100+ Ways To Fall Asleep
Updated
January 9, 2024
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Updated
January 9, 2024
Are you struggling to fall asleep at night? This condition is called sleeping difficulty. While it is hardly a medical condition, sleep difficulty may affect your mental and physical health as well as trouble concentrating and recurrent headaches.
Ideally, you must have at least eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night to feel refreshed and rested the following day.
Symptoms of sleeping difficulty may be frequent headaches, difficulty concentrating during the day, irritability, waking up early than usual, daytime fatigue, waking up several times during the night, or taking longer than expected to fall asleep.
A good night of sleep can have tremendous benefits in our health. Mentally, it can boost our concentration levels and improve memory while physically, it can reduce inflammation, help us live longer, and allow us to have a healthy weight.
If for whatever reasons, you struggle to fall asleep, don’t worry. Today I am going to share with you 100 easy ways to fall asleep within seconds of jumping into bed.
Our autonomic nervous system regulates the heart rate, motivation, muscle tension, as well as all relaxation or excitement functions. This part of the brain can be affected by breathing patterns. Quick, shallow breaths can generate a sense of anxiety, while deep, slow breaths can create a sense of calmness.
Studies have shown that reverse psychology can also help you sleep faster. Try to intentionally not to try falling asleep while you are in bed. You will find that you fall asleep without even knowing. So, trick your mind by telling it you are not trying to go to sleep.
Food takes time to be digested. This means that if you have a decadent dinner, your body will be working hard to digest it as you try to sleep.
Particular research found that eating carbs four hours before going to bed can help you fall asleep faster. Make sure to eat simple carbs that are easy to digest, such as white rice, potatoes, and bread.
Ever notice how easy it is to take a nap in a cold classroom? As it turns out, the cool temperature can lead to deeper sleep. Cold room plus warm blankets equal falling asleep faster.
Warm shower or bath will relax your muscles and help you fall asleep faster. Additionally, warming your body before moving into a cooler room will enable your body temperature to fall rapidly. And a drop in body temperature makes you fall asleep.
This move will reset your nervous system and make you relax before bed. Submerging your face in icy water triggers an involuntary movement known as Mammalian Dive Reflex, which will reduce your heart rate and blood pressure to calm your nervous system, thus getting you into a relaxed state.
Chamomile has been used for ages to calm nerves as well as gently helping sleep. Drink a couple of cups of this tea before your bedtime and see yourself fall asleep faster.
Sage is a kitchen herb that is usually used to stop night sweats, which is one of the factors that can keep you awake. Stir 4 heaping teaspoons of dried sage in a cup of hot water and tightly cover it for 4 hours. Drain and reheat whenever you are ready to take a sip.
This herb has also been used for generations to help people sleep. It has chemicals known as terpenes which are known for their soothing and sedative qualities.
Tea has low amounts of caffeine as well as substances that may allow you to relax. Try green or black tea before bed.
Estrogen can delay the metabolism of caffeine, so for a lady, time your caffeine consumption around your menstrual cycle.
Valerian is a herb that has been used as natural sleep soother around the world for quite some time. It has a compound known as valepotriates, which can stimulate the body’s natural relaxation system.
This is an old age slogan that can also help you fall asleep faster. Make sure you don’t drink alcohol for 3 hours before bed.
Shedding weight can help you rest easy, which means falling asleep faster. Research shows that people with sleep apnea experience few signs after cutting down some calories.
Drinking liquids before bed will mean midnight bathroom trips.
Magnesium helps the body create serotonin, which enhances the production of melatonin, the chemical in the brain that sets the sleeping time.
If you want to fall asleep faster, avoid spicy foods before bed. This is because they usually raise body temperature, which may prevent you from sleeping.
Dining in fish-based meals can help you fall asleep quickly. Include tuna, cod, snapper, halibut, and shrimp, which contain high levels of tryptophan, a sleep-inducing compound.
Eating cherries in the evening can also help you fall asleep faster. Cherries have been found to contain melatonin, the hormone that is produced by the body to regulate your sleep pattern.
If you must take a bedtime snack, make sure it is balanced with carbs and proteins. The carbs will help produce the sleep-inducing chemical into your body, which cues the brain to log off.
Greasy foods like pizza late at night can trigger heartburn and hinder sleep. This can be a problem, especially if you are susceptible to indigestion.
The monosodium glutamate used in Chinese food, soups, canned veggies, as well as other highly processed foods can trigger headaches and insomnia, which can then lead to sleep difficulty.
Consuming sufficient quantities of vitamins B6 and B12, iron, and calcium can enable you to maintain a healthy sleeping pattern.
Soothing music has been used for many years to lull people to sleep. Try playing classical music or anyone that has a rhythm of 60-80 beats per minute.
If you suffer from sleep apnea, you are highly likely to have diabetes compared to those who don’t have it. For this reason, try to control your blood sugar levels for better night sleep.
It has been found that chronic users of electronics before bed, 3 hours before bed, are twice as likely to experience sleep difficulty as light users.
If you have a laptop, make sure it doesn’t find its way into your bedroom. The bright light generated by the monitor may hinder your production of the hormone melatonin, which is responsible for telling your body it is time to sleep.
Also related to the above reason, the bright digits on the clock can make you restless as it is a constant reminder that the morning is almost here and you have not fallen asleep. So turn it away.
Clean up any mess in your bedroom. The cluttered bedroom will make your mind cluttered as well, which will make it hard for you to fall asleep. Remove any half-done work, bills, and so on.
For some people, it is not the lack of sound or the sound thereof that prevents them from falling asleep. Instead, it is the inconsistency. So try turning on a white noise device or an exhaust fan to block other sounds and provide required noise if you don’t want complete silence.
Soak in the morning sun or turn on the lights in your home in the morning. By doing this, you reset your awake-sleep pattern.
Any sort of light will signal your brain to wake up. However, studies have shown that blue lights are the worst when it comes to disrupting your sleep. So if you want to have a quality night sleep, cover the face of your clock and remove devices that produce light such as cell phones, from your bedroom.
When you hit snooze on your alarm, the brain understands it will go off again soon, and therefore you will not get into a sound sleep. Make sure you set your alarm exactly for when you need to wake up.
Find a way to block any natural light from entering your bedroom when you are about to go to bed. Try blackout curtains or shades on your windows if they allow light through.
If you can’t stand total darkness, you can use a night-light in your bedroom. A 7 watts incandescent light bulb is perfect.
According to a study, people who change bedding sleep better and experience less back pain. For this reason, get rid of your old mattress after around 5 to 7 years of use.
If you must have a cell phone in your bedroom or you can’t block the natural light from outside, wear an eye mask to block out these lights and signal your brain to go to slumber.
Some people sleep in the same bed with their dogs. But if half of the pet owners’ testimony is something to go by, your animal friend is likely to disrupt your sleep every night.
Make sure your cuddle cat doesn’t find its way to your bedroom as they can also disrupt yours from falling asleep.
According to Consumer Reports study, about 75% of individuals who lay for at least ten minutes on a mattress before purchasing were happy later.
Block out any disruptive noise using earplugs that can stay put. Pick a pair that is made of flexible, washable polyurethane.
Wear light night clothing to reduce night sweats. You can also try hormone therapy.
Try to adjust the lighting around your home to enhance your sleep. Dim the rooms after dinner to signal your body that it is time to go to sleep.
The bed is associated with long sleep. if you want to take a quick nap at day time, find a quiet couch or a floor and take your nape there.
If your partner snores and that disrupts your sleep, use something to raise your bed at the head so that when you sleep, the upper torso is elevated instead of only the head.
For those with long-lasting neck pains, you should choose the right pillow for better support at night. Find an orthopaedic pillow with a scooped-out cavern for the generous support of your neck and head.
Because we use it daily, it may be challenging to know if it is time to replace our pillows. To tell if the time has come to spring for a new pillow, bend your old one in half, squeezing the air out. If it doesn’t bounce back to its normal shape and fuzziness, it means it is time to replace it.
Make sure you only have one pillow on your bed, as multiple ones may result in neck pains, which can hinder your sleep.
Dust mites can also disrupt your sleep. These tiny insects are most common in an old mattress. If you can’t get a new bed, encase your old one in non-allergic covers to reduce your exposure.
If you still experience night sweats even after sleeping in light nightclothes, consider sleeping naked. This way, you will be able to regulate your body temperature easily.
If you can’t sleep at night, you will feel the urge to sleep during the day. But if you sleep during the day, you will struggle to sleep at night. See where I’m going with this?
Mindfulness is a technique that can help you relieve stress symptoms, which are known to disrupt sleep. Focus on now, and allow your brain to relax and switch off.
Meditation has been found to boost the levels of melatonin in the body, which in turn helps your mind to drift off into slumber.
Sleeping position can either help you sleep soundly or cause sleep difficulty. It is believed that the best sleeping position of a quality night of sleep is your side. However, some people may find problems sleeping on their side. If you are one of those people, try tweaking your sleeping position until you find the most suitable.
Grab a book (physical book) and start reading in bed. Reading has been found to help people fall asleep quicker since it calms you down and distracts you from your anxieties.
Consider using supplements to help you fall asleep quickly. There are a bunch of natural supplements that you can use for this purpose.
Stay out camping for several days, and you will see the difference. Camping has been found to help reset your circadian rhythms, and you’ll find yourself waking up naturally when the sun rises and fall asleep when it sets.
Inhaling using your left nostril triggers your parasympathetic response, which in turn switches off the flight, fight or racing mode of your brain that is known for inhibiting sleep.
Allergies can also keep you up at night. To avoid watery eyes and runny nose, clean your beddings in hot water once every week to eliminate or reduce dust mites.
Are you struggling with back pain at night? Here are a simple solution—place pillows in between your knees or underneath your knees. When lying on your back, the later will provide support to your lower back.
If you have a fever, take a shower before bed. A full body shower at night helps wash away the allergies that cause fever.
Suppose you have something that troubles you, set aside time before bed and solve it. Note down the things that worry you along with possible solutions. This will tell the subconscious mind that you have solutions for your problems.
If your mind is overactive before bed, calm it down by going to the darkroom of the house or outside in the dark. Your racing mind will calm down instantly, and then you can go back to bed.
Mantra is a phrase, word, or syllable that you can repeat loudly or silently. This practice will help you focus your scattered mind.
Train your brain to block any negative thoughts once they begin to creep in. Think only the happy thoughts – reminisce about the enjoyable experiences you had.
Visualise about something fun, and you will find yourself drifting into slumber within minutes.
A simple pot plant can reduce your blood pressure and enhance the feelings of serenity. Place some houseplants around your home to help purify the air and get rid of sleep-stealing anxiety.
If you have been using sleeping pills to force yourself into sleep, consider seeking professional counselling such as therapy.
If you have a snoring partner, go to be early before them, so you are already in a deep sleep by the time they start snoring.
It has been found that couples who snuggle lower their blood pressure as well as heart rate. So before going to bed, make sure you give a hug to your partner or hold their hand for even 10 minutes.
If you feel overwhelmed before bed, set some manageable goals that you can achieve quickly.
When we face a hectic schedule, the first thing we usually sacrifice is sleep. However, losing even an hour of sleep in one night can affect your concentration the next day. Make your bedtime a non-negotiable, just like that meeting you feel you can’t skip.
UCLA researchers have found that talking to a friend boosts the levels of oxytocin, which is calming. So make sure you indulge in some long phone call right before bed.
Taking a break from the news for some time can reduce the levels of anxiety and lessen your worries, which in turn, may help you fall asleep.
The warmth produced by the socks in your legs broadens the blood vessels, which allow your body to transfer heat to the extremities from its core, which lowers the body temperature and encourages sleep.
Few hours before your bedtime, do a workout such as a swim, a walk, or even yoga for 30 minutes. This will, in turn, trigger your parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers the heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure and cueing your body that it’s time to sleep.
If you suffer from restless legs syndrome, drink 6 ounces of tonic water every night before going to bed until the symptoms are over
Not everyone can fit in an 8-hour sleep routine. So try 7 hours and maintain it. Going below that can increase your risk of hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
While in bed, try to relive your day in your head methodically. This will help you slowly drift into a peaceful state.
A little post-work rubdown can go a long way to reduce your stress levels. Massages have been found to reduce the levels of cortisol – a stress hormone.
Smelling some oranges can reduce your anxiety levels and boost your positivity. Use citrus-scented oil in your bedroom at night.
This doesn’t need more explanation. The majority of people masturbate to fall asleep faster. So get busy!
Or just have sex before going to bed. Sex, just like masturbating, reduces the stress levels and enhancing the feeling of tiredness, helping you to drift off quickly.
This will help your body relax and allow you to fall asleep. Begin at the navel and expand in large circles.
VapoRub contains some decongestants that can assist you to breathe effortlessly, powerfully, and progressively, thus helping you to relax and go to sleep.
Warm milk at night may help you fall asleep quickly.
Sometimes when we fall asleep, our nasal passage gets blocked, which disrupts the sleep. So make sure you keep your nose clean all the time.
Colours have soothing effects, and picking the right colour scheme for your bedroom can help you relax.
Storytelling has been used for ages to induce sleep for young children. You can also distract yourself from your worries by narrating your own story subconsciously.
The mind naturally tells your body if it is time to go to sleep. But you can also develop your sleep trigger to use every night to signal your body that it is time to fall asleep.
Reduce the amount of light in your house in the evening to tell your brain that the day has ended, and thus forcing your mind to get into sleeping mode.
Make sure you make peace with whatever or whoever has wronged you before going to bed. An angry mind will overflow your nervous system with sleep undermining chemicals.
An individual study shows that you may take longer to fall asleep on the nights of the full moon. So make sure you understand the lunar cycle of your area and be prepared for when the full moon appears. You can use natural supplements or any of the tips shared here to fall asleep easily during the full moon.
Researchers have found that challenging your brain, especially mathematically, can help you fall asleep faster.
A study found that smokers usually feel more exhausted compared to non-smokers due to the nicotine found in cigarettes.
Make sure your day is eventful and packed with fun activities. Exhaust yourself physically and mentally, so that by the time you jump into bed, you are so tired.
Lullabies have been putting babies to sleep for ages. So try it on yourself by singing softly when you are in bed (soft kitty, anyone?).
Try to create time for yourself an hour before bed, and avoid any social stimulation. Put your phone into silent mode and data off.
Being grateful can help your mind relax and play only positive thoughts, which paves the way to quickly falling asleep.