Are you one of those who don’t fall asleep quickly? Some people don’t have any problem sleeping as soon as they get into bed. However, it’s not easy for everyone.
Even though you go to bed early, you can’t sleep. You close your eyes, but actually, you are awake. You continuously stare at the dark ceiling, look here and there, suddenly something pops up on your mind, and start thinking about it.
One way or the other, you can’t sleep fast. There might be countless reasons for that. Luckily, there are several effective ways to sleep quickly.
Page Contents
15 ways to fall asleep quickly
Have a regular sleeping routine
Do you sometimes sleep early and sometimes late? Don’t you have a fixed time to sleep? If that is the case, then that is one of the reasons for not falling asleep quickly. Irregular sleeping patterns won’t help you at all. You can’t always sleep whenever you want. So, you should have a regular sleeping routine.
If you have a habit of sleeping at nine o’clock, then you won’t have trouble sleeping at the same time every day. No matter where you are or go, you will never forget the time and get ready to sleep.
Sometimes, it might not be possible, but that won’t be the case every day. Therefore, follow a fixed routine to sleep and wake up at the same time always. It will help you fall asleep quickly. Moreover, your body and brain will get used to it and remember the time and prepare themselves to sleep.
Avoid napping
Always avoid napping during the day or way before it’s time to sleep. Sometimes, a quick power nap can refresh and energize you. But, longer naps will disrupt your sleep at night.
When you sleep in the daytime, it makes you lazier, and you will feel like sleeping more. The more you take a nap during the day, the more you wake up at night. And this continues the next day, then again the next day, and this goes on and on. As a result, you will ruin your sleeping pattern. And you will always feel like taking naps during the day. You are losing your quality sleep at night by doing this.
It is best to avoid taking long naps during the day. You can take 10-15 minutes of power nap. However, converting those minutes into hours is not a good idea.
Avoid electronic devices
Many people have a habit of using electronic devices while lying on the bed. And you might be one of them. But, if you want to fall asleep quickly, never use electronic devices. When you use them or play games, your body and brain will be active and focus on what you are doing. It will make you awake for longer hours at night.
Moreover, light from such devices impacts your eyes and sleep. According to a study, light coming from electronic devices disrupts your sleep, making it challenging for you to fall asleep quickly at night. So, stay away from using electronic devices when you are on the bed preparing to sleep.
Manage stress
If you want to fall asleep quickly, then reduce your stress. When you are on the bed, don’t think about anything else. Just relax.
The more you feel stressed, the more it will affect your sleep quality. What happens is that when people are under stress, the body releases cortisol, a stress hormone. And it raises the heartbeat, making you more anxious and keeping your body in an active state for longer periods. And when your body is at high alertness, your body won’t prepare itself to sleep. As a result, you wake up for hours and hours and sometimes, the whole night.
So, it is necessary to reduce your stress levels to fall asleep quickly and get quality sleep. You can also use different stress management techniques to relieve your anxieties.
Do not force yourself to sleep.
The more you pressurize yourself to sleep, the more it will be difficult for you to fall asleep quickly.
Instead of forcing yourself to sleep, you can engage in other activities. You can divert your mind. For that, you can write a journal or read a book. If they help you relax, then do so. However, don’t get excited and read the whole night. Avoid such books that entertain and keep you awake to know the ending.
Moreover, reading and writing help you prevent unnecessary thoughts from coming to your mind that keep you awake the whole night. And when you feel like sleeping, then sleep. Sometimes, people even sleep while reading.
Avoid caffeine before sleeping.
Many people love to drink coffee when they have a heavy workload or are stressed. And some just love it anytime. It helps to refresh you and get rid of your fatigue. But, do you know it also affects your sleep? According to research, caffeine affects the circadian rhythm, a natural process that manages the sleep-wake cycle.
Before sleeping, it is best to avoid coffee and other foods that have caffeine in them. People consuming more coffee have poor sleep quality. A study suggests that you should avoid drinking coffee at least six hours before sleeping.
Avoid alcohol and smoking.
Like caffeine, nicotine also affects your sleep. It causes sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that makes your breathing stop and start continuously.
Moreover, alcohol consumption makes your body weak and dehydrated. And when you drink alcohol, your body’s metabolism process needs to work hard to either absorb alcohol or throw it out. As a result, you might have to go to the toilet all night, disrupting your sleep. Since it dehydrates your body, you also drink a lot of water. You might wake up from time-to-time to hydrate yourself, which again prevents you from sleeping.
Smoking and alcohol never improve your sleep quality. So, it is best to avoid them.
Avoid spicy food
Many people don’t care what they eat before bed. Sometimes, they consume spicy food which is not recommended at all prior to sleep. Such foods irritate and upset your stomach, which in turn prevents you from falling asleep quickly.
Not only spicy foods, but sometimes, people consume junk foods, oily foods, and canned foods. Such foods are some of the leading causes of food poisoning and indigestion.
Besides these, you also need to take care of portion size. When you are full, it creates discomfort, making it difficult for you to sleep faster and have a quality sleep. So, eat a healthy diet to fall asleep quickly.
Focus on your environment
Can you get quality sleep in a noisy environment? Some might, but it usually isn’t easy to sleep in such surroundings. A calm, relaxed, and peaceful setting is what everyone wants to fall asleep faster and have an adequate sleep.
And, you need to consider many factors to make your environment comfortable enough for you to sleep. Some might require a soft and cozy bed. Some might open windows for quality sleep. And some might prefer soothing lamps.
Everyone has their own preferences. So, in order to fall asleep quickly and get quality sleep, you should focus on your environment and modify it that suits you best.
Meditate
Unnecessary thoughts are one of the leading causes of not falling asleep faster. Many face this problem. Whenever you are on your bed, suddenly, many things start popping in your mind, and you start thinking about them. Even if you want them to go away, it becomes too difficult to get rid of them.
You might have faced this problem as well. And to get rid of unnecessary thoughts, you need a peaceful and stress-free mind. For this, meditation is the best remedy. It helps to relax your mind. If you are worried about something, meditating before bed will calm your brain. It will help you prevent any sleeping disturbances.
You can also try breathing techniques to relax and fall asleep quickly. One of the best breathing techniques is the 4-7-8 method. The procedure includes:
- Inhaling air for four seconds.
- Then hold your breath for seven seconds.
- Lastly, exhaling air for eight seconds.
Doing this helps to relax your body and mind. Try this method if you are having trouble sleeping faster. You can either lie or sit down to perform this technique.
Take a warm bath
According to research, taking a hot bath at 40-42.5°C 1-2 hours before bed helps people sleep faster than usual and improves sleep quality.
A hot shower helps to relax your body, reducing fatigue and freshening you. It enables the body to prepare for sleep. Moreover, it regulates blood circulation and temperature in your body, which helps to promote quality sleep. So, take a warm bath before bed for maximum benefits.
Turn off your lights.
Not everyone can sleep keeping lights on. Even a tiny reflection of lights can disrupt your sleep. Even if you close your eyes, still, a bright room can have some effects, preventing you from sleeping faster.
Moreover, a direct reflection of rays can affect your eyes. In contrast, some lights don’t harm your eyes thanks to modern technology. Still, you should turn out the lights to fall asleep quickly and for quality sleep.
Plus, some people are afraid of darkness. For such people, keeping lights on or making them dim is mandatory. If that is not the case with you, switch off your lights to improve sleep quality.
Listen to music
For some people, music is the best remedy to fall asleep quickly. Not everyone, but some people listen to relaxing music to improve their quality of sleep.
According to a study, listening to music improves sleep quality. The research shows that music promotes longer sleep duration, greater sleep efficiency, and less sleep dysfunction.
Listening to music helps to reduce your fatigue, anxiety, and stress. It helps your body and brain to relax. So, if you are unable to fall asleep quickly, then try listening to some relaxing tune. You can find such music on YouTube and other mediums. So, try it and see the results yourself.
Avoid sleeping pills
Sleeping pills help you to fall asleep quickly and deeper. And some people need it. They can’t do anything about it. But, if it’s not necessary for you, then avoid sleeping pills at any cost.
You might get quality sleep with sleeping pills; however, it affects your natural sleeping habits. When you get used to it, you won’t be able to sleep at all without it. So, if it isn’t needed, then avoiding it is best for you.
Consult a doctor
It is normal when you are unable to sleep at night sometimes. However, if it persists for many days, then consult a doctor. Otherwise, sleepless nights affect your health and your daily activities. Not only it affects you physically, but mentally as well.
Also, some problems might be affecting you from sleeping faster and getting quality sleep. Here, a doctor will help you find the issues and prescribe you the appropriate ways to improve your sleep.
Besides these, you can also exercise regularly, but not before bed, set your room temperature right, and try aromatherapy to fall asleep faster.
In Conclusion
There you have it: the 15 effective methods to fall asleep quickly. Not falling asleep faster can prevent you from getting quality sleep. Many nights go sleepless, which is very frustrating. It strains you mentally and physically. So, try the methods mentioned above if you are having trouble sleeping.
Fall asleep faster and get quality sleep with the help of these tips.
Image Credits: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels