Tips to relax before going to bed

Try to:

• Read a book or listen to the radio before bedtime. It can help to distract and relax the mind.
• Do relaxation exercises, such as light stretches, to help you relax your muscles.
• Listen to special relaxation music, which use a carefully narrated script and gentle music and sound effects to relax you. There are plenty of mindfulness and meditation apps designed specifically for this purpose.
• Take a warm bath.

Avoid:

• Intense physical exercise two hours before bedtime.
• Anything that may make you alert or preoccupied with thoughts before bedtime.
• Thinking about things that upset you before going to bed. If you find yourself tense, alert, or irritable, do something that is calming or mentally relaxing in the 5 to 20 minutes before you go to sleep.