This technique, which is similar to meditation, not only makes it possible to fall asleep faster, but also improves the quality of sleep.
Have you been tossing and turning in your bed for two hours without being able to fall asleep? How about a little walk, but without getting out of the duvet?
Insomnia is a recurrent evil in many people and some have to resort to more or less powerful treatments to remedy it. Especially since it can cause cognitive disorders. However, a very simple technique would make it easier to fall asleep: mental walking.
A walk in the head
It was the Zoe Science And Nutrition podcast that looked at gentle ways to reduce insomnia by reaching out to a sleep specialist named Matthew Walker and a hypnotherapist. Before trying sleeping pills from the pharmaceutical industry, they mentioned the exercise of mental walking.
The goal is simple according to Joanna Shurety: just imagine walking around when you close your eyes before falling asleep.
Joanna Shurety recalls that “When our brain affects sleep, it’s often because we’re tired or stressed. A mind walk is worth doing, as it is similar to mindfulness and meditation. It’s about bringing our brain to a place of safety, calm and relaxation. »
To make this mental walk as successful as possible, you must first imagine the place in which this walk will take place. The best thing is to remember a place that we already know and that brings back pleasant memories.
You must then learn to control your breathing by slowing it down and inhaling and exhaling deeply while closing your eyes. At the same time, you have to project yourself onto the course of the walk that you are doing.
All senses awakened
To make this exercise even more effective, Joanna Shurety insists on a little trick that makes all the difference: focus on the environment that surrounds our mental walk. By imagining the smells, the sensations of the wind or the rain and certain familiar noises, sleep generally comes faster!
The specialist also specifies that if the first attempt is a failure, you should not be discouraged and above all keep the same mental path. Over time, sleep will come more easily and will also be of better quality! It is estimated that between 15 and 20% of the world’s population is affected by insomnia.