8 Ways to Fall Asleep Faster

We've all been in that position where, at the end of a long day, we just can't fall asleep. Sometimes the harder we find it to fall asleep, the more frustrated we become and the harder falling asleep gets. To help, here are our tips for how to fall asleep fast!

1. Do a 60-minute wind-down

When you've been moving at full-speed all day, it can be tough to suddenly switch your mind off when you get into bed. Because of the busy lives we lead, we are constantly taking in information which can set out minds racing, making it hard to fall asleep. The best thing we can do to fall asleep fast and prevent our brains from buzzing far into the night is to create routines and wind-downs that help separate your busy daily thoughts and activities from your sleep mindset and routine. Most psychologists and doctors recommend that you give yourself a full hour to 'wind-down' before bedtime. This will usually involve carrying out soothing activities that reduce the level of excitement or anxiety.

 

2. Take a warm bath or shower

Spending time in a steamy shower has huge benefits, even if you don't need to clean yourself. When you step out of a hot steamy bath or shower, your body temperature drops rapidly which can trigger a sleepy feeling as your heart rate, digestive system and other metabolic process begin to slow down. This, in turn, can make it easier for your brain to slow down too.

 

3. Put on socks

It may sound odd, but if you want to fall asleep fast, try pulling on a pair of socks. To fall asleep fast it's important that you get your body temperature just right with a warmer core and cooler extremities. By putting on a pair of socks your feet are more likely to stay warm, drawing heat away from your body's core which will help you to fall asleep faster.

 

4. Try the 4-7-8 exercise

Whilst the temptation can be to toss and turn to find a good position when we can't sleep, the best way to fall asleep fast is to actually find the right breathing pattern. By monitoring and changing the pattern of your breathing, you can change your heart rate, encouraging it to slow down so that you fall asleep faster. Most relaxation techniques involve breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth, helping to lower your heart rate and blood pressure, which in turn helps you to feel sleepy. A specific method you could try is the 4-7-8 method. Try inhaling for 4 seconds holding the breath for 7 seconds and exhaling for eight seconds.

 

5. Get out of bed

It may sound counterproductive, but one of the best ways to fall asleep fast if you are having difficulty is to get out of bed! Lying in bed and worrying about your inability to fall asleep may only make the situation worse. If you start to feel tense or frustrated about your inability to fall asleep, get out of the bed and go into another room until you start to feel sleepy. This will help condition your brain to relate your bed only to positive sleeping habits and not with the inability to fall asleep fast. Try distracting yourself by reading, organising your closet or laying clothes or food out for the following morning.

 

6. Hide your clock

We've all done it, wake up in the early hours of the morning, checked the time and the obsessed over how little or long we have left before we have to get up. The best remedy for this and how you can fall asleep fast is to hide your clock! By repeatedly staring at your clock, you could be waking yourself up even more and creating a stressful environment. Plus, if you use your phone to check the time, you could find yourself being sucked back into the real world by texts, emails or apps so avoid them if you can.  

 

7. Vent on paper

If your racing thoughts keep you up and prevent you from falling asleep fast, consider jotting down what's on your mind before you head to bed. This is a great way to process your feelings and can help you relax into a sleepier state of mind. This also prevents you from over worrying about your workload of the day to come, as you'll already have plotted everything out before you settled into bed. You could incorporate this venting session into your hours wind-down routine.

 

8. Get a comfortable bed

Having a comfortable bed, mattress and pillows to sleep on can be crucial to helping you fall asleep fast. If you find that your mattress is lumpy, or has springs which dig in, you'll find it increasingly difficult to fall asleep fast.
 
So, hopefully, you should now have more of an idea of how to fall asleep fast. If you follow these simple steps and stick to our advices, you should find that you have less and less trouble falling asleep. And if you feel a new mattress is in order, check out Sonno online.