4 MENTAL EXERCISES FOR SLEEP TO BANISH RESTLESS NIGHTS

Mental exercise for sleep can make a huge difference when you’re struggling to nod off at night!

We’ve all had those long, stressful days that tend to lead to stressful nights when you lie awake, unable to sleep.

You toss and turn, struggling to get comfortable, trying in vain to shut your racing mind down for a little bit of mental peace.

Those are the nights you really need a few mental exercises for sleep! By calming your mind and banishing anxious thoughts, you’ll have a far easier time drifting off, no matter how stressful your day way.

Below is a list of our favorite exercises that can help you to fall asleep in no time.

4 Mental Exercises for Sleep

Write down your worries. Often, we spend long hours awake at night because we’re worried about something—either something that didn’t get done the previous day or something that we’re afraid won’t be done the following day. These worries can be about any number of things, but we stress so much because we feel like we have to focus on them now or else they won’t be solved or dealt with.

Writing them down, however, is a great way to take them off your mind. Writing them down will help you rest easy knowing that you’ll definitely deal with the problems the following day, and you won’t forget. It takes a burden off your mind because “tomorrow you” will handle it so “tonight you” can sleep.

Keep a journal or notebook by your bed. Anytime you’ve got those looming worries keeping you up, get up and write them down. You’ll find it’s much easier to sleep afterward!

Focus on your breath. Focusing on your breathing is both a way to encourage deeper breathing while you’re trying to sleep and create a self-hypnotic effect of sorts. Counting the time between each breath gives your mind something relaxing to focus on, similar to how “counting sheep” is one of the oldest sleep-inducing tricks in the book. But by focusing on your breathing, you ensure that you’re getting enough oxygen to put your brain into relaxation and sleep mode.

If you want to get your whole body involved, too, you’ll find it can improve the self-hypnotic effect. Lie on your back with your hands on your stomach and chest. As you count your breaths, focus on drawing more air into your abdomen rather than your chest. This deep abdominal breathing can be incredibly relaxing and encourages your body to shift into a state of sleep.

You can try other breathing techniques, such as the 4-7-8 technique. With this technique, you inhale through your nose for a count of 4, hold your breath while counting to 7, then exhale for an 8-count. This breathing rhythm is unusual but helps you control the speed of your breath. It can be paired with meditative exercises or a mantra to shut down your mind and get you ready for sleep.

Meditate – If you’re having a hard time sleeping, use meditation to shut down your anxious thoughts and calm your mind. You’ll find there are a lot of meditative mental exercises for sleep that can work wonders.

A visualization technique, for example, helps you to visually shut your body down one part at a time. Start from your feet and picture all the blood flowing away from the limb, moving up your legs toward your heart. Visualize any tension draining away, until you consciously visualize your feet in a relaxed state. Then move up to your lower legs and repeat, and so on until you reach your head. By that point, your body will be relaxed and your mind calm.

Or, try mentally repeating a mantra in time with your breath. A popular one is “Inhale Relaxation, Exhale Tension”, repeated in time with your breaths in and out. You’ll find that this mental repetition can calm your mind very effectively and help your body to relax into a state of sleepiness.

Go on a mental journey – If you find yourself constantly dealing with stress and anxieties at night, you may find it helpful to pull your brain out of your “now” and take it someplace else. That’s where mental journeys and guided imagery are so helpful!

Guided imagery audios help you to visualize a positive, peaceful setting, where you can relax and escape your worries. There are all sorts of beautiful places to go—beaches, mountainsides, lakes, forests, magical fantasy lands, and the list goes on—but wherever you go, what matters is that the guided imagery will help you to banish whatever anxious or worried thoughts are keeping you up at night.

It’s worth downloading guided imagery playlists on Spotify or playing them off YouTube if you’re having trouble sleeping. They can take your mind on a mental journey and help you get into that peaceful, relaxed state that encourages a better night’s sleep.  

PureSleep + Mental Exercises for Sleep = A Marvelous Night of Rest

If you’re trying mental exercises for sleep, you’ll be putting your mind in the right state for rest. With our PureSleep supplement, your body will be equally ready to doze off, and you’ll sleep better than you ever have before!

PureSleep is an all-natural and organic sleep supplement made with highly effective ingredients like magnolia bark (which increases the sleep-inducing neurotransmitter GABA), Ashwagandha (a superfood that helps you get deep, restful sleep), magnesium (a mineral critical for sleep), and Valerian root (an anti-anxiety, brain-shutting-down remedy that has been used for centuries).

This simple supplement will get your body in a calm state and ready for sleep. Paired with mental exercises for sleep, you’ll find your nights are far more relaxed and you drift off quickly and easily.