Adopt a “sign-signal”
The “sign-signal” is a technique to be used in case of difficulty falling asleep. In the evening, when you make your “sign-signal”, your breathing will become calmer, your muscles will relax and your mind will slip into sleep.
– Start by relaxing and gradually letting your limbs become heavy. A feeling of heaviness that will take you to the edge of sleep.
– Choose a gesture that you do in the evening before falling asleep… Pat your pillow, close a book, turn off the light…
– Associate this gesture with the state of deep relaxation in which you find yourself.
Massage your solar plexus
The solar plexus is the point that separates the diaphragm from the abdomen. It is one of the crucial centers of the autonomic nervous system. The massage of this part of the body provides great relaxation. It is practiced lying down in bed.
– Inhale while inflating the belly like a balloon.
– Exhale, bring in your stomach to raise your diaphragm, avoiding contracting your abdominals.
– Inhale again, inflate the belly and hold the air for 10 seconds.
– Exhale, pull in your stomach, hold the air for 10 seconds. Repeat this breathing several times.
– Perform a circular massage on the solar plexus with both hands flat, while relaxing the abdominal structure.
The massage should be done clockwise, slowly and from top to bottom. Repeat 3 or 4 times.
Drop your “hassle bag”
This technique allows you to put some distance between the problems of the day and yourself!
– Imagine yourself next to a large bag, with a zipper, two handles, and your name written on it.
– Fill it (in thought) with all the fatigue, with all the hassles of the day, to lighten yourself up and avoid dwelling on them before going to sleep.
– Pull up the zipper (once the inventory is finished) and hook the handles of the bag to a large balloon. The wind begins to blow and carries it, far, very far… Your bag flies away, higher and higher in the sky. To become a tiny dot and finally disappear…
Learn to relax
When you’re lying in bed, instead of dwelling on the worries of the day, breathe calmly. The more relaxed you are, the faster you will fall asleep.
– Adopt the position that feels most comfortable to you and relax your body from head to toe. Feel the heat invade your limbs, and they become heavier and heavier. Become aware of the pressure points of your body in contact with the sheets.
– Reminisce about a happy time. Relive it as if it were happening here and now, and let yourself be carried away by these pleasant sensations. They will take you to dreamland.