3 Tips To Fall Asleep When You're Stressed, From A Psychiatrist & Neuroscientist

Experiencing stress is inevitable, but it doesn't have to mess with your shut-eye. On this episode of the mindbodygreen podcast, Rabin offers his three fail-safe hacks to secure a good night's rest, even when you're feeling stressed:

By breathing consciously in this way, you can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which takes you out of a "fight-or-flight" response and into a "rest-and-digest" mindset. "Your body starts to wind down, and you're starting to tell your body, 'Hey, you're safe. You're safe enough to pay attention to this breath. That means you're safe enough to fall asleep,'" says Rabin. 

That's exactly what led him to create Apollo Neuro, a science-backed touch therapy device that has been clinically shown to increase HRV and cognitive performance and even provide easier access to meditation. "We realized that there are ways to potentially replicate the benefits of soothing touch and deep breathing on the go by figuring out what the touch receptors in our skin like to feel when we feel safe and sending it to them with vibration," he adds. "[It's] almost like a song for your skin that the body feels and sends to the brain."

"You basically reach out with your fingers and toes as far as you can, like a reaching stretch while you're lying down in bed," explains Rabin. "Stretch for five seconds as you breathe in and relax; then you breathe out and repeat that cycle going all the way up your body, just drawing your awareness away from your thoughts about earlier that day, things you need to do the next day, or wherever else your mind could go." It draws your attention back to your body, and it has been shown to help people fall asleep longer and have a more well-rested brain profile during sleep.

If you're feeling too stressed to sleep, try Rabin's hacks to help your eyes grow heavy (feel free to pair 'em with a science-backed sleep supplement if you need some extra help). Just try not to worry too much if they don't work right away: "If you haven't learned how to do these techniques, starting to do them can be tricky. It could take time," he notes. "They can work fairly quickly, but it can take a little bit of time—sometimes a couple of days—to get the hang of it." As with most well-being practices, consistency is key.

We hope you enjoy this episode sponsored by Apollo Neuro! And don't forget to subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Amazon Music!