Sleep disorders are a common problem these days, with 1 in 3 people in America having trouble getting appropriate amounts of sleep on a regular basis. This report was published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Sleep deprivation can cause several health problems such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive difficulties.
Everyone enjoys hitting the snooze button in the morning but have a tough time falling asleep at night. The problem lies in the ambience around you. Sometimes, your surroundings may not be conducive to a peaceful environment that promotes sleep. You can help your sense of peacefulness and relaxation by adding sounds of nature to your bedroom ambience.
Research shows that sounds of nature help people relax by increasing the response of the parasympathetic system which promotes relaxation. Simple sounds of waves, a trickling stream, a gentle soothing melody, or even simple white noise can help you drift off to sleep.
Make sure not to choose catchy songs or anything you love to sing along with since this can be counterproductive and keep you awake longer! Any sounds that you choose ought to be mellow, repetitive, and soothing enough for the brain to identify it but not get caught up on it. Instrumental music can be more helpful than songs with lyrics. Classical music tends to be more soothing than rock music.
If you have trouble coming up with sounds on your own, you can rely on helpful videos on Youtube that provide soothing nature sounds and even relaxation techniques. If you own a smartphone you can even have your phone play you soothing sounds by downloading applications such as Sleep Sounds or RelaxMelodies that can play soothing sounds for you to drift off to. Find a couple of tunes and sounds that are helpful to you and you will find that you are able to fall asleep in no time. Sweet dreams!