How many of us have struggled to get a good night’s sleep? Whether it’s due to stress, external factors like your home environment or a specific noise that keeps you awake, or just the natural weariness of getting older, getting a good night’s sleep is something most of us will experience less of as we get older. However, research is showing that there are ways to help improve our sleeping patterns no matter what age we are and how much external factors affect our sleep. As it turns out, there might be more to sleep than just lying still in bed. Even though there are plenty of theories about why we go to bed at certain times and what helps us fall asleep, very few have been proven. Researchers believe that the quality of our sleep is dependent on several different factors; such as when we go to bed and what activities happen before bedtime such as reading or television watching. One thing they do appear sure about however is the fact that the typical method of going to sleep known as consolidated sleep isn’t ideal for everyone. The 4-7-8 method could potentially help you if you find yourself struggling with insomnia and not able to fall asleep at night.
What is the 4-7-8 Method?
The 4-7-8 method is a sleep schedule that is different to what we are generally used to. Rather than going to bed normally and waking up at the same time each day, you’re trying to disrupt the circadian rhythm of your body so that you don’t feel so sleepy during the day. The circadian rhythm is our internal biological clock that regulates a variety of physiological functions such as sleep, wakefulness, and metabolism. As soon as the sun sets, our bodies get a signal to fall asleep so that we wake up refreshed in the morning. The main advantage of the 4-7-8 method is that it could help you fall asleep quicker, which means you’re less likely to wake up in the middle of the night. If you’re finding that you wake up every night and struggle to get back to sleep, this may be the perfect schedule for you.
How The 4-7-8 Method Could Help You Sleep
This method is unique in the sense that you’re trying to disrupt your circadian rhythm so that you don’t feel so sleepy during the day. You’re also trying to keep your hours of sleep as close to normal as possible. If you suffer with insomnia and find that you struggle to fall asleep at night, then this could be the perfect sleep schedule for you. Your body will be forced to stay awake longer during the day and be more alert, which should help you stay alert and avoid waking up in the middle of the night.
Benefits of Consolidated Sleep
The main benefit of using the 4-7-8 method is that it could help you fall asleep quicker. If you’re struggling to get to sleep at night, then this could be the perfect method for you. You’re less likely to wake up during the night if you’re sleeping when your body is alert, which should help you avoid waking up. The other benefit of using the 4-7-8 method is that it’s likely to help you stay asleep a little bit longer. If you’re struggling to stay asleep, then this could be the perfect method for you. You’ll be more likely to stay asleep and wake up feeling refreshed in the morning.
How to use the 4-7-8 method to help you sleep
Step 1: Set Your Bedtime. Before you even think about trying the 4-7-8 method, you need to set your bedtime. If you struggle to fall asleep, you’ll constantly be searching for something to help you. Setting a bedtime before you’ve searched for a solution to your insomnia should help you get a better idea of how much effort you need to put in.
Step 2: Fidget Sparingly. We’ve all been told that we should try to avoid fidgeting when trying to fall asleep, but we forget all of the time. Try to avoid having things on your desk or in your room that could be distracting you. If there’s a noise that keeps you up at night, try to avoid keeping the TV on or an external source that could be distracting you.
Step 3: Have a Relaxing Activity Before Bed. The 4-7-8 method involves you having a relaxing activity to help you fall asleep; however, what you do before you go to bed is just as important. Try to avoid drinking caffeinated drinks or consuming sugary snacks as these are likely to keep you awake. Try to avoid consuming any foods that could provide too much energy and keep you awake.
Step 4: Turn Off Your Electronics. This may seem like common sense, but it’s something that many people forget when trying to fall asleep. Try to keep electronics off at night, whether it’s your phone or computer. If you need to keep something nearby that is distracting you, try to keep it as far away from you as possible.
Other ways to help you fall asleep more easily
If you find that you struggle to fall asleep at night, try to avoid drinking alcohol as it is a stimulant and could keep you up at night. You could also try avoiding eating too much before bed as this could cause you to become too full and uncomfortable which could distract you from falling asleep. If you find that you have trouble staying asleep, you could try keeping a journal and writing down your thoughts before bed. This could help you reduce your anxiety while you fall asleep. If you find that you aren’t falling asleep until an hour or two before you need to be up, try to keep a regular sleep schedule. This will help you to better regulate your sleep and keep yourself on a set schedule.
Should You Use The 4-7-8 Method?
Overall, the 4-7-8 method could help you fall asleep quicker and stay asleep for longer, but it isn’t proven to work for everyone. This is because the method requires you to stay awake for a longer period of time, which could be difficult for some people to do. If you find that you’re struggling to fall asleep at night and you’re not sure if it’s because of external factors or your sleep schedule, you could try the 4-7-8 method. It’s better to find out what’s causing you to wake up than to struggle in silence.
Conclusion
No matter what age you are, there are ways to improve the quality of your sleep and be more relaxed while you’re sleeping. The 4-7-8 method is one such way, and it could help you if you’re struggling to fall asleep at night or stay asleep for longer periods of time. The 4-7-8 method is a sleep schedule that is different to what we are generally used to, so it could help you if you’re struggling with the typical method and you want to find out what could help you fall asleep quicker.
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