We all know that a hot, milky¹ drink and a warm bath are supposed to relax you before bed, but many of us still can't slip into slumber².

我们都知道睡前喝一杯热牛奶、洗个热水澡能使人放松，但很多人仍旧无法入睡。

1. Inhale³ through your left nostril⁴

1. 用左边的鼻孔吸气

This yoga method is thought to reduce blood pressure and calm you. Holistic⁵ sleep therapist Peter Smith says: "Lie on your left side, resting a finger on your right nostril to close it. Start slow, deep breathing in the left nostril." Peter, author of Sleep Better With Natural Therapies, says this technique is particularly good when overheating or menopausal hot flushes are preventing sleep.

人们认为这一瑜伽方法可以降低血压、使人镇静。整体睡眠治疗师皮特·史密斯说道："左侧侧身躺着睡觉，用手指按住右边的鼻孔。开始用左边的鼻孔慢慢的深呼吸。"皮特是Sleep Better With Natural Therapies一书的作者，他说当过热或更年期潮热让你无法入睡时，这一方法尤为有效。

2. Squeeze and relax

2. 按压和放松

Relaxing all your muscles can prepare your body for sleep. Anxiety expert Charles Linden says: "Lying on your back, take a deep, slow breath in through your nose and, at the same time, squeeze your toes tightly as if you are trying to curl them under your foot, then release slowly."

给肌肉放松可以让身体做好睡觉的准备。焦虑专家查尔斯·林登说道："躺着用鼻子慢慢的深吸一口气，同时用力按压你的脚趾，就好像你在用力蜷曲你的脚趾，然后慢慢松开。"

The author of Stress Free in 30 Days adds: "On another slow breath, curl your foot up toward your knee, then release. Breathe again, contract your calf⁶ muscles, then your thighs⁷, buttocks, belly, chest, arms, and so on until you have moved all the way up your body, squeezing and releasing the muscles one by one."

Stress Free in 30 Days一书的作者补充道："再一次深呼吸后，将你的脚向膝盖方向蜷曲，然后松开。再一次呼吸，收缩你的小腿肌肉、然后大腿、臀部、腹部、胸部、手臂等等，沿着身体一直向上收缩，一一挤压、释放身体部位的肌肉。"

When you have gone from head to toe, your breathing should be steady and you should feel ready for sleep.

当你从头到脚按压时，应该呼吸平稳，按完之后会有想睡觉的感觉。

3. Try to stay awake

3. 试图保持清醒

Challenge yourself to stay awake - your mind will rebel! It's called the sleep paradox⁸, says psychotherapist Julie Hirst (worklifebalancecentre.org). She explains: "Keep your eyes wide open, repeat to yourself 'I will not sleep'. The brain doesn't process negatives well, so interprets this as an instruction to sleep and eye muscles tire quickly as sleep creeps up."

挑战自己保持清醒--你的大脑会产生逆反心理！这就叫做睡眠悖论，心理治疗师朱莉·赫斯特（worklifebalancecentre.org）说道。她解释道："眼睛睁的大大的，不断的告诉自己'我不要睡'。大脑不会很好的处理消极情绪，所以会将其解读为睡眠指示，随着瞌睡虫的到来，眼部肌肉会迅速疲劳。"

4. Just imagine

4. 想象

Visualisation meditation⁹ works best when you use at least three senses. Sammy explains: "Imagine yourself in a situation where you feel content - a tropical paradise, sailing on calm waters, walking in flower fields."

当你至少使用三种感官时，视化冥想的效果最好。萨米解释道："想象自己身处一处心满意足的地方--一个热带天堂、在平静的水面上航行、在花田间漫步。"