Everyone is familiar with the frustration of having trouble sleeping at night. When you have a big event the next day, it’s always harder some nights than others.
Knowing how to fall asleep quickly and what changes to make can be challenging because our bodies are unpredictable. We’re here to help, so don’t worry. Here are a few simple strategies to aid in falling asleep more quickly.
Making some changes to your sleep hygiene routine can also decrease your sleep onset latency, which will make you fall asleep more quickly. You might fall asleep faster if you incorporate some relaxation techniques into your bedtime routine.
In the first place, you should never go to bed if you are not at least a little sleepy. Alicia Roth, Ph.D., a sleep expert, at DBSM believes this is the number one most important recommendation for falling asleep faster: You shouldn’t get into bed and then “work” to put yourself to sleep. It will be more challenging and frustrating to fall asleep as a result. Practice going to bed when you’re ready or almost asleep.
1. Breathe With Your Mind
Our autonomic nervous system, which manages heart rate, muscle tension, motivation, and other aspects of relaxation or excitement, is influenced by our breathing patterns. Breathing deeply and slowly can be calming, whereas taking shallow, quick breaths can make you feel anxious.
One technique to try is the 4-7-8 method developed by The procedure is also fairly straightforward, says Dr. Andrew Weil. Here’s how to do it:
- While performing the exercise (both inhaling and exhaling), press the tip of your tongue against the ridge behind your upper teeth.
- Exhale completely via your mouth, making a “whooshing” sound.
- 4: Put your mouth shut and take a four-count deep breath through your nose.
- 7: Take a seven-count breather.
- 8: Exhale slowly out of your mouth to a count of eight, making the “whooshing” sound (pucker your lips if it feels awkward).
In order to get used to the technique, Dr. Weil advises practicing it while sitting upright before attempting it while lying down and repeating the cycle four times at first.
2. Upgrade Your Bedding
Your discomfort in bed may occasionally be preventing you from falling asleep. You could have a mattress that is too small, too old, too firm, or too soft. This also applies to hard sheets, hot blankets, and unsupportive pillows.
Anybody finds a bad sleeping arrangement unpleasant. It can be uncomfortable to sleep at night if your bedding is too warm because it can cause you to sleep hot.
A new, high-quality mattress might be a good option in place of your current one. Your body type and preferred sleeping position are two factors that will determine the best bed for you.
Back, stomach, and plus-sized sleepers all benefit from firm mattresses. The light cushioning of a firm mattress prevents sinking.
A medium mattress works well for combination sleepers and back sleepers if you’re looking for a little more give. Couples who want a mattress that is neither too firm nor too soft should consider this option as well.
For side sleepers, who frequently experience pressure buildup in their hips and shoulders, softer mattresses have additional cushioning. Petite sleepers will also appreciate the additional cushioning provided by a soft mattress because, often, they are too light to feel comfortable on firmer mattresses.
Don’t forget about other bedding when purchasing a new mattress. To make yourself more comfortable and fall asleep more quickly, look for soft, breathable blankets and sheets as well as a supportive pillow.
Read more: How To Choose A Mattress – Mattress Buying Guide
3. Chill Out
Have you ever noticed that working in a cold environment makes you want to take a nap? Cooler temperatures do seem to make us go to sleep faster and for longer periods of time, according to research. Furthermore, nothing feels more idyllic than curling up in a warm blanket in a chilly space.
Because as our circadian rhythms move closer to the sleep phase, our body temperature naturally decreases and remains lower until a few hours before we typically wake up.
Insomniacs have generally higher body temperatures, according to a study from Australia. People who experience sleep onset insomnia (problems falling asleep) have a tendency to stay warm later into the evening, which may contribute to their inability to do so. The good news is that they might be able to return to a regular body temperature rhythm and fall asleep more quickly by advancing their biological clocks and exposing themselves to bright light in the morning.
There is no one-size-fits-all temperature for the perfect sleep, just as some people prefer it warmer or cooler during the day. Try 65 degrees if you’re looking for a magic temperature to fall asleep within five minutes or less. Although it won’t be the only ingredient required, it will be a good place to start.
To speed up this process, even more, take a warm bath about 30 minutes before bed. This will increase the temperature drop and possibly promote deep sleep. Try sleeping naked as clothing can prevent your body from naturally balancing its temperature while you sleep.
4. Sleep On Hi-tech
Although technology and lights can interfere with sleep, they also have advantages for it. You can increase comfort and hasten sleep by using high-tech materials and adaptable beds.
Additionally, you can adjust the leg and upper body angles with adjustable beds. These adjustments can reduce back tension and improve circulation, which can be especially beneficial for people who suffer from conditions like lower back pain or swelling.
A special kind of pillow can still relieve aches and stiffness even if you can’t afford an adjustable bed. A neck pain pillow might, for instance, have a contoured or shredded fill.
A significant difference can be made by raising the upper body if you suffer from acid reflux, which keeps a lot of people awake. For GERD, sleep apnea, and basic snoring, think about using a wedge pillow.
5. Trick Your Brain
Do you ever find that your obstinate mind makes the exact opposite decision when you try to do something? It seems that the principle of paradoxical intention, which is comparable to reverse psychology without deception, might also be helpful for sleep.
In comparison to doing nothing, a Scottish study found that the clinical use of paradoxical intention (i.e., purposefully not attempting to fall asleep while lying in bed) decreased insomniacs’ sleep effort and anxiety. Similarly, a different study discovered that having a high intention to fall asleep actually led to poorer sleep quality.
Tell yourself you’re trying to stay awake for a while instead of thinking about trying to fall asleep. If a quiet, dark bedroom makes your mind race, you can try listening to a podcast or audiobook at a low volume or visualizing soothing activities to distract yourself from the task of falling asleep.
6. Daydream With Purpose
Ruminations or unwanted thoughts can be a significant contributor for many people who have trouble falling asleep. Your mind wanders through the day’s events, embarrassing memories from the past, or tomorrow’s to-do list instead of falling asleep peacefully.
Using visualization or imagery, which is akin to daydreaming, is one way to stop the rumination cycle or get rid of unwanted thoughts before bed. There are a few ways to do this:
Simply picture a peaceful scene in your mind, imagine it in detail, and explore it. The scene can be anywhere—a serene beach, a peaceful forest, or anything else.
A different option is to picture yourself engaging in a repetitive, uplifting activity, like making free throws.
Daydreaming about peaceful scenes can actually help you decompress, despite the fact that it may sound hippy-dippy. Be aware that it’s acceptable for your mind to wander during visualization. Just gently and without condemnation bring your attention back to the scene. Find what works best for you by experimenting with various techniques and audio files. Another useful technique for relieving stress in the middle of the day is visualization.
This enables you to put aside concerns about the past and the future and focus on the here and now, which can occasionally be just what someone needs to relax and fall asleep quickly.
7. Eat Carbs At Night
This advice will require advanced preparation, but one study found that eating carbs four hours before bedtime helped people fall asleep more quickly and sleep more soundly. The study focused on simple carbohydrates, which digest quickly and simply. These include foods like potatoes, white bread, white pasta, and white rice, in addition to sugary foods. It’s interesting to note, however, that a Japanese study only discovered benefits for sleep from rice and not from bread or noodles. Even if you are attempting to reduce your intake of carbohydrates, it might be best for your sleep if you at least eat a serving for dinner.
The key is to keep dinners straightforward and of moderate size so that you won’t later experience indigestion. Planning your evening meals may be beneficial because eating carbs four hours before bedtime was more effective than eating them an hour before. Keeping that in mind, spicy food can also have a negative impact on your ability to sleep quickly.
8. Get On A Sleep Schedule
Your body will struggle with an irregular sleep schedule, and your circadian rhythm will become confused. You can adjust your sleep schedule and eventually improve your ability to fall asleep quickly by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.
To avoid this, try to limit how long your daytime naps are. Long naps cause sleep inertia, a groggy state after sleeping, and delay sleep until later in the day, messing up your schedule.
If you must take a daytime nap, limit it to no more than 30-minute power naps and take them earlier in the day.
9. Try Progressive Muscle Relaxation
In order to relax your body before bed, practice progressive muscle relaxation (PMR), also known as deep muscle relaxation. The idea behind the technique is to briefly tense your muscles before relaxing them. This motion enables you to become aware of any tension in your body and consciously release it.
Here’s how you do it:
1. Breathe slowly as you begin with your eyes closed.
2. Tension your face’s muscles for 10 seconds, then take a deep breath and relax them.
3. After that, ten seconds later, relax your shoulders.
4. From your shoulders, arms, back, stomach, buttocks, thighs, and calves all the way down to your feet, keep tensing and relaxing the muscles in your body.
You’ll notice that as you let go of your tense muscles, they become heavy and relaxed, just as they ought to be to promote sleep.
To avoid straining your muscles while using this technique, be careful not to clench your muscles. Skip that particular body part and carry on if you experience any pain.
10. Put Away the Electronics
To avoid disturbing your sleep, try to keep electronics out of your bedroom.
Your circadian rhythm may be thrown off by the blue light emitted by laptops, smartphones, and TVs, which will prevent you from falling asleep. Although many of us enjoy watching TV before bed or scrolling through social media, even with the darkest “nighttime” settings on our electronic devices, the artificial light from our screens doesn’t simply go away.
If you use your phone as an alarm clock but find that you are too tempted to use it when it is close to your bed, move it across the room. You can keep using your alarm while avoiding temptation in this manner. Additionally, setting an alarm that is too far away from you in the morning requires you to get up in order to turn it off, which wakes you up.
Instead of using electronics right before bed, try reading, completing a crossword puzzle, or finishing your skincare regimen. These are all enjoyable ways to end the evening that are also not overly stimulating.
11. Don’t Look at Your Clock
It’s common to wake up in the middle of the night, but it can occasionally be challenging to go back to sleep, ruining what was once a restful night.
Those of us who awaken at night may be curious (or anxious) and glance at the time to see how much longer we still have to sleep. However, worrying excessively about how much time you have will likely only make you anxious and make it more difficult for you to fall asleep again.
Turn the clock away from you at night or put it somewhere other than next to your bed if you need to use it as an alarm clock since many of us need a clock in our bedrooms.
Conclusion
The secret to falling asleep more quickly is enhancing your sleep hygiene and developing habits that promote better sleep, such as keeping a sleep schedule, sleeping in a comfortable bed, and adhering to a bedtime routine. Furthermore, using breathing exercises and relaxation methods can relax your body and hasten your ability to sleep.