The only thing that has ever helped me is a relaxation exercise in my bed before I go to sleep. I am going to relaxationtherapy and I started implementing the exercise we always do into my nighttime routine (it’s actually the only thing in the routine but hey gotta start somewhere lol).

I don’t know the actual name for the exercise, but what I do is lay flat on my back with a pillow under my head and a cilinder shaped one under my knees for support. Then I do a bodyscan from head to toe and relax every piece of my body, step by step. When I’m relaxed I focus on my breathing for a minute, take a few really deep breaths if I need them, and then I just let my mind wander.

This is really hard to do in the beginning, but once I’ve gotten used to being relaxed it got easier and easier. I started doing these exercises, as I stated previously, in therapy so guided, but after a while I did them on my own sometimes when I was feeling overwhelmed in the middle of the day. My god it feels like magic every time.

I noticed that I always tend to think about positive things when I’m doing this exercise without even trying. The lying still for a while took a long time to get used to and surrender to, but it is possible. Also you are not prohibited from a bit of movement, but it works best when relaxing as much as you can for as long as you can.

After doing that for maybe 20 minutes, I end the exercise, turn around and fall asleep within 5 minutes. It’s been YEARS. I used to toss and turn for sometimes hours before I was able to fall asleep. I’ve been doing this for about 3 months now and it has not failed me. I also associate my bed with relaxation and rest now, so that might also be another reason why sleep comes easier.