sleep restriction therapy is an effective tool for insomnia, but again, it can take several weeks to see positive results, and during that time, it requires strict dedication to amount of time spent in bed. So you might feel sleepy when you start out, but it should lead to a more efficient sleep period,” says Dr Raskin.

“Drink spiced milk before sleeping,” says Ajmera. We’ve certainly heard about drinking warm milk before bed but spiced milk, when made with nutmeg, a natural sedative, just may help you get a sweeter and sounder sleep. Dr Ajmera recommends drinking it three hours after your last meal, and says that those who suffer from lactose intolerance often find they can digest spiced milk. Here’s how to make her recipe: Place 2 cups of organic cow’s milk in a pot over medium heat. Add 4 to 6 crushed saffron threads, 4 to 6 crushed green cardamon pods, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, a pinch of ginger and a pinch of nutmeg to the milk. When the milk starts to boil, reduce the heat slightly and stir periodically so the milk doesn’t boil over. Stir in 2 to 4 teaspoons of organic sugar, if you want it sweeter and let it cool slightly before drinking.

Here’s how to grow spices, they’ll add depth to your meals and beauty to your garden.