Category: Falling Asleep

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep, Kids Sleep

Yes, it’s back to school time again. After a summer of late bedtimes, sleepovers, vacations, and plenty of sleeping in, it’s time to shift back into earlier mornings. And that means earlier bedtimes. It can be a tough adjustment for your kids – and you – as they struggle to settle down and get to sleep earlier when their bodies still feel wide awake. You probably have a tried-and-true routine you’ve honed with your kids for school nights. Maybe it’s an earlier dinnertime, homework, a little play, a warm bath or shower, bedtime stories, and then lights out. Sounds simple …

From Summer Nights to School Mornings: Helping Kids Get to Sleep Earlier Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep, Sleep Obstacles, Stress

Do your worries impair your sleep? It seems like there’s plenty to worry about these days. But is there really that much more to worry about now than people had in times past? Certainly, our standard of living is better than ever. Our homes are spacious and climate controlled. Modern conveniences allow us to spend less time on monotonous and tiring tasks. We live longer than ever and are generally much safer physically than our ancestors. Most of us won’t die of an infected wound or a childhood disease, be threatened by a wild animal, or starve to death in our …

When Worry Impairs Your Sleep Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep, Help Sleeping, Uncategorized

Falling asleep can be tough. When you have a lot on your mind, it’s hard to let go of it all just because you settle into your bed for the night. If that sounds familiar, you might be able to use cognitive games to help you fall asleep. That feeling of your mind spinning around, worrying, thinking about what you need to do, dreading the next day – it’s known by various names. Monkey mind, mental chatter, restless mind, racing thoughts. Whatever you call it, when it keeps you up at night, it’s bad. There are plenty of techniques that …

Cognitive Games to Help You Fall Asleep Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep, Stress

 via GIPHY Is it true that there are ways you could breathe for better sleep? If you’re struggling with sleep, breathing differently may seem too simple. After all, we spend millions of dollars here in the U.S. every year trying to solve our sleep issues. Not to mention the millions of other currencies spent around the world. Sleep seems to be a problem for a lot of us, wherever we lay our heads. But breathing? We all breathe all day and all night. How can that be the solution? Turns out it’s all in the way we breathe. Controlled …

Breathe for Better Sleep Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep

Ahh, summer. Whether you’re ready for cooler weather and glad to see the kids back in school, or you’re lamenting the fading of the warm and slower paced days, there’s just something about a peaceful summer night. The sun sinks and disappears, the air cools and softens, and the daytime sounds of activity become a low hum of settling in for the night. What you hear now are leaves rustling in the breeze, crickets and katydids chirping and buzzing, frogs singing their rhythmic nighttime songs in the nearby lapping lake or trickling stream. Okay, okay. I know. That’s an idyllic …

Sounds of a Late Summer Night Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep, Sleep Obstacles

Have you ever been so exhausted you couldn’t wait to get into bed, but when you finally got there, you were too tired to sleep? It’s unnerving. How could you have been so achingly desperate to get in your bed not 10 minutes ago, could hardly keep your eyes open just getting yourself ready for bed, and now this? Really?? Sleepy and Tired Aren’t the Same Thing Sometimes sleepiness and exhaustion are best friends. They travel together and you’ll often feel both – strongly – at the same time. But not always. We’ve all been sleepy simply because we’re bored, …

Too Tired to Sleep Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep

I have a secret weapon for falling asleep. It’s my new superpower. I can now reliably fall asleep just about as quickly as I settle into bed and squish my pillow under my head just so. It’s a pretty new discovery for me even though I’ve known about it for quite some time. We even suggested it back in our June 2022 blog post called Adults Love Bedtime Stories Too. I tried it maybe around six months ago but didn’t really give it a chance – I didn’t stick with it, and kind of forgot about it. Then a couple …

Secret Weapon for Falling Asleep Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep, Sleep Obstacles, Stress, Uncategorized

  Have you ever felt too afraid to sleep? Or maybe too anxious or worried to sleep? It’s not a good feeling. So on this scariest of days, it might be a good time to talk about what to do when you’re feeling scared or troubled or agitated and you just can’t fall asleep. One of the most frustrating obstacles to sleep you may encounter is the vicious circle of being too anxious to sleep, so you lose sleep, which makes you less able to deal with or even solve what’s making you anxious in the first place. And around …

Too Afraid to Sleep Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep, Sleep Hygiene, Sleep Obstacles

When you were a kid, did your parents ever tell you to “put that book/magazine/video game away and turn off the light?” Do you now hear yourself telling your own kids – or partner – to “put that phone down and go to sleep?” Maybe you’ve been meaning to say it to yourself. I know I have! It’s well-known, at this point in the 21st century, that the blue light emitted by devices like your phone, tablet or even your TV are not best friends with your circadian rhythm. They play games with each other. Sometimes they bicker: 11:30 pm …

Put That Phone Down and Go To Sleep! Read more »

By Posted on Posted in Falling Asleep, Help Sleeping

Have you ever used relaxing music or other audio to help you fall asleep? There are tons available on streaming services, podcasts, or for purchase to listen to on your phone or devices. But have you ever considered that visuals can help you sleep, all by themselves? By visuals I mean anything from a still image like a photo or painting, to the view of the world out your bedroom window or the stars through a skylight, to an image or video you can watch on a screen. In particular, visuals featuring calming nature scenes signal to our brains that …

Visuals Can Help You Sleep Read more »

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