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Dec 8, 2023 · From evaluating your bedroom environment to optimizing your sleep schedule, our approach to getting better sleep includes specific actions that you can take to make it easier to fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake up feeling well rested.
- Overview
- 20 tips to help you fall asleep
- Lower the room temperature
- Try the 4-7-8 breathing method
- Set a sleep schedule
- Experience both daylight and darkness
- Practice yoga, meditation, and mindfulness
- Avoid looking at your clock
- Avoid naps during the day
- Watch when and what you eat
Small changes in your sleep routine may help you fall asleep faster. These might include making the room cooler, practicing the 4-7-8 breathing method, and avoiding screens before bedtime.
Proper sleep is vital for physical and mental well-being.
However, nearly 35% of the American population experiences trouble sleeping, which may have negative cognitive and physical effects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Poor sleep may increase your risk of:
•cardiovascular disease
•type 2 diabetes
If you’re experiencing trouble falling asleep, here are 20 ways to help you fall asleep as fast as possible.
A hot sleeping environment may affect a person’s thermoregulation, which could in turn impact their sleep quality.
Thermoregulation is your body’s internal temperature.
When you lie down and prepare for sleep, your body begins to shed heat through blood vessel dilation. This process sends a sleep onset signal to your body.
Gradually, your core body temperature decreases until waking up again.
Maintaining a room temperature ranging from 60–67°F (15.6–19.4°C), per the National Sleep Foundation, may help keep your body temperature low and promote sleep onset.
A 2019 research review suggests that bathing in warm water 1–2 hours before sleep may also speed up thermoregulation and help you fall asleep faster.
Steps to complete one cycle
1.Place the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth. 2.Exhale completely through your mouth and make a “whoosh” sound. 3.Close your mouth and inhale through your nose while mentally counting to 4. 4.Hold your breath and mentally count to 7. 5.Open your mouth and exhale completely, making a “whoosh” sound while mentally counting to 8. 6.Repeat this cycle at least three more times. Was this helpful?
A sleep schedule may help you fall asleep faster.
Your body has its own near-24-hour regulatory system called the circadian rhythm. This internal clock cues your body to feel alert during the day but sleepy at night.
It also has an important role in maintaining physiological cycles, such as your metabolism, thermoregulation, and sleep-wake cycles.
Waking up and going to bed at the same time each day could help regulate your internal clock.
Once your body adjusts to this schedule, it’ll be easier to fall asleep and wake up around the same time every day.
Lastly, research recommends giving yourself 30–45 minutes to wind down in the evening before getting in bed. This may allow your body and mind to relax and prepare for sleep.
Per research published in 2022, light exposure could influence your body’s internal clock, which regulates sleep and wakefulness. It may also help dictate the duration, timing, and quality of your sleep.
Research suggests that every additional hour spent outside may lead to sleep onset happening 30 minutes earlier.
Daylight exposure may also increase evening fatigue, as well as sleep duration and quality.
That said, timing is important, as too much evening light exposure may prevent you from falling asleep and hinder melatonin production.
Melatonin is an essential hormone for sleep that’s produced in darkness.
Finding a balance between light and darkness is therefore important. This could be done by exposing your body to daylight throughout the day and using blackout curtains at night.
When people are stressed, they tend to have difficulty falling asleep.
Research suggests that yoga may positively effect the quality, efficiency, and duration of sleep.
Yoga encourages the practice of breathing patterns and body movements that could help release the accumulated stress and tension in your body.
A 2012 research review suggests that meditation may enhance melatonin levels and help the brain enter a state where sleep is more easily achieved.
Waking up in the middle of the night is normal, but not being able to fall back asleep may be frustrating.
It’s common for people with insomnia to look at their clock every time they wake up. This is known as clock-watching or time monitoring behavior (TMB), which research suggests may increase brain stimulation and exacerbate anxious feelings of sleeplessness.
Waking on a regular basis without falling back asleep may also cause your body to develop a routine. As a result, you might find yourself waking up in the middle of the night every night.
Removing the clock from your room may help reduce your feelings of sleep-related anxiety. Alternatively, if you need an alarm in the room, you can turn your clock around to avoid looking at it when you wake up during the night.
Poor sleep at night may lead to daytime napping. In fact, research indicates that nearly 40% of the American population unintentionally falls asleep during the day at least once a month.
While short naps may improve alertness and well-being, there’s mixed research about the effects of napping on nighttime sleep.
In a small 2015 study involving 440 college students, the poorest nighttime sleep quality was observed in those who reported taking 3 or more naps per week, those who napped for more than 2 hours, and those who napped late (between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m).
A small 2016 study involving 236 healthy high school students suggests that daytime napping may lead to shorter nighttime sleep duration, and lower sleep quality and efficiency.
That said, a 2022 literature review suggests that daytime naps do not negatively impact an adult’s nighttime sleep.
To find out if naps are affecting your sleep, try eliminating them altogether or limiting yourself to a 30-minute nap early in the day.
The time you eat during the day may affect your sleep quality.
Research results from the American Time Use Survey suggest that eating within 1 hour before bedtime increases your chances of waking up after falling asleep.
The types of food you eat may also affect your sleep quality.
For example, one research review suggests that even though a high carb diet may get you to fall asleep faster, it will not be restful sleep. Instead, high fat meals could promote a deeper and more restful sleep.
- Rudy Mawer, Msc, CISSN
- Increase bright light exposure during the day. Your body has a natural time-keeping clock known as your circadian rhythm. It affects your brain, body, and hormones, helping you stay awake and telling your body when it’s time to sleep.
- Reduce blue light exposure in the evening. Exposure to light during the day is beneficial, but nighttime light exposure has the opposite effect. Again, this is due to its effect on your circadian rhythm, tricking your brain into thinking it’s still daytime.
- Don’t consume caffeine late in the day. Caffeine has numerous benefits and is consumed by 90% of the U.S. population. A single dose can enhance focus, energy, and sports performance.
- Reduce irregular or long daytime naps. While short power naps are beneficial, long or irregular napping during the day can negatively affect your sleep.
May 7, 2022 · Consider simple tips for better sleep, from setting a sleep schedule to including physical activity in your daily routine. By Mayo Clinic Staff. Many factors can interfere with a good night's sleep — from work stress and family responsibilities to illnesses. It's no wonder that quality sleep is sometimes elusive.
- Stick to A Sleep ScheduleSet aside no more than eight hours for sleep. The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours. Most people don't need m...
- Pay Attention to What You Eat and DrinkDon't go to bed hungry or stuffed. In particular, avoid heavy or large meals within a couple of hours of bedtime. Your discomfort might keep you up...
- Create A Restful EnvironmentCreate a room that's ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and quiet. Exposure to light might make it more challenging to fall asleep. A...
- Include Physical Activity in Your Daily RoutineRegular physical activity can promote better sleep. Avoid being active too close to bedtime, however.Spending time outside every day might be helpf...
- Know When to Contact Your DoctorNearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night — but if you often have trouble sleeping, contact your doctor. Identifying and treating any under...
Feb 1, 2024 · 120 seconds. FAQ. Takeaway. Relaxation and breathing techniques, visualizing a calming scene, and improving your sleep hygiene, among other methods, may help you fall asleep faster. Are you...
Jan 3, 2024 · Summary. When someone is unable to fall asleep, they can take medications that induce sleep. However, natural techniques such as avoiding screens before bed, reading, doing gentle exercises, or...
