Sleep · Skills
Hyperarousal Pre–Wind-Down
Drop arousal first
If your body is buzzing at bedtime, no wind-down will work until you drop arousal first. This sheet is a 10-minute pre-wind-down for a wired body.
Pick two of these — 10 minutes total
- Extended exhale breathing (4-in, 8-out) — 3 minutes
- Warm bath or shower ending cool
- Progressive muscle relaxation — 5 minutes
- Legs up the wall — 5 minutes
- Vagal humming — 2 minutes
- 5-minute walk in low light
What worked to drop arousal below sleep threshold
Sleep can't push through activation
No amount of routine works while the body is in fight/flight. Drop arousal first; sleep arrives on its own.