How To Sleep Like a Baby: Give yourself a stimulation “off-ramp”

Hyper-stimulation is a very modern problem, and one that we recognize in kids. From video

s to video games and even the common rapid fire social media interactions, a barrage of sensory inputs can make it hard for them to calm down and get to sleep. 

But the same is just as true for adults. The same sensory overload seen in kids happens just as readily in adults. Much research is being done now to examine the effect of sensory overload — when one or more of the body’s senses experience environmental over-stimulation.

Outcomes of sensory overload can include anxiety, as well as symptoms of physical and mental stress. And all of this is detrimental to getting a good night’s sleep. So, just as with kids, give yourself “an off-ramp”. Analogous to an exit lane that slowly transitions you from one highway to another, give yourself a time period at the end of the day without electronic stimulation to help transition from waking to sleeping.

Your body will respond (over time) by recognizing the pattern. Then, when you start your wind-down at the end of a day, your nervous system will begin to anticipate what is coming, making the transition that much easier.