Lifestyle — Breathing

Have you ever gotten into bed, exhausted from the day, and ready for a good night's, but your mind won't slow down to let you? If getting into bed triggers a wave of stressful thoughts, such as paying your bills, getting your kids to and from school on time, or how you’re going to through work tomorrow - you're not alone. Simply desiring to get to sleep isn't always enough to get you there.

Insomnia can be incredibly rough. Madonna, Lady Gaga, and George Clooney all suffer from it, as do millions of others across the world. The good news is that for some of us, employing a few relaxation strategies before going to bed can make a world of difference.

Autogenic Training (AT)

If you're lying in bed and you just can't get your mind to settle down, AT may help. Autogenic training is where you use a series of exercises to focus your attention on relaxing sensations in different parts of your body. Focusing your attention on a specific region of your body, and then using your mind to help induce feelings of calmness, heaviness, and relaxation is what AT is all about.

Breathing

Breath training has been used to help people relax by cultures all over the world for a very long time. It involves inhaling slowly for 4 seconds, holding your breath for up to 7 seconds, and then slowly exhaling over the course of 8 seconds. The reason this works is that when you breathe deeply and hold your breath, you're increasing your body's oxygen level. Doing so makes it so that your body doesn't have to work as hard to continue functioning, therefore allowing you a greater feeling of relaxation.

Using a Weighted Blanket

Numerous research papers have been written touting the benefits of weighted blankets, like those by Comfitude, in helping people get to sleep. Not only have they been shown to increase the amount of time spent sleeping by those suffering from chronic insomnia, but also those who use them tend to move around a lot less - a sign of deeper, more restful sleep.

Settling down to sleep can be tough - especially if you suffer from stress, anxiety, or chronic insomnia. Weighted blankets from Comfitude have been scientifically proven to not only help improve the amount of time you spend sleeping but your quality of sleep as well. If you struggle to get to sleep at night, give Comfitude a try and see the difference a weighted blanket can make in you t life.