Think of something you associate with a relaxing sight, sound, smell, taste, and feeling against your skin. (examples that may work for you: calm waves crashing at beach, children playing in the distance and laughing, the smell of love, the taste of ocean air, and the light, warm breeze against your skin.

Choose a sense (smell or sound works well) and associate it with ‘rest and digest’. Anytime you let go, train your senses with this smell or sound. (example: a perfume you might not use a lot that you can associate with sleep or soft music, maybe instrumentals only, so it’s distinct from everyday music)

Nothing quite like a warm bath, then laying in it until the water starts to cool, and then listening to it drain slowly as you prepare for a shower. I think bath/showers are the best, because you soak, feel amazing, and then rinse yourself off before heading back to bed.

Especially a non-caffeinated, herbal tea. I particularly like any calming tea, as well as chamomile tea. I tend to stay away from strong flavors, as that wakes up my palette and often results in me wanting a snack, or something else that may delay me getting back to bed.

Start with your fingers and toes. Squeeze them for 5 seconds, now extend them for 5 seconds, alternating opposite muscle groups. Now move to your hands (or feet) and make a fist while bending your wrist, then extend your fingers and wrist all the way up. Then, bend your elbows (or knees) and repeat by stretching them out. Continue up your body and then to the other side (if you start with upper, go to lower and vice versa). Repeat for 5 minutes.

Laying on your back with your feet flat and knees bent, gently sway your knees back and forth. Start with 1 inch in each direction and build towards full range of motion by only increasing 1 inch in each direction per minute. Feel your low back/spine rotate as you do this. Sometimes, it helps to squeeze a pillow between your knees as you do this exercise. (great for low back, too)

Write down a list of everything you ‘want’ to think about again tomorrow.

Like a super fuzzy blanket.

With diaphragmatic holds and focus on slow exhale. Breathe in (with dominant hand on diaphragm) for 2 seconds, hold for 1 second, and breathe out — like breathing through a thin coffee straw — for 4 seconds. 2, 1, 4. Repeat for sets of 15 breaths.

If you wrap yourself, comfortably and snuggly, in a blanket, so it’s pulling lightly on many areas of your body at once, this works like swaddling for a baby and creates relaxation.