The next article is a guest post from the creator of Easy Snooze, a site dedicated to promoting excellent and quality sleep among individuals who are in need of it.

I have experienced having waking time for hours on end, and I most of the time it seems like I have lost track of time. Most of the time I am up doing or watchttp://freshbeetle.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=2946&action=edithing something online, but some times I just lie down in the dark trying to get some sleep but my mind does not allow me to. This is a little bit annoying for me because I am not spending my limited time on earth productively, but just lie there doing absolutely nothing but trying to get to sleep because I need to.

Luckily, I have found some tips that can help me develop some habits to get to sleep faster every time I need to go to sleep. Some of them are related to sleep aids such as side sleeper pillows, orthopedic mattresses, and so on. But some of the sound advises are just plainly ‘all in the mind’. One of the most sound advises I can think of is to not worry about not being able to get to sleep. The more you worry, the more it is going to be difficult for you to get to sleep. So let’s establish rule number one, do not worry that you’re not getting to sleep yet.

Some Sound Advice

I know the feeling of not being able to sleep. It is the feeling of being aware of everything around you, closing your eyes, but still not drifting off to unconsciousness. You close your eyes, but your mind races and thoughts just come rushing down on your head uncontrollably. This is because the activity centers of your brain are still wide awake, probably because of a problem you are worrying about, an unresolved quarrel perhaps, or it might be caused by an exciting idea that you keep having.

It might be a business meeting the day after, or a get-together with relatives you’ve not seen for quite some time. Anything that keeps your mind preoccupied is not going to help you go to sleep. So 3 hours prior to bed time. Try to avoid any stimuli such as playing video games, watching television, going online, or even doing any exercise. Anything provocative can ignite your activity centers. Also, avoid caffeine, nicotine, and sugar 3 hours before bedtime. These can artificially activate your brain’s activity centers and prevent your from controlling your thoughts. Try drinking milk * as a mild sedative before going to sleep. You will feel much sleepier after a tall glass of milk.

* Note from Regev: Milk is a highly controversial subject. I highly recommend you to read more about it before you decide to consume it on a regular basis.

Concrete Trick to Start Try to Start Sleeping

Lie down on your pillow for starters. Lie in the most comfortable way possible and feel free to toss and turn as much as you want whenever you feel lack of comfort. The trick here is to get really comfortable. You also need to turn off all the lights (if you are comfortable with this. Some people are too scared of the dark) or maybe leave a night light on. Cover your body just enough to feel comfortable. With everything done, try to concentrate on a particular thought such as a fruit. Any fruit will do, but I find an apple to be a nice example.Whenever your mind thinks of something, loosely associate it with the apple.

Let your mind wander, do not force it to think of the apple, but just  let it wander. Whenever an idea randomly pops in resist the urge to devote further thinking on that idea, but just associate your thoughts with the random fruit. A fruit is a rather simple thing to think of and is not very complex. This is similar to counting sheep, but is much effective because counting sheep requires you to use your brain’s left hemisphere to constantly count.

Do you find it hard to fall asleep? Ever had problems with it? Share your knowledge or concerns using the comment box below.

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