A 5 minute breathing technique to help you feel calmer, and fall back to sleep

#sleep #insomnia #stress #relaxation
I've really struggled with my own sleep for the last few weeks. I usually sleep really well, but something hit me out of the blue that I wasn't expecting. It triggered thoughts and feelings that I have never experienced before. I have experienced a full rollercoaster of emotions, and unsurprisingly, I've been waking up a lot during the night.
We cannot control everything that happens to us. We can only control how we respond.
It is completely natural for your sleep to be disrupted when something threatens you, or your family. It's a sign that this is something or someone that you really care about. Give yourself permission to feel whatever you're feeling. Try and write your thoughts down well in advance of bedtime. Ideally discuss your emotions with a trusted friend or professional. Trying to ignore feelings won't help you to move on.
When it comes to sleep, you can expect the disruption to be temporary. Humans are wonderfully adaptable. Don't change anything drastic - stick to your normal routine. Sleep will return. You might also find it helpful to practice relaxation before bed, and perhaps a few times during the day.
This is my favourite technique for calming myself down if I wake up during the night. A few rounds of this '1,2' breathing exercise help me fall back to sleep.
If you're still feeling wide awake after 15 or 20 minutes, get out of bed. No-one ever fell asleep faster by trying harder to sleep. You'll just train your brain that your bed is where you worry about things. Get up. Go and do something gently distracting.. read a good book.. do the ironing.. until you feel your eyelids getting heavy, then you can get back into bed.
#sleep #sleepscience #thesleepscientist #health #wellbeing #breathwork
▶ Subscribe to the Sleep Toolkit channel: www.youtube.com....
My name is Dr Sophie Bostock and I'm a scientist turned Sleep Evangelist. My goal is to help individuals, teams and organisations to improve their happiness and performance by understanding how to make the most of their sleep.
You can also find me here:
Website: www.thesleepsc...​​​​
Twitter: drsophiebostock​​​​​
Instagram: drsophiebostock