You start realizing the importance of sleep when it is lacking.
The capacity to concentrate starts to drop.
Muscle weakness adds to the problem, and you feel overly tired.
Then you go to bed and can’t achieve a good night’s sleep, even if you feel tired.
The longer you wait for sleep to come, the more anxious you feel.
How to fall asleep fast in such cases?
Falling asleep faster is not a skill you obtain through hard work.
Actually, trying too hard can be counterproductive.
Instead, it’s about adopting sleep hygiene recommendations and trying a few sleeping tips.
In this article, we will share with you a few techniques on how to sleep.
They include eleven recommendations to improve your bedtime habits and some interventions you can try when you’re going to sleep.
How long should it take to fall asleep?
Sleep onset latency is the medical term describing the time it takes to fall asleep. The Encyclopedia of Sleep and the Sleep Foundation says the average time is 10 or 20 minutes.
In other words, after turning out the lights, most people would fall asleep in 10 or 20 minutes, assuming they are tired or sleepy (1).
The average time doesn’t mean that all people trying to fall asleep achieve their goal in 20 minutes. You could take longer in case of bedtime worry or a very short period, depending on various factors.
A normal sleep pattern does not depend on sleep onset latency. That’s only one factor to take into consideration.
More importantly, a healthy sleeping pattern depends on the hormone melatonin and your circadian rhythm.
This hormone is released in response to darkness and stops being released during sunlight. It is known as the sleep hormone because it helps you fall asleep faster.
11 ways to fall asleep fast at night
The most important tricks for falling asleep are basically lifestyle recommendations. Get yourself comfortable to sleep, use different tricks to relax, and don’t try too hard. That’s how to fall asleep faster.
But let us get into detail with eleven ways and life changes to tackle your sleep issues:
1) Use body temperature to your advantage
It is probably no surprise that core temperature changes when you sleep. You have probably noticed that it tends to cool down when you start to fall asleep. Then, body temperature rises, which becomes noticeable when you wake up.
These temperature changes are essential to falling asleep. If the room is warm, the body takes longer to reach a lower temperature. Then, your brain can take longer to fall asleep.
Setting up the thermostat to 60 to 67ºF can give your body a push in the right direction.
Bathing or showering with warm water is also a good idea. After warming up, the body starts to cool down and sends the same signal to your brain (2).
2) Try some breathing exercises
Meditation and breathing can have a tranquilizer effect. These mindfulness techniques can promote relaxation and calm if your problem is related to stress and anxiety. It is also an excellent method to unwind before going to bed.
For example, we have the 4-7-8 breathing exercise method. It consists of exhaling all the air in your lungs, then inhaling through the nose while counting to four. Holding breath while counting to seven. Finally, exhale while counting to eight. You can continue doing so for a while, at least three times.
Mindfulness tools such as yoga and meditation are also helpful, especially if you need to relax and calm your mind. Studies show that yoga improves sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and sleep quality (3,4).
3) Establish a bedtime routine
A bedtime routine or ritual before bed is more important than you think. You can do many things at this time.
The idea is to give your mind a trigger to wind down and relax. Include as many elements as you can in your bedtime routine.
For example, dimming the lights, meditation, listening to soothing music, stretching gently, getting a warm bath, or drinking warm milk.
It is also a good idea to sleep and wake up at roughly the same hour. This helps your body adapt to your internal clock’s circadian rhythm. In time, you will start feeling sleepy around the same hour.
If you want to speed up the process, ensure you receive enough sunlight when you wake up and experience complete darkness when you go to sleep (5).
4) Keep the mobile and the clock away
Scrolling on your mobile or watching a screen are common practices at night, but not good ones.
They contribute to insomnia and delay your sleep onset latency. Your brain gets confused with the light and stops releasing melatonin. So, the advice is to keep your phone away one hour or two before bed.
It is also a good idea to keep your clock away or avoid looking at it. Many people get obsessed with the idea of not being able to sleep. They repeatedly look at the clock, which worsens their anxiety (6).
5) Avoid napping
Not sleeping at night makes you feel sleepy throughout the day. You engage in daytime napping and do not feel sleepy at night.
It’s a cycle you want to break. Daytime napping is not by itself harmful, but it is not recommended when you have insomnia.
If you take a nap, make sure it is not longer than 30 minutes. According to studies, people with sleep problems take very long naps of two hours or more (7).
6) Get comfortable
You might have problems sleeping if you don’t feel comfortable. Check your mattress and buy memory foam pillows.
Look for different ways to feel comfy. The clothes you’re wearing are also important. Make sure the fabric is soft and comfortable, too.
Your bedding, pajamas, and blankets should help you maintain a pleasant temperature. Thus, your selection depends on the weather and room temperature (8).
7) Use aromatherapy
Focusing on your breathing can help, as mentioned above. But breathing and relaxation techniques can be even more potent with aromatherapy.
There are plenty of scents, and the most effective come from essential oils placed in a diffuser or directly applied to the skin.
Lavender is one of the most commonly used, but you can also try peppermint and oil blends with orange or lemon.
Different scents have been found to improve sleep quality, according to studies (9).
8) Read something or write before bedtime
Another good idea to include in your bedtime routine is journaling or reading something.
The idea of reading before going to sleep can be really effective for some people. Others might become too excited about the book they’re reading. As long as it is soothing and does not involve electronics, reading is a good tool.
On the other hand, journaling helps you relieve stress and anxiety. It helps if you constantly have intrusive thoughts before bed. The practice may take time to become established, but it is worth it.
After journaling, college students in a research study improved sleep quality, sleep time, and perceived worry and stress (10).
9) Learn what to eat and drink
We all know caffeine makes you stay awake, and coffee before bedtime is not a good idea. But some foods and drinks may also have caffeine, such as soda and chocolate. Others have a diuretic effect. They make you wake up repeatedly to use the bathroom, interrupting your sleep.
Try to have a light dinner, instead. Try soothing drinks such as chamomile, magnolia, or passionflower tea.
10) Exercise during the day
Exercise can be a fall asleep technique if you do it during the day. A sedentary lifestyle can worsen your insomnia.
On the contrary, exercise reduces cortisol levels and helps you deal with stress. It also makes you feel more sleepy at the end of the day.
It’s a fact that people who engage in moderate-intensity exercise have better sleep. And if you’re asking for the best timing for training, the best moment is usually in the morning (11).
11) Try a natural sleep supplement
Our dietary melatonin supplement, Deep Sleep, contains ingredients clinically proven to help you fall asleep faster, normalize your sleep cycle, ensure restorative and adequate sleep, and help resolve sleep disorders – without any drowsiness or side effects.
If you want to achieve better quality sleep or restore a normal sleep pattern, Deep Sleep can help you achieve longer-lasting REM sleep. So, by achieving a good night’s sleep and combatting sleep deficiency, you will wake up feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, and energized every day.
How do you fall asleep in 10 seconds?
People who want to know how to fall asleep instantly probably have terrible insomnia problems. But even sleep pills and the best relaxation technique won’t make you instantly asleep.
Then, how to fall asleep in 10 seconds? Preparing your body and mind to get asleep fast.
This is how to prepare, and it is known as the military method:
- It starts by relaxing your face and mouth muscles. Release the tension on your shoulders and hands.
- Breathe and relax your chest, then go down to your lower limbs.
- Use your imagination to create a relaxing scene and hold it for 10 seconds.
- If you’re still awake, repeat the words “don’t think” for ten more seconds.
- Repeat this method if necessary until you find that perfect 10-second spot.
How do you fall asleep in 60 seconds?
Another fast sleeping tip to release body stress involves a mindfulness meditation technique called progressive muscle relaxation. This is one of the easier ways to fall asleep.
- Tighten your forehead by raising your eyebrows very high. Relax and feel the tension go away.
- Tighten your face muscles by smiling forcefully. Relax and feel the tension go away
- Do the same with your eyelids and neck muscles, and go down to the chest, abdomen, thighs, and feet.
- As you do, maintain the muscle relaxation and let yourself go if you don’t finish with the rest of the body.
How do you fall asleep in 2 minutes?
If you need help falling asleep, you can try hitting some acupressure points. While you’re at it, use white noise and tell yourself to stay awake.
There’s something called paradoxical intention. In other words, one of the fastest ways to fall asleep is wanting to stay awake.
So, visualize a calm place, try to stay awake, and use white noise as a background. After one or two minutes, you might start feeling a difference.
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How do you fall asleep in 5 minutes?
If you go to sleep feeling very tired, you won’t need any other sleeping technique to fall asleep in 5 minutes. Still, a 5-minute goal is more doable, and you won’t feel sleep pressure.
Here’s our recommendation:
- Master the techniques laid down above individually.
- Once you understand them, put them to practice in order, one after another.
- Start all over again if you’re still awake after the last one.
All these techniques are more likely to work out if you have already put into practice the 11 best ways to fall asleep easier, as described above. They tackle your central nervous system while you’re doing your part.
Conclusion
In this article, we have described how to make yourself sleep using eleven simple methods. They are mostly sleep hygiene recommendations such as establishing a schedule, keeping the mobile away, and keeping a comfortable room temperature.
Adopting all eleven recommendations helps with sleep, especially if you also adopt a few techniques.
With these easy ways to fall asleep, you probably won’t need any medicine. But don’t hesitate to talk to a doctor if the problem persists and starts affecting your daytime performance.
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Find out about Our Melatonin Supplement: Deep Sleep.
