How to fall asleep fast

Find the products, insights and expertise you need to get the Zzz’s you deserve.

Find your ZzzQuil

Explore our family of products

Top tips to fall asleep fast

There’s nothing more refreshing than a good night’s sleep, and there’s nothing more calamitous on your day than a sleepless night of tossing and turning. Falling asleep shouldn’t be a stressful experience, but if you’re reading this article, it’s likely because you’re tired and in bed, but can’t fall asleep. Don’t worry though; the sleep experts at Vicks are here to help you rest soundly with eight tips to help you fall asleep fast.

Everything you need to know about healthy sleep

This content was created by the National Sleep Foundation

Don’t let tossing and turning rob you of the shut-eye you need.

You know a good night’s sleep is the key to a happy and well-rested tomorrow. And getting enough shut-eye can help you drive more safely, maintain a healthy weight, and even lower your risk for heart disease and diabetes. But if you’re stuck in a cycle of tossing and turning—and then start stressing about the fact that you’re tossing and turning—it’s all too easy to feel frustrated. Not so fast: With these tips you’ll be snoozing within minutes of your head hitting the pillow.

Set a Routine. If you get up early one morning and then sleep in the next, it can be hard to fall into a rhythm. For the 17 percent of Americans who do shift work, an erratic schedule may be part of the job. But if that doesn’t apply to you, going to bed and waking up at roughly the same times every day can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.

Schedule Your Caffeine. Coffee (or tea or an energy drink) can keep you awake long after the last sip by boosting your adrenaline production and blocking sleep-inducing chemicals in the brain. It takes about six hours for just half of the caffeine you drink to be processed, so keep that in mind when timing your last cup.

Power Down. The bright light during the daytime is a big part of what sets our circadian rhythm to keep us awake when the sun’s up (and asleep during the night). But the blue lights in many electronic screens like computers, tablets, and cell phones are so bright that they can interrupt your sleep—especially if you use them too close to bedtime.

Write Out Your Worries. Often, tossing and turning can be the result of not being able to lay the anxieties of the day to rest. Get them off your mind by putting them down on paper. Make a list of things that you know you need to deal with tomorrow so that you can forget them tonight.

Practice Relaxation. A simple progressive relaxation technique can do wonders when it comes to beckoning Mr. Sandman. As you lie in bed, squeeze your toes as tightly as you can, then allow them to relax completely. Continue up your body, tensing and relaxing your legs, your belly, your hands, your arms, and so forth.

Press Here. Try some easy acupressure tricks to help you nod off faster. Press your thumb into the spot at the top of your nose between your eyebrows for about 20 seconds. Then, move to your feet: Press on the indent between your big toe and second toe.

Can’t Sleep? Get Up. If you’re still sleepless after 15 to 20 minutes, hit the reset button. Get out of bed and go to another room. Try reading, making yourself a cup of herbal tea, or just sitting and relaxing (but resist the urge to check your e-mail or watch TV).

See a Doctor. While lifestyle changes are the first line of treatment for sleeplessness, if you’re still not getting enough rest after improving your bedtime routine and trying a variety of relaxation strategies, a physician may be able to help determine if your sleeplessness is merely a symptom of another health concern, and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Falling asleep sounds so easy, and yet for many people, it can be a real challenge and can even be a pathway to insomnia . Sleep is a basic biological need , meaning that we need to get enough of it for our minds and bodies to function properly.

Luckily, there are a few things you can do to fall asleep faster and stay asleep. First, let’s look at the science behind sleep. Then, let’s go over some sleeping tips that can help you fall asleep fast.

Understanding Sleep

Falling asleep is a normal and necessary part of the sleep/wake cycle . During waking hours, the pressure to fall asleep continues to build until sleep time. This pressure to fall asleep, also called ‘ sleep debt ‘, is decreased or ‘paid off’ while sleeping. When the sleep debt, or sleep pressure, is not reduced, sleep deprivation occurs.

Things That Make it Difficult to Fall Asleep

There are many things that can make it difficult to fall asleep, including:

• Stress
• Caffeine (including coffee, dark tea, soda, energy drinks, etc.)
• Nicotine (cigarettes and chewing tobacco)
• Alcohol
• A more complex sleep disorder

If you have difficulty falling asleep for more than a few days, you may have insomnia. There are several causes of insomnia. There are also several treatment options for insomnia. Most treatment plans involve cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) , and following sleep hygiene recommendations. Over-the-counter supplements, like melatonin or CBD oil are sometimes used for the treatment of insomnia.

Every person has a specific amount of sleep that they need. For most, it is eight hours. Some need more, and some need less. If you feel sleepy during the daytime , you probably are not getting enough quantity or quality of sleep.

With so many individuals searching for the secret of how to fall asleep, we felt it beneficial to review a few key sleeping tips to help you fall asleep quickly.

Sleeping Tips to Help You Fall Asleep Fast

1. Have a ritual – go to bed at the same time. Wake up at the same time.
2. Calm yourself before bedtime – Many enjoy yoga, a hot shower or bath, or listening to soothing music or ASMR. Do something that relaxes you as part of your nightly ritual.
3. Avoid things that will keep you awake – this includes avoiding alcohol and caffeine before bedtime. Don’t exercise right before bedtime.
4. Don’t watch TV or read in bed – you only want to associate your bed and bedroom with sleep
5. While in bed, if you find yourself awake for more than 10 minutes, get out of bed and sit in a chair until you are sleepy .
6. Don’t stress out about not falling asleep . If you have a bad night, or find yourself awake for longer than expected, don’t be upset at yourself.
7. Realize that daytime naps will subtract some of the sleep pressure that you will have at night. Use them with caution if you’re having difficulty sleeping at night.
8. Create a bedroom sanctuary – Create a calming bedroom with things like weighted blankets, essential oil diffusers, soft music, and dim lighting.
9. Follow goodsleep hygiene – Sleep hygiene is defined as behaviors that one can do to help promote good sleep using behavioral interventions.

It is important to reduce anxiety before bedtime . Realize that falling asleep is a natural, biological process. You do not need a special substance or ‘trick’ to fall asleep. The need to sleep is ingrained in your DNA. Every person has a specific amount of sleep that they require. You cannot force yourself to sleep if you have already slept enough. Similarly, you cannot sleep less than what your body requires. Trying to sleep more than what you need can actually lead to insomnia.

A good night’s sleep is important for good health. The benefits of sleep include:

• Helping the brain regenerate and function properly
• Reducing the risk of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart attack or stroke
• Helping maintain a healthy weight or preventing weight gain
• Longer lifespan
• Boosting the immune system

Despite the benefits, many people have trouble falling asleep. Here are 20 simple ways to fall asleep faster and practice good sleep hygiene.

1. Maintain a consistent sleep routine
   • Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time
2. Calm yourself before bedtime
   • Take a hot bath or shower
   • Do relaxing yoga
   • Meditate
   • Listen to soothing music
   • Listen to Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR)
   • Practice breathing exercises
   • Use guided imagery
3. Avoid things that will keep you awake
   • Avoiding alcohol and caffeine.
4. Avoid exercise before bed
   • Exercise earlier in the day
5. Don’t watch TV or read in bed
   • Only associate the bed and bedroom with sleep
6. If you are awake for more than 10 minutes after getting into bed, get out of bed and sit in a chair until you are sleepy
7. Don’t stress if you can’t fall asleep right away
8. Try not to nap during the day because it may cause you to be unable to fall asleep at night
9. Make your bedroom your calm sanctuary
   • Dim lighting
   • Soft music
   • Scented oil diffusers
10. Use a weighted blanket
11. Keep the room cool – 65°F/18.3°C is considered ideal
12. Use blackout curtains or sleep masks to reduce light
13. Wear ear plugs or use white noise to block outside noises
14. Remove the alarm clock
    • Watching the minutes and hours pass while you’re awake can cause stress
15. Wear socks to warm your feet
    • This helps shift blood flow to the extremities
16. Try the “4-7-8” breathing method
    • Place the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth
    • Exhale completely through the mouth and make a whoosh sound
    • Close the mouth and inhale through the nose while counting to four in your mind
    • Hold your breath and mentally count to seven
    • Exhale completely through an open mouth, making a whoosh sound and mentally counting to eight
    • Repeat at least three more times.
17. Write down any stressful thoughts before you go to bed
18. Try bed-time snacks that increase serotonin and help you sleep, such as
    • Warm milk
    • Nut butter on toast
    • Whole grain cereal with milk (avoid sugary cereals)
    • Oatmeal
    • Cottage cheese
    • Fruit smoothie
19. Sleep in comfortable loose-fitting pajamas or sleep naked to help regulate body temperature
20. Don’t go to bed until you feel sleepy

Simple Changes May Enhance Sleepiness and Circadian Rhythm

• facebook
• twitter

Rochelle Collins, DO, is a board-certified family medicine doctor currently practicing in Bloomfield, Connecticut.

The COVID-19 pandemic seems to be making sleep worse for a lot of people, causing insomnia and evoking strange dreams. Increased stress may exacerbate anxiety. Fundamentally altered routines—from work to exercise—may further unravel normal sleep. Isolation may cause additional disruptions to circadian patterns and social lives. If difficulty falling asleep is a problem, discover some simple steps to take to fall asleep faster tonight.

If it takes longer than 20 to 30 minutes to fall asleep at the beginning of the night, and this leads to negative daytime consequences like mood problems and fatigue, this may be a sign of insomnia. Similarly, if after waking it is difficult to get back to sleep, this may be significant. If this is present, no matter the reason, what can be done about it? Consider these recommendations.

Go to Bed Later

The desire for sleep is dependent on the homeostatic sleep drive and the circadian rhythm.   The longer a person stays awake, the more that a chemical signal for sleepiness (called adenosine) builds within the brain. Sleep is, at least in part, a process of removing this chemical. If someone stays up later, more adenosine accumulates and it can become easier to fall asleep. Try delaying the bedtime by an hour to fall asleep faster.

Unwind Before Bedtime

It can be easier to fall asleep if time is spent unwinding and relaxing before the anticipated bedtime.   It may important to spend one to two hours engaged in these activities. Consider time spent reading, watching television or a movie, listening to calming music, taking a bath, praying, or meditating. Put aside work. Avoid stressful interactions, including on social media. Do not engage in any activities that provoke stress. This is the perfect time to reconnect with a pastime that is enjoyable and soothing.

Avoid Late Caffeine or Alcohol Consumption

Caffeine from coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, or chocolate is a stimulant that promotes wakefulness by blocking adenosine within the brain. It takes four to six hours for the levels in the body to drop by half, so it is best to avoid caffeine beyond early afternoon to minimize sleep disruption.   For sensitive individuals, it may need to be eliminated completely.

Alcohol, though it can make someone feel sleepy, is metabolized quickly. It will fragment sleep, initially suppressing deep and REM sleep. It can also cause snoring and sleep apnea.   Do not use alcohol as a sleep aid, and try to avoid it in the hours preceding bedtime.

Respect Your Circadian Rhythm

Some people are naturally night owls. If they try to go to bed earlier than their body’s internal clock desires, they will potentially lie awake for hours. Many people with this delayed sleep phase prefer to fall asleep closer to 2 a.m. and may want to wake closer to 10 a.m. Getting up earlier may be a struggle, and going to bed too early may set a night owl up for failure. It can be helpful to lock in the circadian pattern with 15 minutes of morning sunlight exposure upon awakening, but it may also be important to avoid artificial light (especially in the blue spectrum) in the hours before retiring to bed.

Create an Optimal Sleep Environment

Try to reserve the bed as a space for sleep. Keep the bedroom cool, quiet, and dark or only dimly lit.   Do not use the bedroom for stimulating activities; it cannot be a multipurpose room. This may require avoiding work, television watching, or gaming in bed. Leave the smartphone in the kitchen to charge overnight. As much as possible, when bedtime approaches, crawl into bed after turning out the light with the intent of immediately falling asleep. Set an alarm, but then cover up the clock to avoid anxious clock watching.

Go to Bed Feeling Sleepy

It may seem like an odd suggestion, but it is an important realization: to fall asleep faster, only go to bed when feeling sleepy. Sleepiness, or drowsiness, reflects the state that exists just prior to the onset of sleep.   It may be characterized by heavy eyelids, blurred vision, a warm feeling that sweeps through the body. This feeling may seem foreign in the throes of insomnia. It is not the same as fatigue or tiredness (which may reflect physical sensations, felt especially deep within the muscles or bones).

To strengthen this sensation, avoid naps, try to get some exercise or physical activity during the day, and protect the time to unwind before going to bed. Do not go to bed earlier than the goal bedtime, so as to optimize the onset of sleep and the continuity and depth of sleep through the night.

Reduce Stress

Stress and anxiety are not conducive to sleep. In some cases, periods of extreme stress may lead to unrelenting insomnia, severe sleep fragmentation, and bizarrely vivid dreams. It may be necessary to dial this back through behavioral techniques, via counseling, or through medications.

There are some sources of stress beyond an individual’s control. It may be helpful to compartmentalize this and focus on tasks that may be manageable.

Consider prior stress management techniques that have been helpful in the past: exercise, time spent outdoors, playing games, cooking, talking to family or friends, journaling, and myriad other hobbies. Relaxation techniques—including breathing, muscle relaxation, and guided imagery—may also be helpful. It may be important to reduce stress in the hours preceding bedtime.

Consider a Sleep Aid

In some cases, it may necessary to rely on the help of a sleep aid to fall asleep faster. Melatonin is available over-the-counter and should be used at low doses. Certain medications that contain diphenhydramine or doxylamine, though potentially beneficial, may have higher risks of side effects.

If a sleep aid is needed for more than a few weeks, evaluation by a board-certified sleep physician and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) may be recommended.

A Word From Verywell

It is normal to have an occasional rough night of sleep. In the context of the coronavirus pandemic, these difficulties getting to sleep that characterize insomnia may be more common. It is possible that changes in our lifestyle—sleeping in, disconnecting from natural light exposure, taking naps, not exercising, drinking more caffeine or alcohol, and going to bed early—have provoked additional difficulties. Fortunately, simple changes to revert to our healthy baseline may get someone back on track and help them to fall asleep fast. If problems persist, get help from a sleep professional.

For most of us, getting enough sleep isn’t a life-or-death kind of thing. Sure, we might make poor decisions, but our being sleepy at the marketing meeting tomorrow is not going to get someone killed.

During WWII, though, the U.S. military quickly got hip to the fact that if fighter pilots didn’t get sleep, their poor decisions had dire consequences. Their mishaps included errors that resulted in their being shot down–or shooting down guys on their own side.

Helping combat pilots get good rest fast became a priority.

So the military brought in naval ensign Bud Winter to develop and test a scientifically designed method of “teaching” sleep. Winter was previously a successful college football coach who had collaborated with a psychology professor to form techniques to help athletes relax and excel under pressure.

The relaxation hack Winter designed worked: After just six weeks of practice, 96 percent of pilots could fall asleep within 120 seconds. Even with distractions like gunfire in the background. Even after drinking coffee. Even sitting up.

If it works for combat pilots, it will work for you, regardless of how stressed you are about that meeting tomorrow.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Get into a comfortable position.

Obviously, if you’re in your bed, this is a non-issue. But if you’re out and about, get into the most comfortable position that’s feasible (i.e., lean your seat back if you’re in your car; find the most comfortable chair in the conference room if you’re napping at work).

2. Relax your face.

This is key to the whole thing. You have 43 muscles in your face, and they’re a big part of how your body knows whether you’re stressed. When you fully relax your face, you send a physiological signal to your body that all is well. It’s safe to sleep.

So close your eyes and relax your whole face: forehead, cheeks, tongue, and jaw. Let it all go slack. You’ll notice as you do this that your breathing naturally starts to deepen and slow.

Now make sure your eyes are fully relaxed. You have six muscles in your eye sockets; feel them all go limp.

3. Drop your shoulders.

Let them get heavy, and then let them go completely, as if they were falling down toward your feet. Let the back of your neck relax and go limp. Take a deep breath and let it out slowly, releasing any remaining tension there (most people store most tension in their shoulders, necks, and jaws).

Now your arms: Feel them get heavy and relax, starting with your dominant side. If you’re right-handed, start with your right bicep and feel it relax. If it’s not, tense it fully and then let it go slack. Repeat the process with your hands.

4. Let your legs go limp.

Feel your right quad sinking down, getting heavier and heavier. Next your right calf, ankle, and foot. Repeat on the other side.

5. Clear your mind for 10 seconds.

Now that you’ve fully relaxed your body, all it takes to fall into a deep sleep is to turn your brain off. (This is like that moment after you switch your iPhone off when it takes another few seconds for it to fully power down.)

What you really want to avoid are any thoughts that involve movement (“I’ve got to pick up that drycleaning tomorrow”; “Did I remember to put out the recycling?”). These thoughts actually prompt involuntary movement in your body. You don’t realize it, but just thinking about something causes micro-contractions in certain muscles.

Winter has some tips for what to “think” of instead–and remember, you’re holding this for 10 seconds straight:

First, we want you to fantasize that it is a warm spring day and you are lying in the bottom of a canoe on a very serene lake. You are looking up at a blue sky with lazy, floating clouds. Do not allow any other thought to creep in. Just concentrate on this picture and keep foreign thoughts out, particularly thoughts with any movement or motion involved. Hold this picture and enjoy it for 10 seconds.

In the second sleep-producing fantasy, imagine that you are in a big, black, velvet hammock and everywhere you look is black. You must also hold this picture for 10 seconds.

The third trick is to say the words “don’t think . . . don’t think . . . don’t think,” etc. Hold this, blanking out other thoughts for at least 10 seconds.

And that’s it. When you have a fully relaxed body and a mind that’s still for 10-plus seconds, you will fall asleep, period.

Remember that the pilots practiced the method over and over, and 96 percent of them achieved success after six weeks of practice. These weeks of practice are a worthwhile investment, because once you have it down, you can nap and sleep anywhere, which will dramatically improve your quality of life.

When you go to lie down at night, your routine may consist of tossing, turning, and hoping you can get any sleep at all. Not being able to fall asleep when you know you need it is extremely frustrating, and thinking about not sleeping only makes it worse.

There are classic ways to combat this, like tracking your sleep or turning off your phone. But what happens when those don’t do the trick? In order to turn your restless nights into sweet dreams, here are some simple ways you can try to sleep better tonight.

The Easiest Sleepy Tricks

Develop a Consistent Sleep Schedule

This is easier said than done, but it’s extremely possible and beneficial! One of the best ways to get your body to continually fall asleep quicker? Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

A great tip to maintain a consistent sleep schedule is to set a reminder on your phone an hour before you plan to sleep. That way, you can begin your nightly routine and be ready to rest in no time.

Power Down Completely

Believe it or not, there was a time before smartphones and Netflix existed and were able to keep us up at night. In order to fall asleep faster, channel that old spirit and power down all your electronics— and I mean all of them. Whether it’s your television, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or even your lamp, power everything down to achieve complete and total darkness.

There’s a good reason for this tip, as our bodies require darkness in the evenings. Why? To aid in the release of melatonin, a hormone that determines the healthy timing of our sleep.

What do our electronic devices have to do with melatonin? Well, they emit blue lights, fooling the brain into thinking it’s still day time. When this happens, your body may delay releasing melatonin. This can make it quite difficult to fall asleep faster. So, shut down all electronics about an hour before you go to bed. You’ll turn your bedroom into a sleeping sanctuary!

Put Your Anxieties to Rest

Often, a large contributor to tossing and turning is anxiety. Whether you’re worrying about what happened that day or what’s to come, the stress can cause your mind to run aimlessly.

To combat this issue, try writing out your worries. Lay your anxieties to rest by putting them down on paper. Compile a list of things that you need to accomplish tomorrow so that you can forget about them tonight. You could even incorporate this into a larger sleep journaling practice where you record your hours sleep each night in a bullet journal. The goal then becomes finding recurring themes in the nights with fewer hours sleep and working on those issues.

Chill Out— Literally

When our bodies experience a drop in temperature, our melatonin levels are affected and we fall asleep quicker. Reducing your core temperature is a crucial part of fast tracking your way to hitting the hay. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the suggested bedroom temperature should be between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal sleep.

To help your body process this change, it might be a good idea to soak in a hot bath for around two hours before bedtime. This process may amplify the change in temperature. Once you step out of the bath, your dilated blood vessels begin to radiate out inner heat, and your core body temperature begins to drop.

Avoid Clock-Watching

No matter how hard it may be, do not look at your clock. It doesn’t matter if you look at the clock in the middle of the night or while you’re trying to sleep. The bottom line is that having a clock in your room is more hurtful than helpful. If possible, remove the clock completely from your room to avoid watching it. You might not expect it, but this move will increase your chances of falling asleep faster by a landslide.

Avoid Naps During the Day

We all love a good nap. Whether you come home from a busy day at work or you’re tired from poor sleep from the night before, a simple nap does just the trick. But when it comes to falling asleep faster, it’s important to avoid naps like the plague if you find they keep you up at night.

While there are mixed opinions about the effects of napping on nighttime sleep, it’s crucial to find out if naps are affecting your sleep. To do so, try either eliminating naps altogether or limiting yourself to a short nap early in the day. See how you feel and make a judgment call from there.

Limit Caffeine Consumption

From the moment you wake up in the morning, a chemical called adenosine builds up in your brain to make you feel sleepier the longer you stay awake. Caffeine intake can block the adenosine, causing you to get a jolt of energy… only to result in a caffeine crash later. Just like any bad habit, the caffeine will have you craving more to boost your energy, resulting in a never-ending cycle.

To prevent caffeine affecting the time it takes for you to fall asleep, avoid caffeine after 2 p.m. The average half-life of caffeine is five to seven hours, making it crucial that you implement this rule if you want to fall asleep faster.

Don’t Do Anything in Bed That Isn’t Sleep

If you have a habit of doing work, homework, or anything non-sleep related in bed, you might want to consider stopping. If you continually do things in bed that don’t involve sleeping, your brain may begin to associate that space with those stressful activities. That makes it increasingly hard to unwind at night. By making your bed a technology and work-free zone, you can work to get the sleep you need in a faster way.

The Four-Seven-Eight Method

There’s a sleeping technique that’s known as “relaxing breath.” It involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, then exhaling for 8 seconds. This breathing pattern helps reduce anxiety and guide you to sleep. If at any point experience lightheadedness, stop using the technique. Or, modify the length of your breaths to best suit your needs.

Seek Medical Help

If you make meaningful lifestyle changes to help you achieve the sleep you crave and still don’t get results, seeing a doctor may be a good idea. A physician may be able to see if you have a sleeping disorder that needs addressing, or even if your sleeplessness is a symptom of another health concern. Overall, seeking medical help will get you the appropriate treatment you need to put your sleeplessness (and you) to rest.

Not getting enough sleep will take a toll on your health and job performance. Robert Oexman, director of the Sleep to Live Institute, tells Business Insider that a “lack of sleep can manifest itself in erratic behavior, short tempers, and bad decision-making.”

Workers who are sleep-deprived are more likely to have difficulty remembering details and have a harder time dealing with high-stress situations. And those who regularly skimp on sleep — getting just one to two hours less than the hours you need — increase their risk of infection, weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease, says Oexman.

To help you get the rest you need, we’ve compiled five easy tricks to fall asleep faster:

1. Stick to a bedroom routine. You should participate in the same relaxing activities before heading to bed each night, says Oexman. Some helpful exercises include taking a hot bath or reading a book in low light. Oexman also recommends keeping your room cool (65 to 68 degrees F) and dark.

2. Don’t use your phone as an alarm clock. We know that we should set limits on technology usage before bedtime. You may not know that even having your phone nearby isn’t helping you sleep, since you may feel inclined to check it if you can’t fall asleep.
“Your bedroom should be reserved for sleep, sex, and nothing else,” says Oxeman. “There’s no excuse — if your cell phone is your alarm clock, then buy a $5 alarm clock and solve the problem.”

3. Practice deep breathing. Once you’re in bed, if your body is still wired from the day, you will have a difficult time falling asleep. According to an article on WebMD, when you practice deep breathing, your brain recognizes that you’re trying to relax and sends a message to your body to do so. “Those things that happen when you are stressed, such as increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease as you breathe deeply to relax.”

Vikki Stark advises in Psychology Today how to effectively breathe deeply: “On the inhale, visualize the clean, fresh air coming into your lungs, traveling around your body and cleansing all your cells. On the exhale, imagine all the toxins and negativity being safely expelled into the atmosphere, leaving your body restored. Focus on this steady, calm inhale-exhale, and I guarantee that you will start to feel more peaceful and relaxed. But it’s not going to happen the first time you try it. It’s an exercise so you need to practice it to get the best effect. Keep going till you feel your body let go.”

4. Relax the muscles in your toes. Progressive muscle relaxation is a method that helps relieve anxiety and stress, which often keeps people up at night. This technique requires you to focus on tensing and relaxing a specific muscle group. Catherine Darley, director of the Institute of Naturopathic Sleep Medicine in Seattle, advises focusing this progressive relaxation technique on your toes.
“Curl your toes tightly for a count of seven, and then relax,” she says in Health.com. “Repeat through each muscle group, working up from your toes to your neck.”

5. Participate in a mindless activity. Sleep expert Dr. Vicky Seelall recommends playing a mindless game, such as counting backwards from 100 in multiples of three. This rhythm of counting can put you in a sleepy state and is exactly the reason why people “count sheep” to fall asleep. Counting in multiples of three is more difficult than merely counting backwards and will force your brain to focus just on the counting so that your mind won’t wander into other thoughts.

This article originally appereared in Business Insider.

by Nicole Stine · Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Kimberly Langdon, M.D.,
15 · May 18, 2019 · Updated December 4, 2020 · Post may contain affiliate links.

Have you ever been around an individual that has absolutely no trouble falling asleep? You know the type of person I’m talking about, right? They can fall asleep immediately, no matter where they are? Yeahhhhhhhh, I’m insanely jealous of people like that. It is a talent that I desperately long for with every fiber of my being. You see, I’m one of those people that can take forever to fall asleep. While my sleep struggles issues have gotten better, occasionally I still struggle with how to fall asleep fast and I know I’m not the only one.

In fact, according to the CDC , almost a third of American adults are not getting enough sleep regularly. Adults need a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night and many of us just aren’t getting enough. Because of this, we’re desperate to find ways to help us fall asleep more quickly. Lack of sleep can negatively impact your health, and, let’s face it: life is just so much more pleasant when you get enough sleep! That’s why today, we’re going to be discussing some proven tips and tricks to show you how to fall asleep fast.

1. Reduce Stress Levels

Many times, sleep issues can be linked to stress . Our stress levels can directly impact our health and that includes how much sleep we’re getting. Whether you’re dealing with stress in your everyday life or you’ve experienced a significant stressful event, it can affect your sleep. So, naturally, the best thing to do is to take steps to relieve stress. Two of the simplest and healthiest ways to lower stress are to get regular exercise and take relaxing baths.

Exercising regularly is a fantastic way to alleviate stress and doing so will also improve your ability to get to sleep quickly and help you stay asleep. Not to mention that it’s (obviously) extremely beneficial for your overall health. Similarly, taking a relaxing bath before bedtime is a great stress-relieving activity. Baths are commonly known to promote relaxation, especially if you use Epsom salts and/or relaxing herbs.

2. Develop a Bedtime Routine

Sticking to a regular bedtime routine can do wonders for your sleep health! Plus, it’s incredibly simple to do. You just need to determine what your routine will look like and stick with it. Maybe your routine begins three hours before bedtime. Others will start only an hour or even thirty minutes before bed. Everybody’s routine will look different, so make sure to do what works best for you. Some ideas to incorporate in your bedtime routine include:

• Dimming the lights.
• Playing relaxing music.
• Reading a book.
• Taking a bath.
• Drinking a cup of herbal tea.
• Turning off all screens.
• Going to bed at a specific time.

3. Create an Atmosphere Conducive to Sleep

Although often overlooked, this is one of the most important areas in which to promote quality sleep. If your house is anything like mine, the bedroom can sometimes be the catch-all for anything and everything throughout the day. However, the bedroom should also be a place that promotes sleep , not discourages it. So, it’s okay if your bedroom is a multi-use room like mine. You just need to make sure that it’s also a place that is conducive to sleeping. Some tips to help you create a sleep-friendly environment include:

• Keep the bedroom dark. Use blackout curtains if necessary.
• Keep the temperature cool.
• Eliminate noise, if possible.
• Make your bedroom an enjoyable, relaxing space with decor you enjoy.
• Keep the bedroom neat and tidy.
• Make sure the bedroom smells nice with natural scents and essential oils.
• Make sure you have a comfortable bed and pillows.

4. How to Fall Asleep Fast with Herbs

Herbs like valerian root, chamomile, passion flower, and lavender are all great options if you’re looking for a natural sleep aid. Valerian , if taken approximately 30 minutes before bedtime can help promote relaxation, thus helping you fall asleep faster. Chamomile and lavender are both herbs that naturally help you relax and feel calm, and passion flower is considered beneficial for stress and sleep issues. Valerian can be taken in capsule form and a soothing cup of tea made up of lavender, chamomile, or passion flower before bed can be just what you need to fall asleep quickly.

5. How to Fall Asleep Fast with Essential Oils

Essential oils can also be used when dealing with sleep issues. When using oils known for their stress-relieving and sedative properties, you can create an environment that promotes quality sleep. Choose essential oils like lavender, chamomile, vetiver, or sweet orange and diffuse them in your bedroom at night to help you relax and fall asleep quickly or combine a few essential oils in a calming pillow spray.

6. Limit Things That Hinder Sleep

There are a number of things that can hinder sleep. It may seem like a no-brainer, but eliminating foods and even activities that affect your sleep will really make a difference in how quickly you are able to fall asleep.

Foods

Avoiding caffeine later in the day and even watching sugar consumption late at night can help if you have trouble falling asleep. In fact, this study suggests that consuming caffeine even six hours before bedtime be disruptive towards sleep. So, if you simply have to meet your daily coffee quota, just make sure you do it earlier in the day.

Are you a napper? If so, it may be affecting your ability to fall asleep at night . If you’re having a hard time falling asleep at bedtime, try to avoid napping during the day. However, if you must nap, limit it to short 30-45 minute naps that aren’t too late in the day. When I nap, I set my alarm and try to not let myself sleep past 3:00 in the afternoon, no matter how tired I am.

Screens

Limiting screen time at night may help you fall asleep faster as well. It can also help your brain wind down and prepare for bedtime. For some people, this can be especially hard. I know my screen time tends to increase in the evening as I watch TV and scroll through my phone after a long day. But the truth is, the blue light that screens emit can actually cause your body to suppress the release of melatonin, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. So, if you want to fall asleep faster, it’s best to avoid all screens right before you go to bed.

In Conclusion…

Today, I’ve given you several tips to help you fall asleep fast. However, it’s important to get to the root cause of your sleep issues and determine why it is that you’re struggling to fall asleep. Is it diet? Lifestyle? A cluttered bedroom? A traumatic, stressful event? Once you determine what is causing your sleep struggles, you can move forward with addressing it. Then, hopefully you can eliminate whatever is causing the issue, resulting in you falling asleep faster and enjoying a blissful night’s rest!

The ultimate gift that God has given us is the gift of sleep. The serene time of our lives wherein we forget all our troubles, escape reality and pretend to marry Leonardo DiCaprio. It really is amazing. However, as incredible as it is, some of us are unlucky in experiencing it. Falling asleep can be a real task sometimes. Despite being exhausted, some people have a lot of trouble falling asleep, and if you’re of those, you know just how terrible that feeling is. So, we asked Malini’s Girl Tribe for some quirky, quick and easy tips to fall asleep.

1. A Cup Of Bournvita

Bournvita is like your childhood in a cup. While it energises you through your school day and gully cricket, it also has the magical ability to take that energy away. Having a warm cup of milk with Bournvita before sleeping may help you fall asleep faster. Plus, it tastes delicious.

2. Watch Race 3

Race 3 was a roller-coaster of emotions, many being emotions of boredom. This tip is extremely unusual, but it may do just the trick. After all, what you do before falling asleep is up to you. Your business is your business, none of our business.

3. Put Garlic Under The Pillow

Believe it or not, there is actual science behind this tip. Putting garlic under your pillow results in a release of sulphurous compounds during the night, which has a calming effect on us. Hence, it helps us fall asleep faster and deeper. How very (c)lovely!

4. Hear The Sound Of (Waves) Music

A glass of water is good for the body and the noise of water is good for the mind. The sound of waves have a placid and calming effect on us and help us sleep quicker. Many people are uncomfortable sleeping in silence, and this is a great way to solve that.

5. Use Lots Of Lavender

Malini’s Girl Tribe really stressed on the use of lavender, whether it was drinking lavender tea, rubbing on lavender oil or lighting a lavender-scented candle. Lavender is clearly pure magic when it comes falling asleep. It smells, tastes and looks really good too!

6. Count Backwards

All of life’s problems can be solved by simple math, and this is yet another example of that. Counting backwards is an old, but a golden trick to falling asleep. Like all math, this too drains out your brain and before you know it, you are snoring away.

7. Have Children

This one is a double-edged sword and can go either way, really. Either your children will keep you up the entire night or tire you out so much in the day that you instantly crash in your bed. We recommend not to experiment with this tip as it is rather permanent and may not help you sleep.

8. Don’t Think About Falling Asleep

This is self-explanatory. The more you think about falling asleep, the more pressure you put on yourself. And this just leads to stress which does the exact opposite of helping you sleep. Instead, try thinking about a calm memory, listening to nature sounds and basically focusing on anything but sleep, and it should do the trick.

Sleep is an essential service, especially during these stressful times. Lack of sleep can have extremely harmful effects on your body and mind. However, if these tips don’t work for you and you find yourself struggling to fall asleep and battling insomnia, please do consult a doctor or a therapist.

What did you think about these quirky tricks to fall asleep? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Join Malini’s Girl Tribe on Facebook and Instagram to be a part of more fun conversations!