10 Tips for falling asleep quickly

Does this sound familiar to you － you’re laying in bed staring at the ceiling and counting how much time you’ll get to sleep if you fall asleep immediately?

Well, look no further! Here are 10 tips to help you fall asleep quickly and get that sweet sweet rest you’ve been looking forward to all day.

 

Exercise

The best way to make yourself sleepy is to get tired, obviously. You can exercise in the gym, at home or at the park.

Any place and any way you choose will be helpful to tire you out.

What you need to remember, however, is to not work out immediately before going to bed.

Adrenaline and other hormones exercise creates will keep you awake and pumped up for at least 3 hours after working out.

So try to work out in the early morning or in your lunch break for best results.

 

Take a shower

The benefits of hot showers have been proven all the time.

Even if you’re a fan of cold showers, you should know that cold showers have the effect of waking you up.

Which is why specialists recommend taking a cold shower in the morning and a hot one in the evening.

Hot showers help relieve stress, fight insomnia and relax the muscles.

 

Don’t get drunk

This is something most of us can relate to – you go out with friends at night, get wasted, go to sleep for 15 hours and then wake up like you’ve lived through two economic crises, a world war and maybe a divorce or two.

That’s because alcohol affects the REM stage of sleep, which means it makes you sleep longer but worse.

Coffee is also another bad beverage to ingest before planning to go to sleep.

Remember to drink coffee at least 6 hours before your scheduled sleep time, otherwise, you’ll just be laying in bed regretting your choices.

What you should drink, however, is soothing beverages like chamomile tea, hot choco or just plain water to keep yourself hydrated and relaxed.

 

Lay off the fatty foods

One other thing you should reconsider in your diet is saturated fats.

Hence if you’ve had a juicy steak with a side of potatoes for dinner, maybe don’t go to bed immediately.

Other fatty foods you should avoid before bedtime are oils, butter, cheese, meats and cream.

Also, try not to have too much sugar in the evening because it also energizes you.

Fatty and sugary foods make sleep lighter and less restorative.

 

Put down the phone

If you’re reading this article on your phone while laying in bed – well tough luck.

Put down that phone and know from now on to avoid any kind of electronic devices at least 2 hours before going to sleep.

Also maybe keep the home office out of your bedroom.

The blue light all technology emits is super bad for our eyes, causes diseases, messes up sleep and is just not good for sleep. Find out how blue light destroys your eyes and sleep.

To decrease the eye strain you get from sitting in front of your computer all day you can install Iris – our software that will help you sleep better.

Let some air in your room

Air circulation means better breathing. Try to sleep with an open window as much as possible to let in fresh air.

Avoid using a humidifier and a heater while you are sleeping as they dry the air and spread dust particles easily.

A heater can also make you sick because when you sleep your body’s core temperature decreases and if the room is too hot the difference in degrees can get you a runny nose, a fever and probably make you pretty weak in the morning.

Also, keep your room as dark as possible at night.

Turn off desk lights, hanging christmas or fairy lights and so on.

Avoid the bright light from electronic devices too as that will do great damage to your eyes.

 

Make a blanket fort

Like I already mentioned trying not to use a heater, because it can cause breathing problems.

If you’re cold just throw on a few extra blankets. Everybody loves a blanket fort.

Want to get really cozy and fall asleep quickly?

Open your window to let the cold night air in, snuggle up in your bed and make a burrito out of yourself with at least 3 blankets.

Bonus if you throw in a couple of pillows around you for maximum comfort.

You’ll be floating to dreamland in no time.

 

Fix your sleeping position

In the wise words of Captain Holt of Brooklyn 99 － the only acceptable sleeping positions are on your back with hands on chest, and on your back with hands to the side.

Things aren’t that easy however － there is no universal sleep position that is healthy and comfortable for all.

If you’re worried about premature aging － sleep on your back.

That also helps with the proper alignment of your neck and spine and prevents any deformations.

Sleeping on your left relieves pressure from the liver and allows better blood flow.

Sleeping on your right side increases the chances of heartburn.

If you’re having back and spine problems, try sleeping on the floor for a couple of nights, that will definitely straighten you out.

Remember to also keep track if your mattress and pillow haven’t already worn out and change them once in a while.

 

Play some music

If you’re that type of person play some relaxing music to help you fall asleep faster.

There are millions of hour-long compilation on the internet with sounds of nature, wind, rivers, birds and so on.

Some people fall asleep with loud metal too. Find your cup of tea and work with it.

If listening to music is not your thing however you can always try those white noise machines.

 

Stop stressing

Easier said than done, no? It’s scientifically proven that forcing yourself to fall asleep and worrying about getting enough sleep, can cause stress and anxiety, and prevent you from relaxing and snoozing off.

The solution to this is to try breathing exercises and guided imagery.

Even if you don’t have a beaming imagination you can do the guided imagery exercise.

Just leave your mind blank, don’t think about anything, try to relax, maybe imagine a calming scenery that helps you personally.

Push yourself not to think about anything overall. This takes a lot of practice but once you master it you’ll be falling asleep in no time.
The breathing exercise we recommend is 478.

You can try it by itself or combine it with the guided imagery exercise.

Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold breath for 7 seconds and exhale through the mouth for 8 seconds.

Repeat as many times as necessary.