Relaxation and Breathing Techniques
Most insomniacs benefit from relaxation techniques. They will help if you are tense. However, if you are truly laid back, relaxed and not tense, these techniques may not improve your sleep. Try them and see if they will work for you.
Tension
There are 3 primary types of tension that are commonly associated with insomnia:
- Psychological tension - characterized by anxiety and worry;
- Muscular tension - shows in your body; and
- Sympathetic Arousal - is when your body produces more adrenaline than usual.
Usually insomniacs experience more than one of these tensions. In many cases, the whole person seems to be going at higher speed with increased muscle tension and metabolism during the day and night.
Sometimes tension is caused by the content of what you are thinking, and sometimes it is how you think. You may think about things in relaxed way, or you may think about things in a way that your body and/or mind are tensed.