Simple tips to actually sleep
The tipsy colleague of the neighbor was hanging over the balcony railing at half past one last night. Really woman, don't you have to work tomorrow or something? Oh no, they are members of the teacher clan, something with May vacation. The volume at maximum, the content of her tirade was quite incoherent soaked with wine, and it felt like a football team was jumping around my bed, so hard. After a plea from the window, it became quiet. Thank God. So I slid down to the biggest party pooper on earth and I was totally okay with that. But there I was, staring at the ceiling. My body thought I was awake and I couldn't convince it otherwise.
In normal sleep, I sleep like an ox, a bear in hibernation, or someone next to whom you could fire a cannon. I am a gifted sleeper, because I am particularly good at it (if I may say so myself). Sleeping is also underestimated, I think. Yes, it's a shame to waste your time in sleep mode, but if you sleep well, you wake up well too. And if I don't sleep well, then I am your worst nightmare. Because I wouldn't wish that dragon of a situation from last night on anyone (but really NO ONE), here are the tips to spend the nighttime hours purring like a rose.
“I am a gifted sleeper, because I am particularly good at it”
Make it convincing for yourself
Do you roll over on Saturday and Sunday mornings due to lack of an alarm clock? Then act very hard like it's one of those mornings. A proverbial kick under that little butt and the stern words ‘normally you can do it too’ really work. For me at least, because I fell asleep again.
Breathe in, breathe out
You should definitely do it, right? Otherwise, you'll feel suffocated. But I once had a lesson from a breathing expert (yes, they exist). And the trick is that you have to exhale longer than you inhale. You do this for ten minutes and you breathe yourself into the land of sleep, it's that relaxing.
Clear your mind
The practiced ceiling stares among us are worrying themselves silly. That tube of toothpaste needs to go on your shopping list, that email is still in draft, and when are you going to take a weekend away with your loved one? It helps particularly well to clear your head. Go through your day step by step, that categorizes so nicely. And when you have everything sorted, you sleep easier.
Adios screen, hello paper
Put that mobile distraction out of reach, otherwise you'll keep checking how long you haven't been able to sleep (and the light from your screen also keeps you awake). Grab a book and read. Not Shakespeare, but something light and airy. It helps to distract your thoughts from all that important stuff and you relax from it. Just be careful that it doesn't crash like a cannonball next to your bed when you fall asleep, because then you'll be sitting up again.
Sleep-like-a-log block
At night, great plans arise. And those great plans evaporate in the morning. As in: no idea what idea I had, but it was brilliant and Einstein-like. And then you lie awake because you don't want to lose them along the way. But now I got a very handy notepad from May, so I both sleep well (that's in her and my favor) and my brainwaves are preserved. Sometimes the next morning it turns out to be quite disappointing how brilliant the thought was, but so be it.
Okay, good night!
