5 years ago, I was first exposed to the song "Weightless," by Marconi Union. My high school teacher played the song during our minute of mindfulness at the start of class. With each student's eyes closed, silent breathing filled the classroom air.
Once the 1 minute timer rang, I looked around to my peers, many of whom were rubbing their eyes and stretching their arms out. Most of us, including me, felt ourselves drifting to sleep with only a short exposure to this song. At that moment, I realized how incredibly useful this song could be, not just for falling asleep, but also for reducing anxiety.
Fast forward 3 years later, I began to feel the burden of a college student's workload. Balancing coursework, exercise, and extracurriculars was manageable, but with the rapid spread of COVID-19 a certain respiratory virus, activites and facilities were forced to close off in-person activity.
This limit of resources eventually took a toll on my physical and mental wellbeing. At night, my head would be pounding and my mind would be racing. I managed a decent amount of sleep for most nights, but quality sleep was a usually out of the picture. It wasn't until I remembered the powerful song from many years prior that things started to turn around.
On the first night of listening to the song, I was so soothed by the sounds that I fell asleep before the end of the song. My mind and body felt so wholly rejuvenated in the morning, and I remember that day as being one of the most productive days I've had for weeks.
Of course, this heavenly effect only lasted for a few days. Even though this sleeping ritual was slowly becoming the norm for me, I felt increased positive energy in all my activities. In addition, I was able to consistently fall asleep within a few minutes, something I could not have imagined weeks before.
Small changes can make a big difference, and this ritual has been a crystal clear example for me. If you are having trouble falling asleep, I encourage you to explore this song. The 8 minute commmitment for each night may be long, but for me, it is always worth every second.
DISCLAIMER: Keep in mind that a relaxed body and slow breathing can help to improve the effectiveness of this method. If you are not seeing results, give it a few days or try a different method; this isn't necessarily effective for everyone.