A collection of songs and other helpful things

American psychologist and sleep specialist James Findlay named eight ways to fall asleep quickly when you are troubled by anxious thoughts.

“Very often people complain that they are physically tired, but cannot sleep because of worries and annoying thoughts,” says James Findlay. According to the expert, there are some techniques that can help you cope with anxiety and fall asleep easily.

If you often suffer from insomnia, check out these recommendations.

To-do list

Make a to-do list. If you have anxious, negative thoughts before going to bed, turn them into positive ones. Make a list of good things to do for the next day, such as pleasant trips or good deeds. When falling asleep, you will be thinking about your plans. Research shows that writing down tasks can help clear your mind and tune in to a productive new day, which means you fall asleep faster.

Get out of bed

If you have been wasting time in bed for a long time and cannot sleep, it is better to get up and concentrate on something else. Psychologists say that frequent, prolonged attempts to sleep train the brain in such a way that it begins to associate the bed in your bedroom with insomnia. If within 20-30 minutes you cannot sleep, get up and do something: read, do crosswords. Soon you will really want to sleep.

Books will do

Read a book, but not a very exciting one. You can't just stop annoying thoughts in your head, but you can take your mind off of them by focusing on the book. But it should be a paper book, as gadget screens can further disrupt sleep. When you're distracted from what's bothering you, you fall asleep faster. The main thing is not to choose a book that is too interesting, because of which it will also be difficult to fall asleep.

Audiobooks

Listen to a podcast or audiobook. An audiobook or podcast works just like a book, distracting from sad thoughts and calming down. After listening, you can safely fall asleep.

Various sounds

You can also turn on soothing sounds. You can create a sleep-friendly sound environment for yourself. Some people are soothed by the sound of the ocean, others - by the singing of birds or the sounds of the evening forest. Just download these sounds and put on your headphones.

Breathe

Focus on your breathing. Deep and slow breathing can slow your heart rate and relieve stress. Accordingly, it will be easier for you to fall asleep.

Meditate

Meditation allows you to find mental balance and calmness. You can meditate not only just before bed, but also throughout the day. If you are unsure of the best way to meditate, you can use dedicated apps or YouTube videos that detail meditation techniques.

Download the sleep app

In the modern world, there are useful applications for smartphones that help you fall asleep faster. These apps contain specially selected sounds and noises to help the brain relax and fall asleep.

A collection of songs

Create a list of songs to fall asleep quickly. Music can really help you fall asleep. Many people use it for this, but, of course, it all depends on the type of music and the specific person. Some types of music can help you sleep better than others. Quiet, calm compositions at a slow pace with a small number of dynamic changes are most suitable for this. Such music helps to calm down, slow down the physiological processes in the body and get distracting thoughts out of the head.

Music has two effects on us. The first one is biological: you synchronize your breathing and pulse with the help of the slow tempo of the music and thus turn off your body and get ready for sleep. The second effect is that it chases away thoughts that keep you awake. Focused listening can distract you from anxiety and fill you with positive thoughts that are helpful for falling asleep.

Calm music usually helps you fall asleep. It's better not to listen to punk or heavy metal at night: aggressive, fast compositions with a lot of dynamic changes will certainly not help you fall asleep. Many people - for example, singers or songwriters - say that classical music or songs with a calm voice help them a lot.

But how to create a helpful playlist for yourself? There are several options for you to choose from: you can download a special app that already contains playlists of songs for falling asleep or create such a collection by yourself. If you have decided to use the second option, it may be a little bit more challenging. For example, if you want to download some songs From YouTube, you will understand it's impossible to do it. Nevertheless, you can easily download any YouTube video and convert it to MP3 format with the help of special convertors. It's quick and easy, so you will create a collection really quickly.