10 Tips to Fall Asleep Fast
Most of us could use more sleep, but that’s often easier said than done. If you find yourself tossing, turning, and checking the time on your phone several times before you drift off, you might need to make a few changes to your lifestyle and bedtime routine.
Get better sleep and wake up refreshed with holistic methods to promote better sleep.
1. Keep Your Room Comfortable
Comfort is one of the biggest factors in determining how fast you’ll fall asleep. If you feel like you’re sweaty and sticking to your itchy covers on your lumpy mattress, you’re not getting to sleep any time soon.
Sleep studies suggest that people sleep better at cooler temperatures. The best range is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Turning down the thermostat or investing in a window air conditioning unit is worthwhile, especially if it promotes your ability to get much-needed sleep.
Choose bedding that’s appropriate for the weather. You need a blanket that provides the right warmth and feels comfortable against your skin. Pick a pillow that provides proper neck support for your desired sleeping position. Side sleepers may need a different pillow from back sleepers or stomach sleepers.
Lastly, consider replacing your mattress. It’s a huge investment, but if your mattress is old and can no longer provide adequate support, you will wake up sore every morning. If a new bed isn’t in the cards, try a thick mattress topper that supports your body better than your mattress does.
2. Support Your Circadian Rhythm
Your body produces hormones like melatonin that help your body enter sleep mode at nighttime. This requires your body to clearly understand when it’s daytime and when it’s nighttime. If you aren’t getting enough sun exposure during the day or you have constant bright light exposure at night, your body will get confused.
Spending time outside is an easy way to help your body get the message. If you have a lot to do inside, sit next to the windows and keep the curtains drawn to invite in as much natural light as possible.
3. Practice Meditation
If you have trouble falling asleep because of all the thoughts swimming around your head, meditation is an easy way to make them stop through simple breathing techniques and visualization. Mindfulness meditation encourages you to let your thoughts pass over you without lingering. The result is a clear and free mind.
The best thing about mindfulness meditation is that it is easy, simple, and accessible. You can do it in any relaxing spot at home, whenever you feel like it, for as long as possible.
Practice meditation before bedtime or at any other time when you feel a little too wound up. A meditation break might be exactly what you need to calm down and approach things with refreshed energy and better mental focus if you're dealing with a mountain of work.
4. Get Rid of Your Screens
As you get closer to your bedtime routine, put your screens away. Your phone and your TV can hinder your ability to get to a deep sleep in multiple ways. The first way is the direct and disruptive result from the light of your screen.
Like the light emitted by almost every device you use, blue light can negatively impact your circadian rhythm. Blue light is similar to sunlight, and your brain regards them the same way. Exposure to blue dim light and nighttime can confuse your circadian rhythm, delaying the body’s process of naturally preparing for a good night’s sleep.
The second reason is that whatever you’re doing on those screens stimulates your mind. You're having fun when you’re watching something, scrolling through your feed, or messaging your friends. You’re keeping your mind engaged and alert, which is the opposite of what you should be doing when trying to unwind.
5. Eat and Drink Mindfully
If you go to bed feeling bloated from a heavy meal, you will have a hard time getting comfortable. If your body isn’t properly nourished, it won’t be able to support, repair, and recover while you’re sleeping. If you get heartburn or acid from certain foods, you already know that it tends to keep you up all night.
It might be time to tweak your diet. You don’t need to make monumental changes if you’re otherwise healthy. You simply need to ensure that your diet is balanced. Make sure you’re getting enough protein and incorporating whole foods.
Take a multivitamin to fill in your dietary gaps if you’re a picky eater.
You should also watch the things you drink. If you’re sensitive to the effects of caffeine, it may be wise to cut out caffeinated beverages in the early afternoon. Your post-dinner cup of coffee may be too stimulating at bedtime, causing you to toss and turn.
There’s nothing wrong with the occasional glass of wine if you’re a healthy adult, but you should be mindful of how much you drink on special occasions. Alcohol can disrupt your body in many ways. You’ll be queasy, dehydrated, and have your sleep quality patterns interrupted.
6. Utilize Aromatherapy
Many people have a cabinet full of essential oils and no idea what to do with them. Try a little bedtime aromatherapy with a warm bath. Aromatherapy works by stimulating your olfactory system, the system of your body that recognizes scents and relays information to your brain.
Your olfactory system will then send cues to your limbic system, the part of your brain responsible for modulating your mood.
Most studies on aromatherapy used lavender essential oil to promote a calm mood or practice good sleep hygiene. There’s no reason you need to use lavender essential oil if you aren't into it. If you find mint, jasmine, rose, eucalyptus or even rosemary essential oil has a positive impact on the way you feel, go for it.
Put a few drops of aromatherapy into a diffuser with some water. Place the diffuser in a place where you can easily smell it from your bed. When you lay down, close your eyes and take deep breaths.
Focus on the way the scent makes you feel and clear your mind. Live in the moment until you drift off.
7. Find a Soothing Hobby
Many people find that they can’t go straight from cleaning up after dinner to falling right asleep. You need a gentle segue to take you from point A to B. The best thing to do is find a stimulating hobby to help you wind down, but not so intense that it will keep your mental or physical energy up.
Reading, listening to relaxing music, knitting, or sketching are great gentle nighttime hobbies. Just don’t do them in bed. You don’t want your bed to become an activity space. Have a designated relaxing area to chill out before you go to bed. When you’re done, put your hobby down and get into bed.
8. Journal at Bedtime
One of the best relaxation techniques is to mentally prepare your priorities for the next day. If you have too much on your mind to go to bed, a journal can help. A journal provides you with a way to organize your thoughts, ideas, experiences, and plans. A journal is a place where you can vent about unpleasant moments and express gratitude for the wonderful things that happened to you.
Write out what’s stressing you, and finish by putting a positive spin on things. End on a happy note. Talk about your dreams and goals. Reflect on acts of kindness and nice things that happened to you. Even if the best part of your day was a really nice dog you met outside the coffee shop, that’s still great. Work to find your silver linings and lay down with a positive mindset.
9. Pick a Bedtime and a Wake Time
The best way to get your body on a schedule that will allow you to fall asleep fast is to adopt a ritual. If you go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning, your healthy sleep habits and schedule will function like clockwork.
You’ll be able to feel your eyelids when bedtime is approaching, and you’ll wake up refreshed.
Adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep a night for optimal function. You might be one of those who only need seven hours, or you might need the whole 9 hours to feel your best. Your body will tell you if you adhere to a sleep schedule for a while.
Split the difference and set a bedtime and wake time at least eight hours apart. Stick to it for a few weeks. Eventually, it will become easy. You’ll fall asleep moments after your head hits the pillow, and you might wake up just a few minutes before your alarm goes off.
10. Use CBD
CBD is a holistic wellness aid that assists in many of your body’s most essential functions, including sleep. Many people find that using CBD every night, an hour or so before bed, helps them unwind.
CBD can ease mental and physical tension, helping you relax. To maximize the benefits, you can combine CBD with things like relaxing hobbies, lifestyle changes, journaling, and aromatherapy.
Make Peels a Part of Your Bedtime Routine
Peels CBD is naturally THC-free because it’s made from oranges instead of hemp. It’s non-habit forming and doesn’t have any hangover-like side effects like over-the-counter sleep aids. It doesn’t make you drowsy -- it just makes you feel good. Add Peels to your bedtime ritual.
Sources
The Best Temperature for Sleep: Advice & Tips | Sleep Foundation
The inner clock—Blue light sets the human rhythm | National Institutes of Health
Alcohol and the Sleeping Brain - PMC | National Institutes of Health