Falling asleep can be tough when you are stressed about an upcoming big event. Whether it is a job interview, a major exam, a medical appointment, a long flight, or a court hearing you are likely to be worried and stressed.
Stress leads to poor quality sleep which in turn lowers your productivity. Therefore, looking for ways to get quality sleep in preparation for your big event is crucial. Here are 5 sleep tips to try.
Sleep Tips for Stressful Nights
Getting inadequate and poor quality sleep prior to an important event can lead to poor handling of the event. These tips will help you enjoy a good night’s sleep despite the upcoming event.
Listen to Calming Music or Nature Sounds
Music is a great way to calm down and stop feeling anxious. You can find playlists of soothing music on YouTube or Spotify. The song Weightless by Marconi Union is a good example of sleep-inducing music. While listening to the music, close your eyes and focus on the tones, rhythms, and tempo of the song.
That way, you can tune out your anxieties and worries. Similarly, you can listen to sounds of nature like raindrops and waterfalls. A study found that natural sounds promote wellness and relaxation.¹ You can experiment with different sounds to find the one that works for you.
When listening to music, opt for headphones as opposed to earphones which may cause pain.
Don’t Force it
The more you worry about tomorrow’s event the more anxious you will grow. And the result is a lack of sleep. When you can’t sleep you will worry about the effects of inadequate sleep hence you will try to force yourself to sleep. Unfortunately, the harder you try, the more alert you will be.
This is because worrying alerts the brain that an existing problem needs a solution thus leaving you wide awake. To fall asleep, you need to let go which signals the brain to shut down. Therefore, relax and stop obsessing over the new day or your inability to fall asleep.
Turn Off Your Phone
Your phone, coupled with anxiety can drain your sleep reservoirs. This is because the phone keeps you mentally preoccupied making your brain stay alert. Whether you want to check your emails, chat or play games, the blue light will keep you awake for longer. The same applies to other screens like TVs and laptops.
Moreover, the screen’s blue light hinders the production of the hormone melatonin which induces sleep. Therefore, shut down your screens and if possible keep them out of your bedroom.
Get Off Bed and Do Something Relaxing
As already established, forcing yourself to sleep will only make matters worse. Instead of tossing around in bed, get up and engage in something relaxing. The goal here is to distract yourself from worry and make yourself drowsy.
You can start by trying some relaxation techniques such as mindful meditation, hypnosis, guided muscle relaxation, deep breathing, and yoga. Similarly, relaxing activities can help you fall asleep. For instance, you could read a book, take a warm bath, or drink some warm milk.²
Whichever activity or technique you choose, ensure it doesn’t keep you alert as that would be counterproductive.
Tune Out All Your Thoughts Except One
While facing a major event, you may find your mind racing with lots of thoughts that will leave you wide awake. Tuning out these thoughts will slow down your mind and help you feel calm and relaxed.
Choose one thought (a positive one) that is not related to the stressful event and focus on it. You can keep repeating it like a mantra. After some time, your mind will eventually let go thus helping you fall asleep.
Get the Best Night’s Rest With the Above Sleep Tips
Stressful events are inevitable. But you can avoid the related stress. Besides, your quality of sleep directly impacts your productivity. Therefore, get the best night’s sleep using the above sleep tips and face your day confidently.
Other techniques that you can try to help you relax include knee &foot massage and facial relaxation.
Links to sources used
- Relationship between nature sounds and relaxation https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28345604/
- Warm showers and sleep improvement https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31102877/
