Relaxation and sleep

Relaxation and sleep
Relaxing is not the same as sleeping. Many people sleep without being very relaxed, and although relaxing can lead one to yawn or feel sleepy, it need not lead to sleep.
Learning to relax can certainly help you to get to sleep more easily, and then to sleep more restfully. Use the physical relaxation exercises described earlier when you are ready for sleep. Some other suggestions that may help with sleeping are:
· don't use your bed as a place to work during the day
· stop working some while before you want to sleep
· put your work books etc. out of sight of your bed
· develop a routine prior to going to bed
· once in bed, get as comfortable as possible
· yawn! "Artificial" yawns are just as good as the real thing in helping you to slow down your breathing, and at releasing the fluid between your eyelids which will enable them to stay closed all night. Having yawned, keep your eyes gently closed.

Thinking about something stressful while practicing physical relaxation

Thinking about something stressful while practicing physical relaxation
Taking the above approach further: once you are physically relaxed, try imagining yourself in a situation that you feel tense about, and then focus again on relaxing. Alternate your attention between the tense situation and relaxation, until you can remain relaxed while thinking about this situation. In this way you can mentally "rehearse" for a coming stressful event, something you are feeling anxious about such as an exam, an interview, a presentation, before you have to face it in reality.
For example, in order to prepare for a coming examination, first relax physically, then imagine yourself revising for the examination. When you can do this and still remain relaxed, begin to introduce thoughts about the day before the exam whilst practising remaining relaxed. Then think about going to the examination, and eventually imagine yourself doing the examination, all whilst remaining relaxed enough to work well.
N.B. Imagining yourself revising, etc. is not a substitute for actually revising!
Nonetheless, this is a proven approach to improving one's performance: it is similar to the visualization techniques that sports psychologists teach athletes to use as an aid to improving their performance.

Relaxing thoughts

Relaxing thoughts
Although the physical relaxation method described above doesn't aim for deep relaxation, it should nonetheless help you to relax mentally too. It isn't possible to be really relaxed physically while being tense mentally, or vice versa. However, here are some suggestions which may help further with mental relaxation.
Replace stressful thinking with pleasant and relaxing thoughts
One approach is to turn your mind away from stressful thoughts and situations, and instead think about something pleasant. This is a form of "day-dreaming" which you can turn to your advantage.
Imagine somewhere, real or imaginary, that you would like to be and where you can relax and put aside the cares of the world for a little while; gradually begin to imagine the details of this place, the sights, sounds, smells. Imagine yourself "unwinding" and "recharging your batteries". Then gradually return to your current world, but bring the new found feelings of life and energy back with you, so that you can use them in your current circumstances.
It is the last part of this technique - bringing your re-found energy back to apply in the present - which is the important bit. [Merely imagining pleasant places may give some respite from current difficulties, but can too easily become an avoidance of the present circumstances.]

The method of relaxation

The method
For each of the areas of the body described, it is suggested that you tense up and then relax muscle groups. Do each exercise three times. As you get better with time at relaxing these areas, try using less tension before relaxing.
Hands
Hands are commonly one of the first parts of our body to show tension. When they tense up, they tend to either clench up into a fist, or to hold tight onto something, such as the arm of a chair, or to clasp each other.
Instead, try stretching out your hands so that your fingers are straight and spread out. Hold that position for a moment and feel the tension across your palms and the back of your hands. Then let your hands relax and flop beside you, or on your lap. Resist the urge to hold onto something; just let them hang loosely beside you, or let them rest on your lap.
When hands are relaxed, the fingers are gently curved, neither tightly curled nor straight, and are "floppy", not stiff.
Shoulders
When we are tense our shoulders are commonly raised i.e. hunched. Instead, pull your shoulders down; feel the tension under your arms and up your neck. Hold that position for a moment. Then let them relax and return to a natural position (i.e. not hunched ).
Head and neck
The neck muscles can only relax when they don't have to support the weight of your head - i.e. if you are lying comfortably with your head supported in a straight line with your spine, or, if you are standing or sitting, with your head balanced and looking straight ahead - neither angled to one side, nor looking up or down.
Academics and people who work at desks or keyboards tend to spend a lot of time looking down, either reading, typing or writing, or looking through a microscope. So instead, try looking right up, and feel the tension in your neck; then allow your head to return to the straight ahead, balanced position.
Face
There are many muscles in our face - used, of course, for speaking, eating, facial expression... This is one of the areas most likely to show tension. As with other muscle groups, it is possible to tense up and then relax these muscles. However, do not do this if you wear either contact lenses or dentures as they could be damaged. So here is an alternative method, which has the additional advantage of being less obtrusive in company.
Let all expression go from your face: let your forehead become smooth, your jaw sag with your teeth just apart (though your lips may still be closed), your eyes looking straight ahead and into the distance, and not squinting.
It may help you to do this if you think of a word which describes this particular expression - "vacant"; "empty"; "relaxed"; "gormless" are some possibilities! Put this particular expression on your face.
Breathing
When you are tense, your breathing tends to become faster and shallower. So, allow your breathing to come from lower down in your abdomen (this doesn't mean inhaling a lot of air - rather, just a little air, but from low down) and this will help you to slow your breathing down a little (but don't actually hold your breath). Let it become gentle, easy and regular. Once it is comfortable, you may be able to slow your breathing a little more.
[Some people find that thinking about their breathing is counterproductive as it increases anxiety. If you find this applies to you, just omit this section.]

Relaxation and sleep

Relaxation and sleep
Relaxing is not the same as sleeping. Many people sleep without being very relaxed, and although relaxing can lead one to yawn or feel sleepy, it need not lead to sleep.
Learning to relax can certainly help you to get to sleep more easily, and then to sleep more restfully. Use the physical relaxation exercises described earlier when you are ready for sleep. Some other suggestions that may help with sleeping are:
· don't use your bed as a place to work during the day
· stop working some while before you want to sleep
· put your work books etc. out of sight of your bed
· develop a routine prior to going to bed
· once in bed, get as comfortable as possible
· yawn! "Artificial" yawns are just as good as the real thing in helping you to slow down your breathing, and at releasing the fluid between your eyelids which will enable them to stay closed all night. Having yawned, keep your eyes gently closed.