Try one of these when you’re lying awake or winding down before bed.
Music is a proven strategy to improve sleep. In clinical studies, it works better than audio books or other relaxation. The best music is the music you lke. Beyond that, aim for something instrumental with repetitive, tranquil melodies and deep, bass tones. Weightless is a track designed by sleep researchers and ambient musicians. It reduced anxiety and blood pressure more than other relaxing tracks, even beating out Enya. You can let the music play through the night or program your player to turn it off.
Binaural Beats these electronic music tracks shift brain waves by playing slightly different frequencies into each ear. Their effects depend on the frequency. For sleep, use beats in the delta and theta range (like in this Spotify, Amazon, or YouTube playlist, or the Aura app). Beta and gamma frequencies induce alertness and concentration.
Mindfulness is a stress-reduction technique that puts you in control of your focus. It treats insomnia, anxiety, and depression. You can learn it in therapy or through regular practice at night with a mindfulness app.
Deep Breathing Place one hand on your belly and one on your chest. Breathe so that your belly rises and falls while your chest stays still. This “belly breathing” calms your nervous system faster than normal chest breathing. Breath2Relax is a free app that guides you through it.
Muscle Relaxation Starting at your head and neck, slowly tense each muscle group for a count of five, then release it. Work your way down — arms, torso, legs, feet. By the time you reach your feet, you’ll feel noticeably more relaxed.
Visualization Picture a peaceful scene — a snowy winter landscape, a meadow, a beach. Use all your senses. Feel the sun on your face, smell the ocean air, hear the quiet. Let yourself sink into it.
Floating and Sinking Imagine you’re a leaf drifting slowly downward, or a raft bobbing gently on calm water. With every breath, you float a little lower and feel a little calmer. Or try the opposite — imagine your body getting heavier and heavier, your eyelids too heavy to open.
Counting Down Close your eyes and count slowly backward from 100. Picture each number as you say it — maybe written in chalk on a sidewalk, or skywritten across a clear blue sky. Most people don’t make it to zero.
Hot Bath Take a very hot bath (as hot as you can comfortably stand) for 20 minutes about two hours before bed. This technique was developed by sleep researchers in the 1990s, and triggers hormonal shifts that deepen sleep, especially when followed by a cold bedroom (real cool, 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal). Warning: Avoid hot baths if you are pregnant, have skin wounds or skin diseases, or are prone to falls. Blood pressure can drop when rising out of a hot tub, causing falls.
— Adapted from the Depression and Bipolar Workbook by Chris Aiken, MD
