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How to Put Someone to Sleep

Aishwarya Nirmal
Sleeping is one of the most important metabolic activities that makes one feel refreshed after a tiring day.
There are a few things you can do to relax your mind and fall asleep like meditation, drinking herbal tea, hypnosis or even acupressure.
Sleep is a process in which the body and brain do not perform any voluntary strenuous activities.
This is the reason why they (i.e. the body and mind) feel fresh and rejuvenated after a complete sleep. The normal sleep duration of an adult person is around 7-8 hours.
Babies and old people sleep more as their bodies and minds need frequent rest. It is usually believed that a person sleeps soundly when he is very tired.
Sometimes, people develop some sleep disorders due to which they are unable to sleep.
There are many factors that can be responsible for such disorders. Insomnia is one such sleep disorder wherein a person cannot fall asleep or is unable to experience complete, normal sleep.
A continuously changing lifestyle, stress, tension, mental illness, etc., are largely responsible for insomnia.
In such a situation, there are some methods suggested that will help you get a normal sleep.

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Relaxing Before Falling Asleep
Constant stress makes it difficult for adults to fall asleep easily.
The numerous disturbing thoughts that are revolving in their head make it difficult for them to relax and fall asleep.
When you get into bed, think about a happy incident that occurred in your life. Thinking of your favorite place or a movie that you enjoy the most, can also do the trick.

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Replay the story in your head, rather, let the movie unfold on its own. This is an effective way of relaxing your mind and falling asleep.
You may have observed that kids fall asleep the moment they go to bed.
That is because they are tired to the core due to their busy schedule in which physical activities like playing, jumping around, learning new things, etc., play a major role.
This exhausts their body as well as their mind. Also, small children do not have any of the tensions that adults face.

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So, they sleep peacefully and are relaxed throughout their sleep. This helps them to start their day with refreshed spirits.
Hypnosis for Inducing Sleep
Hypnosis is a process in which a physical or mental state is attained after following certain instructions given to the mind by the person himself or by someone else.

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Hypnotherapy is a treatment that uses hypnosis to overcome insomnia. Self-hypnosis can be done by people affected by insomnia to get sound and relaxed sleep.

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In hypnotherapy, the person is supposed to ease the tension in the various parts of his body, step by step, by performing a few light exercises such as rotating the legs, wrists, pelvis, neck, each part one by one for a few minutes.
Perform a few breathing exercises or meditation for 5-10 minutes. Loosen up your body and mind well enough, and climb into bed.

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If needed, play a CD of soothing music to calm your senses. There are also many meditation techniques available which can relax the body.
Acupressure Points for Inducing Sleep
The most common and safe points for acupressure are on the inner side of the wrist (The central depression or in the depression below the little finger), and one just below the inner ankle.
Apply low to medium pressure at these points till you feel a little relaxed.
Another pressure point is behind the head, at the base of your skull, where you can place both the thumbs and apply pressure (be careful not to hurt the spine). This will help relieve the tensions from your neck, back, and shoulders.
Using Pharmaceuticals for Instant Sleep.
There are drugs and medications that can knock you off instantly; however, there is no guarantee that these medicines will provide you with relaxed sleep.

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It may happen that taking these medicines does not make you feel refreshed when you wake up. Also, these medicines may have serious side effects.
Putting someone to sleep is a gradual process which needs a lot of patience. Practice will make it perfect with time.
Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.