Insomnia is a problem familiar to millions around the world. Even if they feel exhausted throughout the day, when it's time for bed they just can't go to sleep. They lie down and are immediately assaulted by a ceaseless stream of fleeting thoughts and sleep becomes a distant dream.
If you too have a similar problem, perhaps you're thinking that desperate times call for desperate measures. And no, don't resort to sleep aids that may or may not work. A new study shows that a few small changes in lifestyle can significantly better our ability to fall asleep.
The technique for sleep preparation was developed by scientists at the University of Western Australia in the city of Perth. They have been applying it successfully for several months to players from the local women's basketball team.
The experts have found that turning off all electronic devices an hour before bed, a warm relaxing beverage and meditation, as well as sleeping in a cool area are vitally important for achieving better quality sleep.
Application of the technique began during the 2015/2016 basketball season. Thanks to the positive results from their study, the scientists reached the conclusion that changing our routine in the period before bed enables us to overcome insomnia.
They add that their discovery can be applied to handle problems from all aspects of life. They are convinced that the routine of everyday life is slowly but surely killing us. To be healthier and more relaxed, we need to avoid the traps we set for ourselves.
All 52 players from the women's team took part in the study. Half of them were observed without being told to change their daily habits before bed in any way.
But the rest had to turn off all electronic devices, meditate and sleep in cooler areas every night. They were also made to do things they wouldn't normally do, such as play chess at 11 pm at night. The results indicated that the second group had a much healthier and more relaxed sleep.