Tension is one of the biggest reasons why people suffer from insomnia. There are many ways to get rid of this stress, some of them simple and some of them complex. Tai chi, yoga and meditation are among the more famous and effective methods, but can be difficult for most Westerners to pick up. Fortunately, if your aim is just to get rid of enough tension so that you can get to sleep more easily, doing the simple “corpse posture” from yoga while lying down on top of your memory foam topper is both effective and simple.
How do you do it? Basically, you just lie down flat on your back with your arms limply by your side. After that, you have several choices of what to do:
- Follow your in-breath and out-breath, silently thinking “in” and “out” respectively.
- Follow your in-breath and out-breath, silently counting “1″ on the first in-breath, “2″ on the first out-breath, “3″ on the next in-breath, “4″ on the next out-breath, … until you reach “10″ on an out-breath, then you repeat from “1″.
- Count sheep (very old-fashioned, but it still works).
- Silently say a simple prayer, if you are of the religious bent. However, keep it short – no more than one sentence.
- Silently repeat an affirmation.
- Imagine your favorite tranquil, peaceful scene, e.g. lounging under a large umbrella on a private beach, sipping a tequila.
How does it work? When you lie down flat, you will automatically start to release the tension locked inside your muscles. Because a memory foam pad is just so comfortable, this relaxation happens even faster than on most normal mattresses. Why all the extra steps (e.g. the breath counting or visualization), then? Because they keep your mind occupied and away from your worries.
However, do keep in mind that these steps only work if your physical body is actually tired. If you are only suffering from mental exhaustion and NOT physical exhaustion, the “corpse posture” will only help you to release the tension but will not put you to sleep.