Tricks To Fall Asleep When You Cannot

Many years ago I used to not be able to fall asleep till 4-5 am. Many times, around 5 am, when I’d have enough of not sleeping I would put my running kit on and go for a long, refreshing run.

The biggest problem was that I was always very active and creative at night, and still am, and I could always focus and learn better after everyone else would go to bed and I was alone in a very quiet house.

Sometimes that happens even now, actually some of my best blogs you see here were written after midnight.

Sometimes I don’t even try to fall asleep if I cannot because I know I create some cool things, including poems. Much of what I write is never seen by anyone else but I still write them.

The other side of the coin is that I am also a morning person. I like and I am able to wake up even at 4:30 am to do my training.

So do you struggle to fall asleep….but would like to? These are tricks I used to do and still do if I cannot sleep. Not all may work for you but you can try them out. You don’t sleep anyway.

Here are a few tips to help you fall asleep, things I do myself:

1. Open the windows for at least 1h to get some fresh air in your room before you go to bed. If it’s winter it’s even better, believe me.

2. Stop tossing and turning, if you cannot fall asleep you won’t. Stand up, walk around or just lie down and stop moving.

3. Work the muscles, get them tired. When you lie down in bed they will just relax to maximum. Some say that this will keep you awake. In my case it actually helps me sleep better. You can try it a couple of time, you won’t sleep anyway. If it doesn’t work for you then you don’t do it anymore. Try the others.

4. Practice some fluid movement. If you don’t know how contact me and I will show you a few movements. And you don’t have to commit to anything at all.

5. Breathing meditation. I have to admit this doesn’t work for me all the time. Fluid movement and getting my body tired work better for me.

6. Stretch your body to release that tension you gathered throughout the day. And here’s the perfect stretch for this.

7. Count. When you count you do something very boring your brain will go “I can’t take this anymore, I will shut down” and you fall asleep. It may take up to 100 or even 1000. When you start losing track it’s a good sign, keep counting though.

8. Focus your attention on sounds from outside. Every little sounds. Listen. It’s a beautiful feeling.

9. “Listen” to the silence. One of my favourites. Listening to that deep silence. If the environment allows you to do that it’s a wonderful experience.

10. Go for a walk, if that’s possible. Yes in the middle of the night. It’s one of my favourite things. But make sure you don’t go alone, for safety purposes.

11. Read a book, paper book not kindle. Preferably nothing violent and horror. Poetry would be nice and different for many people.

12. Have a glass of water. Cool your body down.

13. Write and draw. Write and draw what? Anything. Anything at all. Take a sheet of paper, a pen or pencil and let your hand do whatever it wants. Scribble. If it doesn’t help you fall asleep you might create a beautiful piece of art. If you think you cannot write or draw, think again, you are a creative being. We all are.

When you cannot fall asleep, never:

1. Turn on the tv

2. Check your email

3. Check facebook and other social media

4. Make phone calls or text

How fitness changes you at a physical and psychological level

Fitness is not only an aspect of a visibly fit and healthy human being but more of one who is confident and strong in the way she stands, sits, moves, runs or talks.

Fitness, power and strength shape our bodies yes, but as a consequence our mental processes, our self esteem and finally the actions we take on a daily basis dramatically change.

Feeling unfit, soft and heavy will not help you when you walk up and down the stairs at work, play with your kids or simply run for the bus. I makes you feel old and sluggish, feeling like you don’t want to do anything anymore.

So we are here to change that by sharing with you 3 ways to train your body:

1. Run/fast walk/walk

I am a runner I know running is seen as dangerous. I totally agree with it, but only because we have lost our ability to run in an efficient way. We take our joints on a painful journey, we put so much pressure and tension in the way we run.

But because I am a runner I learnt that pain is not the only way to run. There is a better way, and since I changed my running style and the one of my clients we have all seen amazing improvement and ….. no more pain, no more suffering. The techniques I use are Chi Running and Pose Method of running.

2. Balancing

When you balance your cannot think about what you will have for dinner. Once your mind gets away you lose your balance. It’s really that simple. Balance exercises teach you how to focus, how to be in the now. A balanced body allows for a balanced mind.

3. Hanging

Hanging is again a powerful exercise for core strength. But also upper body. If you hang and lift your knees and then your feet to the branch the your will work your entire mid section of your body. This is by far my more favourite natural movement exercise.