As F.R. mentioned a few days ago, meditation is an awesome tool to use for calming the mind and drifting away into soft, blissful sleep. Following this up, I'd like to bring up a few other various techniques that involve meditation, and even a suggestion from my own personal experience.
Sometimes when you're trying to meditate, little noises around you can distract your mind - and sometimes those noises are outside your home or create a sense of misophonia (a sound that causes a strong emotional reaction). These intruding noises could possibly combated with using a guided meditation cassette or CD, or even using YouTube as a source for the material. If you try it right now, you can find all kinds of guided meditations that can help block-out outside noises and allow you to focus on specifically what you're trying to do - relax.
But, then again, guided meditations can't always help for someone who's trying to fall asleep in a few minutes. A relatively old technique, but becoming newer and more popular by trend, is ASMR - Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. You know that tingly sensation you feel on your scalp if someone plays with your hair, or maybe it travels down your back if someone touches your arm softly? That's ASMR. It's the body's natural response to a sensation - or noise or visual cue - that makes you feel tingles which normally leave you feeling relaxed. If you go to YouTube you can find a myriad of videos for ASMR from simple videos with some soothing noises to distance reiki sessions to, even, Boyfriend/Girlfriend which simulates a sense of closeness and caringness.To read more, specifically, on ASMR, check out this article on Refinery29: What Is ASMR
Perhaps ASMR and/or Guided Meditations aren't your thing. That's fine. Often times, sitting in place and trying to control the flow of thoughts in your head is hard to do. This is a normal, everyday response whether you're stressed or didn't sleep well the night before or whatever life happens to toss in the mix every now and again.
In my own personal experiences, I was informed by a therapist that meditating while sitting in a chair while keeping your eyes closed can help - as long as you're envisioning a sense of groundedness. Which, brings up the important technique that comes in addition to meditation: Grounding.
To some people, they know what grounding is. They might do it everyday or when they need too. But, to others, grounding may conjure thoughts of electricity and physics - so let me try to explain it. Grounding, on all levels, is about controlling the flow of energy in and around something that can conduct it. Psychologically, grounding would be the technique someone could use to help stay present and aware. The therapist who suggested this to me gave me the following instructions:-You can do this anywhere you feel you can concentrate: In a car (if you're the passenger, don't do this while driving, please!) , in your home, or anywhere you can find some privacy for five to ten minutes.
-Find a chair, or sit or lay down, which ever makes you feel comfortable and then close your eyes.
-While your eyes are closed, try to find a.) a sensation or something you're touching. This can help start the grounding process. It brings you into yourself. b.) a sound that's in the room of that you can hear outside of where you are. c.) your breathing. Try to slow it down by breathing deeply, only as you're comfortable, and exhaling at a slow but rhythmic pace. d.) during this process try to allow your thoughts to come in your mind, and then gently drift away. Don't address any of the thoughts that enter your mind, not yet. e.) allow this process to go on for a few moments.
The therapist also suggested that, if you're comfortable, and if you're with anyone else, you could ask them to give you a few moments to try to make sense of what's happening by doing this while they're around but asking them to keep the communication to a minimum - or none at all if possible. This not only lets them know that you're trying to calm down and adjust yourself, but also allows you time to go inward and focus all of the blurring thoughts that keep racing around in your head.
To read more on this technique, you could check out this informational worksheet: Grounding Techniques: Sensory & Cognitive (Thinking)
While there are a few different techniques present in this post, it should be kept in mind that we are in no way part of the medical - psychological field and cannot give our opinions as professional. These are only our opinion, with a few articles, and should not be taken as a prescription, diagnosis or anything else.
Thanks again for reading! -Brandon
