Q: My brain goes wild when I lay down to sleep. It could take me twenty minutes to two hours to fall asleep on any given night. What gives Mattman? I take melatonin pills and sometimes that helps.
A: Well dude, this is a common problem that a huge group of people face daily... or should I say nightly! Fortunately I have read about a few things you can do to alleviate this issue. Personally, I do not have this problem. Or at least not frequently. There have been days where I know tomorrow has a HUGE event I’ve been anticipating for months. Like when the Movie “Dune” came out last year. Hardly slept a wink the night before that one!
So here are some tips so you can help quell the active brain when you lay down for bed! Tip#1-Avoid screens, news, and social media 30 minute before bed. This plants tiny seeds of active brain syndrome when you start winding down. You’ll start thinking up things to think about. Avoiding screens not only helps your body build up melatonin on it’s own, but also keeps your mindset and thoughts clear and present.
Tip#2-Drink some bone broth ~30 minutes to one hour before bed. Bone broth has a lot of micronutrients your body needs to start the sleep process. Warm up a cup to sip on like tea! Tip#3-Avoid sugar and especially ADDED SUGARS two hours before bed. Sugar burns! It lights up your brain and your metabolism so you will not get restful sleep. Don’t be yelling at your kids while they’re on sugar highs misbehaving in public while you can’t control your own habit and get awful sleep the night before!
Tip#4-Journal your thoughts. If you had a rough day or can feel your mind racing, write down what is bothering you. Get it out of your head. Don’t overcomplicate this. You can write your thoughts on scratch paper and toss it.
Tip #5-Meditate!! Meditation is the art of quieting unwanted thoughts in the brain. Do this when you wake up for a few minutes and also a few minutes before you go to sleep. Practice breathing!
Any one of these tips takes time! 30+ days of repetition before you start to see quality results. But unless that melatonin you are taking is prescribed to you, you shouldn’t be eating hormones like candy without a doctor’s supervision. Need help getting started with a two minute game plan to fall asleep faster? Text me at 704-498-4491! I’m your personal superhero sleep coach!