WE'D do anything for a good night's sleep and we're probably not alone.
So you can imagine our excitement when we learned of some bonkers yet super effective sleep hacks that'll have you dozing off in seconds.
In fact, thanks to these tips by Phil Lawlor a sleep expert at Dormeo, there's absolutely no reason for you to lay awake at night, desperate for some shut-eye.
And while they may seem a little left-field at first, you'll soon be left wondering how you didn't know of these hacks sooner.
Rub behind your ear
To do this, start by finding the ‘Anmian point’ which is the bony area behind your ear.
"Simply rub the small area gently in circular motions 100-200 times which will help relax your nervous system," the sleep pro explains.
Phil reckons this is a great way to treat insomnia, so if you're struggling to get some shut-eye, perhaps give it a whirl.
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Curl your toes
You might have had one too many toe-curling moments in your life, but this one, we promise, is one you'll be gushing over.
"Curl your toes then hold for a few seconds, then uncurl every 20-30 seconds," explains Phil.
"Repeat this movement to help relax your mind and body."
Phile says this has been proven to relax muscles in the body and release tension.
This technique focuses your attention on a single part of your body and makes it easier for your other muscles to relax.
Rub your belly
If your toes and ears are letting you down, perhaps consider rubbing your belly instead.
This can help relax your stomach muscles, according to Phil,and promote relaxation.
To do it, he says: "Starting at the navel, rub your belly in bigger and bigger circles clockwise and then smaller counter-clockwise and repeat."
And soon enough you might feel your eyelids close shut.
Drink some cherry juice
What you eat or drink before bed makes a huge difference in how you sleep.
And if you are looking for a treat at night, why not sip on cherry juice.
Phil says it's rich in melatonin,a hormone that helps induce sleep, and in some studies, it's helped adults with insomnia.
Challenge yourself to stay awake
Who would have thought that the secret to falling asleep faster is forcing yourself to stay awake?
This is called paradoxical intention, explains Phil, and it's a technique often used to treat insomnia.
He says: "The technique encourages people to try and stay awake longer. This is a form of challenging your normal mentality and sleep thought process to reduce the pressure and anxiety that you have about falling asleep.
"Often when we have anxiety about something we overthink the issue, and this can exacerbate the problem and in turn, form more anxiety.
"If you can change your mindset from focusing on falling asleep you will find that sleep will occur more naturally."
Chronologically retrace your day’s activities
Another way to nod off sooner is to think about what you did that day – but in chronological order.
"Sometimes that mental effort of remembering makes you sleepy," Phil explains.
Start with what you did in the morning and work your way through the entire day.
Listen to white noise
You've probably heard of this technique working on babies, but, it seems, the method works on adults too.
Phil says: "Listening to white noise can help block out thoughts that might make you anxious and keep you awake. This also can mask loud sounds that stimulate your brain."
There are plenty of apps you can download that provide white noise meaning you can fall asleep with ease.
Programme your mind with a sleep ritual
Ok, so the method itself sounds pretty straight forward but the idea is to have an activity or ritual you do only when you're ready to go to sleep.
An example of this might be rubbing your nose for 10 seconds every night, or something else entirely – nothing is off-limits and nothing is too whacky.
Whatever it is, this will help program your mind/body to fall asleep.
For more sleep tips and tricks, check out this mind-blowing hack which is putting people to sleep in seconds & even experts agree it works.
Plus, sleep expert reveals how to get the best night’s sleep ever – and why you should NEVER keep your phone in the bedroom.
And this woman shows a clever trick to guarantee a good night’s sleep – and all you need is a PEN.
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