Sealy beds are specially designed for comfort and support. Their four lines of Posturepedic mattresses are carefully created with reinforced centers to better support your back and keep you from tossing and turning in the night. But no matter how comfortable your bed is, there are always going to be some nights you just can’t get to sleep. Here are some tips for nodding off quickly that are a little more interesting than counting sheep.

Meditation

Meditation can be a great way to unwind after a long day. To get your mind and body ready for rest, try a few relaxing stretches and envision a calming image, like a creek or a big open field. If you’re having trouble clearing your mind of the day’s worries, there are plenty of videos online that can help guide you to your inner Zen.

Read a comic book

Comics aren’t just for kids anymore, and they can be a great way to relax and unwind. There are comic books and graphic novels about just about everything these days, from your traditional superhero comics to autobiographies, so you’re sure to find something that interests you. Just lean into your pillows, get cozy, and read until you feel your eyelids start to droop.

Have a bedtime snack

If you’ve got the munchies and all you can think about is raiding the fridge, there are a few snacks that can help lull you to sleep. A light, herbal tea like chamomile can be great for helping you get to bed, and fruits like kiwis and bananas produce hormones that can promote a more restful night of sleep. Snacks rich in magnesium, like almonds and cashews, are also known for their soporific qualities.

9 Ways to Fall Asleep Faster in Your Sealy Mattress

Play cards

Teach yourself a new game! Solitaire (with real cards, not the one on your computer) is an age-old way to keep boredom at bay. Or if you have a bedmate who also struggles with insomnia, you can try some other card games. Challenge yourself and try to remember the rules to games like Go Fish and Crazy Eights without looking them up.

Tidy up around your bed

When was the last time you cleaned under your bed? If you’re like us, it’s probably been longer than you’d like to admit. If slumber is evading you, try a little tidying up the area around your bed. Who knows what might have gotten lost under your Sealy mattress? Go hunting for loose change or other trinkets that may have disappeared into some dark corner under your bed.

Listen to a podcast or audiobook

Listening to a favourite book or new podcast can be a great way to relax. Everyone loves a bedtime story, and audiobooks let you enjoy your favourite stories without even having to turn your lights on. Podcasts are another fun, free way to wind down at the end of the day, and you’ll usually learn something new while you’re at it.

Write your thoughts in a journal

If your head is too full of your daily worries to focus on counting sheep, you might want to try journaling. Whether you have a nice notebook for the purpose or just a stack of Post-It notes, it can be a relief to get all your thoughts out on paper. Just pick up a pen and let all that stress out of your head!

Make some crafts

I know what you’re thinking, and no, you don’t have to turn your bed into a mess of glitter and glue for this one. There are plenty of crafts that require little to no cleanup that can be relaxing and fun. Teach yourself to knit or make a friendship bracelet (remember those?) with some spare bits of string. Adult colouring books are all the rage these days, and a little colouring session before bed can work wonders.

Go Wikipedia page-hopping

Research shows that screen time can actually keep us awake longer, but if you just can’t resist hopping on your computer, try to avoid anything too stimulating, like watching TV or surfing Facebook. Wikipedia page-hopping is one weird way to scratch the internet itch without getting sucked into the web for hours. Here’s how it works: select the “random article” option near the top left of the Wikipedia homepage, then keep clicking through to other linked articles until you find something interesting. Make it into a game and see how fast you can get to Kevin Bacon!

Angela, Your Sleep Expert