10 Tips to Fall Asleep Fast – Improve Sleep Hygiene and Quality

Having trouble sleeping? You’re not alone, we’ve experienced it too and have even scoured the internet to find you these 10 tips to fall asleep fast.

We all sometimes yearn for ways to drift off swiftly and enjoy uninterrupted sleep. While there’s no magic remedy, adopting healthy habits can indeed pave the way to falling asleep effortlessly. The term ‘sleep hygiene’ might conjure images of a pre-bedtime cleanse, yet it’s a concept that goes much deeper. It embodies a mix of scientifically endorsed habits and routines aimed at enhancing both sleep quality and duration. Implementing these practices is fundamentally simple, yet habitual hurdles, addictive behaviors, and the perpetual “lack of time” often pose challenges to establishing and sustaining beneficial sleep hygiene rituals.

Noticing a struggle to fall asleep or stay that way can be the first sign that your sleep setup isn’t ideal. Does it often take you more than 15 minutes to fall asleep? Or perhaps, you doze off quickly but wake up repeatedly through the night. It might also be a restless quest for the right temperature, tossing between too hot and too cold.

It’s surely aggravating, and you’re not alone in this. Over a third of people don’t manage to get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep, and nearly half feel drowsy during the day on most days of the week. The number of people facing insomnia is also quite startling.

Certain signs should serve as a wake-up call to rethink your sleep habits. These include disturbances like sleep apnea, unrest due to temperature, trouble falling asleep, snoring, and waking up feeling drained or foggy-headed, with the fatigue lingering throughout the day.

If this resonates with you, it’s crucial to pay attention. Sleep is indeed the golden link binding our physical and mental wellbeing. The repercussions of inadequate sleep are serious, spanning from economic losses to accident risks, mental health issues, and reduced quality of life. Sleep deprivation can trigger increased stress, physical discomfort, emotional turmoil, and cognitive or performance dips.

On the flip side, a good night’s sleep leaves us feeling more joyful and less anxious. It boosts our performance, nurtures relationships, hastens recovery, enhances creativity, and sharpens decision-making. The encouraging part is, improving your sleep might be easier than anticipated. So, let’s delve into how to fall asleep fast and maintain that restful state. It’s all about cultivating durable and consistent sleep-friendly habits. In the following section, we’ll unfold 9 actionable tips to refine your sleep hygiene and ways to monitor your sleep progress.

1. Establish a Sleep Schedule

Setting a consistent sleep schedule should be a priority for anyone aiming to enhance sleep hygiene and sleep quality. We understand that sticking to the exact same sleep and wake times may be challenging for many.

We all possess an internal 24-hour clock, referred to as our circadian rhythm. By maintaining a somewhat strict sleep schedule, we signal to our master clock when we plan to sleep and wake each night, which in turn influences our ease of falling asleep and waking up refreshed. It’s known that bed timing, light exposure, and meal size/timing are major factors affecting our circadian rhythm and the release of sleep-promoting hormones based on these manageable factors.

2. Create a Routine to Get Ready for Bed

Among our cherished bedtime routines are guided meditation, reading, sipping a sleep-inducing tea, taking a warm bath, utilizing sleep supplements, and ensuring the room is sufficiently dark. However, sleep hygiene practices are not confined to these activities, they extend to any relaxing and sleep-promoting habit that facilitates a smooth transition from wakefulness to slumber. For those with a bustling mind, we’ve noticed that journaling can be quite effective, helping to transfer thoughts from mind to paper.

Expanding on this, you might also consider adding a touch of calm music or ambient sounds to your routine, which can create a soothing atmosphere conducive to sleep. Gentle stretching or yoga can also be a wonderful way to release any physical tension before bed. Moreover, establishing a gadget-free zone can be a game changer; keeping electronics away at least an hour before bed can significantly improve the quality of sleep. It’s about crafting a pre-sleep routine that signals your body that it’s time to wind down. Experimenting with different activities might unveil what works best for you in shedding the day’s stresses and stepping into a restful night.

3. Meditiate

Meditation is a prime tool if you’re aiming to discover how to fall asleep quickly. It’s flexible, allowing you to engage in it sitting, lying down, standing, with eyes open or closed, guided or unguided—whatever suits you. From a scientific perspective, meditation has been proven to lower several physiological markers such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, oxygen consumption, adrenaline levels, and cortisol levels, which is a hormone released in response to stress.

Engaging the parasympathetic nervous system through meditation helps quiet the mind, enabling the body to follow suit and relax. If meditation feels a bit off at first, don’t fret—we recommend exploring one of these 6 free meditation apps to find what resonates with you. Whether you prefer meditating in silence or under the guidance of an instructor, aiming for a session of 10 minutes or more can significantly enhance sleep quality. However, adjusting the duration to what feels right for you is perfectly fine too, the key is to find what works best for your routine and sticking to it.

4. Adjust the Temperature

Temperature plays a pivotal role in how swiftly we can drift off to sleep and remain asleep. Contrary to the cozy thought of a warm room, research pinpoints the ideal sleeping temperature to be between 20-23 degrees Celsius (65F) for enhancing sleep quality. The trifecta for a sleep-conducive environment boils down to it being cool, quiet, and dark. Moreover, it’s easy to go overboard with heavy duvets and thick blankets which might disrupt the cool ambiance needed.

Individual preferences for sleep temperature may vary, often posing a challenge for couples sharing a bed. This disparity in temperature preference could morph into a persistent issue. However, we’ve stumbled upon a gem called the BedJet, a perfect solution for both singles and couples. It enables setting dual temperatures on different zones of the bed, managed via a cooling box. Additionally, indulging in a warm bath 10-15 minutes before hitting the hay is a part of our sleep routine, as it effectively lowers the core body temperature, setting the right stage for a seamless transition into slumber.

5. Control the Lighting in the Room

A room bathed in light can make falling asleep fast nearly impossible, as light cues our body to remain alert. It’s wise to dim the lights in any room you’re in, about an hour before bedtime.

We touched on how light profoundly impacts our internal body clock earlier. It’s no secret that the brightness of daylight can hinder our ability to drift off, thanks to our circadian rhythm.

The struggle to fall asleep can worsen with a room awash in artificial light or eyes exposed to the glow of electronic devices before bed. The intrusion of street lights and the glaring blue light from phones and laptops can trick our body into thinking it’s still daytime, thereby delaying the time to sleep and suppressing the release of melatonin, a crucial sleep-inducing hormone.

Bright lights can mislead our inner clock into daytime mode, reducing melatonin secretion, and making bedtime feel less inviting. Conversely, soaking up enough natural light during the day aligns our body clock correctly. It’s noteworthy that timed exposure to bright light is a common remedy for circadian rhythm sleep disorders, underscoring the pivotal role light exposure plays in tuning our body clocks.

Pro Tip: Use blackout curtains on all of your windows to reduce incoming light by over 99%.

6. Exercise

Exercise has been linked to better sleep, both through personal experiences and scientific evidence. A 2017 study revealed that a regular workout routine can indeed foster better sleep. While the exact connection between exercise and improved sleep isn’t entirely clear, morning workouts might help in setting our circadian rhythm right, and the release of certain hormones could also promote sleep.

However, it’s advisable to steer clear of exercising too close to bedtime as it triggers the release of cortisol, a stress hormone. Matthew Walker, in his sleep masterclass, mentions four gentle workouts suitable for pre-bedtime—yoga, walking, light swimming, and light weightlifting. According to sleep experts, engaging in exercise anytime during the day can enhance sleep quality. Yet, it’s recommended to wind up intense workouts, like strength training or aerobic exercises, two to three hours before you plan to hit the bed, ensuring your body has ample time to transition into a restful state for sleep.

7. Avoid Eating Close to Bedtime – Tips to Fall Asleep Fast

Considering the type, timing, and size of your meals is crucial for better sleep hygiene. Some foods can negatively impact digestion, leading to discomfort when bedtime nears.

It’s wise to avoid spicy, overly sugary, citrusy, or greasy foods before bed. Moreover, having a large meal too close to bedtime can be troublesome, regardless of the food quality.

One study demonstrated that poorly timed meals can mess with our circadian rhythms and potentially increase obesity risk. It suggested that aligning meal times with individual circadian patterns could lessen cardio-metabolic disease risk and assist in weight loss. This is because it typically takes about 3 to 4 hours for your stomach to empty. So, lying down right after a hearty meal means your digestive system is still hard at work, which can interfere with your ability to fall asleep swiftly and enjoy a restful night’s sleep.

8. Avoid Stimulants Like Caffeine in the Afternoon – Tips to Fall Asleep Fast

The lure of an afternoon pick-me-up, especially on hectic days or before a workout, is strong. However, be cautious with coffee and pre-workouts post-lunch as they contain caffeine. Remember, caffeine has a half-life of around 5 hours, so a post-lunch coffee could keep you buzzing when it’s time to wind down for sleep.

This highlights that good sleep hygiene is an all-day endeavor. If sleep eludes you, consider avoiding coffee, non-herbal teas, pre-workouts, and other caffeinated items post-lunch as a first step. One study pointed out that many adults’ sleep is “sandwiched” between a day of caffeine intake and the next, affecting sleep quality and duration. Breaking the “coffee cycle” might be tough but could be a significant step towards better sleep hygiene. It’s worth mentioning that alcohol, too, is on the list of beverages to steer clear of before bed, backed by multiple studies on its negative effects on sleep.

9. Avoid Technology Close to Bed & Use Blue Light Glasses – Tips to Fall Asleep Fast

A simple search for “tips to fall asleep fast” reveals countless articles urging us to turn off our devices at night. We’re a society tethered to our phones, and as hinted earlier in our discussion on minimizing light, these gadgets might be our sleep’s worst enemy.

A staggering 90% of people confess to using technology near or in bed. We emphasize that the bed is reserved for two things: sleep and intimacy. And it’s not just about avoiding screen time; it’s also about creating physical distance between you and your device, or at least switching it to silent.

Numerous studies have highlighted the disruptive effects of phone ringtones on cognitive performance and sleep. The takeaway? Avoid sleeping with your phone beside your head or, worse, under your pillow. The continuous radiation, ringtones, and vibrations are serious threats to your sleep hygiene.

Further research reveals a direct link: the more time we spend glued to our phone or device, the harder it becomes to fall asleep.

The duo of screens and sleep is a mismatch. The blend of light exposure and brain stimulation from an endless stream of games, emails, and messages easily sabotages your sleep onset. Our suggestion? Dim the lights post-dinner and switch your phone to “flight mode” or “do not disturb” an hour before bed.

If device use is unavoidable, we recommend mitigating blue light effects by utilizing Blue Light Blocking glasses.

10. Start Using a Sleep Tracker – Tips to Fall Asleep Fast

A sleep tracker can be a game-changer when it comes to understanding and improving the quality of your sleep. By monitoring various parameters such as sleep stages, movement, heart rate, and even oxygen levels, it provides invaluable insights into your nightly rest. Over time, spotting patterns becomes easier, which in turn helps in identifying issues that may be disrupting your sleep. For instance, if you notice that your deep sleep stages are scant, it could be an indicator to adjust your bedtime routine. Additionally, sleep trackers often come with accompanying apps that provide tailored suggestions based on the data collected, like adjusting your bedtime or wakeup time, which can help in establishing a consistent sleep schedule. This way, you’re not just getting raw data, but actionable insights to better your sleep.

Moreover, having a tangible record of your sleep patterns can also serve as a motivation to maintain healthier sleep habits. The feedback from the tracker can encourage you to stick to a consistent bedtime, avoid caffeine or heavy meals before bed, or make other lifestyle adjustments that promote better sleep. Furthermore, the data collected can be shared with healthcare professionals to get a more accurate diagnosis in case of sleep disorders. In a way, sleep trackers foster a more proactive approach to improving sleep quality, making you more aware and in control of your sleep hygiene. Over time, these informed adjustments, guided by the sleep tracker, can significantly enhance the overall quality of sleep, leading to better health and well-being.

Related Article: Best Sleep Trackers of 2024

Sleep matters as it aids in healing, stress management, problem-solving, and improving motor skills. It’s not just about the hours slept, but the quality of that sleep too.

In this article, we’ve discussed various factors that can enhance sleep quality and quantity. It’s key to understand the value of sleep and let go of the notion that being busy with less sleep is admirable. Discovering what improves your sleep and tracking it with affordable technology is a smart move towards better rest.