What effective tricks do you use to go to sleep?

 Progressive muscle relaxation.

How to do it:

1. Lie down on your back. Ensure you’re in a comfortable position.
2. Put a pillow under your head and knees to relieve any pressure on your back and align your spine. Keep your palms up, slightly apart from your body.
3. Take a few slow and deep breaths through your nose. Then exhale in a long sighing motion to release the tension.
4. Think about your toes and feet. Then curl your toes. Hold this for a short moment to feel the sensation, then relax and let your feet sink into the bed. Feel them getting heavy then completely relaxed.
5. While taking a deep breath, move your attention to the next body part, such as your calves.
6. Flex them, then feel them relax and sink into the bed. Don’t rush this process.
7. Continue this pattern all the way up your body.

This technique does two important things. First, it attunes your body to the feelings of relaxation. Second, it focuses your mind on something simple and monotonous that gets you away from common stressors that keep us up at night.

When I use this technique, I usually feel the tiredness slowly seeping in, which is often accompanied by these funky pre-sleep dreamy thoughts — sometimes as soon as I get to my chest.

Restart from the beginning after your first round, and repeat this as many times as needed. It’s not very exciting — and that’s the point.

For how many years did Laxman not sleep?

 Lakshman didn't sleep for the entire fourteen years of their exile. He had an agreement with his wife Urmila under which Urmila took his share of sleep so that Lakshman could serve and protect his brother, lord Ram and sister-in-law, mother Sita without getting tired.

Image source - AI generated

Nidra Devi: The Goddess of Sleep and Fatigue

 Have you ever heard of the Hindu goddess Nidra Devi? In ancient Hindu scriptures, Nidra Devi is revered as the deity of sleep. She is believed to be a manifestation of Parvati and is wedded to Kalagnirudra, a form of Rudra, or Shiva.

She is mentioned in the Rig Veda and various other ancient Hindu texts. Described as a loving mother and a bestower of spiritual strength, she possesses beauty akin to that of Goddess Lakshmi and embodies the combined powers of the Tri-Devis—Parvati, Lakshmi, and Saraswati.

Nidra Devi holds great significance for those who struggle with sleeplessness, fatigue, lack of energy, and mental challenges.

In the Ramayana, there's a story where Lakshman, devotedly serving Rama for 14 years, didn't sleep at night. To ensure her husband's well-being, his loving wife Urmila slept in his place for the entire duration, blessed by goddess Nidra Devi herself.