Does your demanding and hectic lifestyle prevent you from falling asleep even when you are extremely sleepy? Maybe the day’s work or the chores to be done next day or maybe past events and random thoughts keep you awake! This is a problem you cannot ignore. Sleep is essential for everyone, so that the body can rest and rejuvenate for the next day. Lack of sleep can not only hamper your productivity at work but also create issues in your personal life.

You are not alone though, if you cannot fall asleep peacefully. This problem plagues over half of the people in the country who fall prey to insomnia now and then. People in the age group of 45-60 are more susceptible to this issue, as studies suggest.

Getting ample sleep is not just about relaxing. The lack of it can aggravate other problems in your body which can deteriorate your health and potential. Sleeplessness can cause heart failure, or high BP, if ignored.

Thankfully, there are many natural ways to help you sleep when you need to, rather than going for over-the-counter medicines which have various side effects. Read on to know more in this regard.

• Reverse Psychology, try not to fall asleep: This trick works absolutely like magic, and you might have also faced similar situations before. Do you remember the nights before exams, when you wanted to study more but fell asleep over the book itself on your study desk? Similarly, if you want to fall asleep, try not to think about it. Rather try to keep your eyes open, in few minutes you will be sleeping without even realizing it. This is one of the unusual ways to help you sleep.
• Check the temperature of the room: Temperature of the room you are sleeping in often determines the quality of your sleep. Extreme temperatures are dangerous for a healthy sleep, so you need to control the temperature of your room and make it comfy. A room with 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal one for nighttime sleep.
• Dietary Measures: If you take calcium and magnesium in your diet regularly, you will get to sleep in peace as both of these elements boost optimum REM cycle for sleep. To reduce anxiety levels, try having white lettuce which also relieves headaches and pain in the joints. It calms your nervous system and helps you sleep.
• Wash Your face with chilled water: If stress and depression are taking all your sleep away at night, submerge your face for 30 seconds in a bowl of chilled water. It will relax and reset your nervous system making you feel alive and refreshed. It mainly triggers the Mammalian Dive Reflex which is an automatic process that decreases the heartbeat rate and BP.
• Take a shower: It is proven that taking a bath or shower before hitting the bed or after coming back from work can make you fall asleep quickly. It is more efficient if you use warm water as it decreases the metabolism rate and drops the energy level so that you can fall asleep. This is one of the easiest ways to help you sleep as having a shower is refreshing too.
• Fragrance can do magic: If you love the scent of lavender or any other mild aroma, you can spread it across the room to make the room much more comfortable and pleasing for your sleep. The scientific reason behind this is that your favorite aroma can bring down your blood pressure and help you feel relaxed which in turn can help you to fall asleep quickly.
• Light Music can do wonders: Watching movies or reading books might keep you awake for long if you get engrossed in them but light music relaxes the nerves and make you feel light and distressed. Dim the lights in your room and listen to some soft music and within few minutes you will be in your dream world.
• Progressive Relaxation Techniques: This technique is one of the effective ways to help you sleep as this relaxes the muscles and lower the stress levels. Try to tense your body muscles for few seconds and then relax for next thirty seconds, repeat it and you will see how restful your sleep will be.
• Disconnect yourself: Switch off your mobile, laptop and any other device that connects to the world outside. Night time is only for you and your loved ones. And this trick is one of the great ways to help you sleep.
• Make Yourself Comfortable: Finally, get comfortable, get in your best position and close your eyes to doze off.

Sleep is essential for overall well-being. So follow the above tips to get rid of insomnia and restless sleepless nights and you will wake up fresh and happy the next day!