20 Helpful Methods on How to Fall Asleep Fast! [Proven Methods]

How to fall asleep fast – The hustle and bustle of city life attracts one and all. However, the urban lifestyle comes with a price to pay. The constant on-the-go attitude gets with it constant stress, anxiety and other mental health disorders. All of this has a major impact on our sleep cycles.

More often than not, even though our bodies are tired after a long day, our brain still refuses to slow down and relax, making falling asleep a task. There are a lot of reasons because of which one has trouble falling asleep. These could range from bad lifestyle habits, psychological disorders to medical problems too.

Whatever the problem may be, a good night’s sleep is extremely crucial. 6 hours of rest is important for our bodies and brains to remain productive the next day. People resort to many techniques in order to achieve a peaceful full night sleep. Some practice yoga asanas, some meditate while some try a digital detox to fall asleep faster.

Why are You Facing Problems falling Asleep?

Poor sleeping habits can be a result of a lot of problems. Not getting enough sleep can make you cranky and result in a loss of concentrating, thus affecting your day to day activities. Here is a list of reasons why you could be facing an issue in falling asleep-

#1 Sleep disorders like Insomnia or mood disorders like anxiety and depression

One of the top causes of not being able to sleep, or facing trouble in falling asleep roots out of psychological reasons. Insomnia is a common sleep disorder wherein an individual loses his/her ability to fall asleep. There could be a lot of reasons for such a disorder. It could be due to stress and tension regarding your work life or a personal cause.

It could also be because of mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. Such issues restrict one’s ability to fall asleep at the right time. People suffering from sleep disorders more often than not, end up popping sleeping pills for relief.

#2 Jet Lag

Jet lag is a temporary sleep disorder that affects people when they travel across different time zones. Our bodies and brains have a slightly difficult time adjusting to the change in geographies since it follows an internal clock of itself too. This internal clock goes out of sync when you travel across countries and continents, resulting in a disturbed sleep or no sleep at all.

#3 Diet

“Breakfast like a king, Lunch like a prince and Dinner like a pauper”, is a proverb we all have heard at some point in our lives. A lot of people face problems falling asleep because they have had a large dinner before bed time. Eating large quantities of food before bed time can cause obstructions in falling asleep.

#4 Stress

Stress arises as a result of the lifestyle one leads. Tension and stress is a major reason why people face trouble falling asleep. It could be about anything and everything. A student could be worried about an upcoming exam, a businessman could be stressed about a major business deal, and a homemaker could be worried about her household’s budget. Stress is something which plagues one and all, and makes sleeping difficult.

#5 Use of technological gadgets like mobile phones and laptops

Using your mobile or working on your laptops before going to bed obstructs the process of falling asleep. It is very important to be in a position of relaxation when you go to bed so that you can fall asleep fast. Using a gadget distracts your mind and makes falling asleep difficult.

Check out this 8 ways to get rid of hickeys. Will surely help you out!

#6 Pain

A lot of times one faces trouble in falling asleep as a result of some sort of pain. It could be because of those 10 extra push-ups you indulged in at the gym or it could be because of running that extra mile. Your pain could also be chronic in nature like pain in the joints or knees. This makes falling asleep at night difficult and many times people feel the need to pop a pain-killer to attain some relief

#7 Consumption of Caffeine

One should always avoid drinking coffee or any caffeine-based drink after 7 pm since caffeine makes it difficult for you to fall asleep. One could opt for decaf coffees instead if the need so arises.

#8 Gastrointestinal problems

Gastric issues like acid reflux makes you constantly feel uneasy, making falling asleep difficult. These gastrointestinal issues could either be chronic in nature, or could have arose as a result of consuming a big dinner.

#9 Respiratory disorders

People suffering from respiratory problems that cause them to breathe unevenly face a lot of issues when trying to fall asleep. Their quality of sleep is affected by their way of breathing. Such people wake up frequently while sleeping or have trouble falling asleep at all.

#10 Consumption of Nicotine

People who smoke cigarettes consume a lot of nicotine throughout the day. Nicotine has a similar effect on our sleeping patterns like caffeine does. Chain smokers generally are light sleepers because of their high consumption of nicotine or suffer from insomnia.

20 Methods on How to Fall Asleep Fast?

The importance of a good night’s sleep cannot be overemphasized. It defines the productivity and performance of your brain and body the next day. If the usual counting sheep method does not work for you, here are a few ways that you can employ to fall asleep faster-

#1 Meditate before going to bed

Meditate for a minute or two before going to bed. Meditation and mindfulness helps to calm your brains down. This helps in attaining a state of relaxation which makes falling asleep easier. Your meditation routine could include anything from a simple breathing exercise or a prayer, depending upon your level of concentration.

#2 Military Method

This is one of the most effective methods of falling asleep. The military method is taught to pilots undergoing training in navy schools. The steps of the military method of falling asleep are mentioned below-

• Start by closing your eyes and relaxing your face including every muscle on the face and inhale.
• Release all your tension by dropping your shoulders and hands to the side of your body at the same time.
• Exhale deeply relaxing your chest.
• The next step is to relax your lower body-the thighs, calves, and the legs.
• Imagine a relaxing scenario in your mind and clear your thoughts. This should do the trick and you would fall asleep before you even realise it.
• If this does not help too, you can repeat “don’t think” again and again for 10 seconds and it would do the trick! 

#3 Have a cup of chamomile tea before going to bed

Chamomile has been regarded as a milf tranquiliser for years. It is also prescribed by doctors to help deal with insomnia. This is because chamomile has sleep inducing properties because of the presence of the apigenin antioxidant. It is also completely safe to consume a cup of chamomile tea regularly. Brew a cup before going to bed to get that perfect good night’s sleep.

#4 Drink a glass of hot or warm milk

A glass of hot milk has been considered one of the most effective home remedies to help you fall asleep. You can drink it straight or can even flavour your glass of milk with almonds or honey, or any other flavour of your choice. Drinking milk before going to bed creates a feeling of fullness in our stomachs, making us drowsy. This ultimately helps in falling asleep faster.

#5 Practicing Yoga asanas

The ancient art of Yoga has a solution for every problem, and asanas that could help you fall asleep faster is no exception to this rule. A 10-15 minute yoga routine is all you need to get a good sleep. The poses you could practice are as follows-

• Balasana or the Wide Knee Child’s pose
• Ardha Uttanasana or the Standing Half Forward Bend pose
• Supta Baddha Konasana or the Reclining Bound Angle Pose

#6 Digital Detox

One of the biggest reasons why today’s generation faces so much difficulty in falling asleep is because of their constant use of cell phones, laptops and other gadgets. All the binge-watch sessions at night distracts your brain and makes it difficult for your brain to relax. This in turn makes it difficult for you to fall asleep. One should make it a rule to not bring any sort of technological gadget into their bedrooms if they want to achieve a good quality of sleep.

#7 Avoiding napping in the daytime

Many times we face an issue in falling asleep at night because we napped for an hour or two in the afternoon. The brain has already managed to get the rest it needed in the day time, making falling asleep at night difficult. Hence, one should try and avoid sleeping during the day time if they want to sleep peacefully at night.

#8 Indulging in physical exercises

Keeping the body active and agile is extremely necessary. It is very important for an individual, irrespective of their age, to spend at least 30 minutes of their time exercising. It could be any sort of physical exercise- walking, jogging, aerobics to name a few.

#9 Listen to soothing music

To fall asleep faster, you could also listen to soft melodies or a soulful music of your choice. Music has a relaxing effect on our brains. This helps in not only falling asleep faster but also helps in improving the quality of sleep too.

#10 A comfortable bed

Falling asleep on an uncomfortable bed makes falling asleep difficult. It can also create back and shoulder issues further restricting sleep. A comfortable mattress can make all the difference in improving one’s sleep quality. The quality of the pillow is important too. A little too soft or a little hard, and you can end up with a major pain in the neck the next day. People these days invest in orthopedic pillows for this reason too.

#11 Aromatherapy

Surrounding yourself with fragrant smells helps you to relax better. It is always a good idea to invest in a diffuser and a few essential oils of your choice for this purpose. Essential oils like lavender, rose and peppermint are popular scents that people generally opt for.

#12 Reading a book

Reading before going to bed or while in bed is one of the best ways to get good quality sleep. Since reading requires you to concentrate and think after a day of hard work, it creates pressure on our brains making it drowsy. This helps in falling asleep faster.

#13 Journaling

If you ask any individual who keeps journals at what time do they generally indulge in writing, most will tell you the same answer- at night. Many times people have trouble falling asleep because of the level of anxiety and negativity in their heads. Journaling is an extremely positive exercise wherein you list down all positive things, whether big or small, that you are grateful for each day. This promotes relaxation and helps you fall asleep faster.

#14 Fix your sleeping position

The position in which you sleep plays a big role in influencing the quality of your sleep. Many people face an issue in falling asleep fast because their sleeping postures are not right. There are generally 3 main positions of falling asleep- on the back, stomach or side. Not sleeping in the posture that is best for you makes sure you have an obstruction free sleep.

#15 Sleep Inducing Supplements

If falling asleep is truly a task for you, you should definitely visit a doctor who can diagnose your condition and prescribe you the right medications. There are many sleep enhancing medicines available in the market which you can take to fall asleep faster. One of the most popular supplements are the ones that have melatonin in it. Melatonin is a hormone that helps to regulate sleep and can be taken externally in medicines to improve sleep.

#16 Eat a high-fat dinner

It is a common misunderstanding that most people have that consuming carbohydrates at night helps in sleeping faster. Even though this may be true, consuming carbs at night results in a disturbed sleep in most cases. It is a better proposition to consume a high fat dinner since it promotes a deep and undisturbed sleep.

#17 Counting

Counting is a sleeping exercise we have all been practicing ever since we were children. It proves to be beneficial too for most people. If you are unable to sleep at night, you should try counting till 100. The concentration this process requires helps in falling asleep faster.

#18 Setting the right temperature

You want your room’s temperature to be at just the right level. Neither a little too cold nor a little too hot. The right temperature helps you in relaxing better, making falling asleep easier.

#19 Taking a hot water bath

One of the best practices to get a good night’s sleep is to take a hot water bath or shower before going to bed. It helps you get rid of all the tension and stress of your day and calms you down. This makes falling asleep easier and also improves the quality of sleep.

#20 Use earplugs or a noise cancellation devices

Light sleepers often are very sensitive to any sort of activity or noise in their surroundings, making falling asleep difficult for them. In such a case, wearing earplugs or any type of noise cancellation devices helps to cancel out any sort of external disturbance. This helps in falling asleep fast.

Frequently Asked Questions – How to fall asleep fast

Q1. What are the benefits of good sleep?

When you get a good night’s sleep, you stay productive in the upcoming day. A good sleep ensures that you do not fall sick easily. You manage to maintain a healthy weight too when you get good quality sleep, Apart from this, proper sleep cuts down the risk of medical problems like diabetes and heart diseases. It keeps you in a good sleep and helps you deal with stress.

Q2. Why is 10 pm considered to be the best time to go to bed?

“Early to bed, early to rise. Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise”, an adage we have all heard at some point in our lives. 10 pm is an ideal time to go to bed because your body needs a minimum of 6 hours of sleep while getting in 7-8 hours is ideal. When you sleep at 10 pm, you can wake up by 6 am the next day, giving yourself a good 8 hours of sleep. This makes sure you get proper rest and you are productive the next morning.

Q3. Why should consumption of a large quantity of alcohol be avoided before bed time?

A lot of people believe that alcohol makes them attain deep and sound sleep. However, it is a temporary solution and a habit forming one too at the same time. It obstructs your habits and your ability to sleep on days when you do not consume it. Hence, large quantities should be avoided.

Q4. What type of coffee can we consume in the evening or night time?

Coffee contains caffeine which helps stay alert and awake. Hence, it is always that one beverage which you should avoid at night. However, if drinking coffee is more of a habit for you, then you can consume decaffeinated coffee or decaf coffee as it is popularly called. Decaf coffees are safe and do not obstruct sleep at the same time.

Q5. What are the major causes of a sleep disorder apart from anxiety and depression?

Some of the major causes of sleep disorders is substance abuse. It could be alcohol or any sort of drugs that you have a habit of consuming. These habits are a prime cause of sleep disorders. Apart from this, physical ailments are also a cause of sleep disorders. Our lifestyle is also a major contributor to sleep disorders.

Conclusion

Sleep defines not just your physical health but mental health too. It is very important to get a good night’s sleep for your body’s overall functioning. These tips and practices mentioned above shall help you to know exactly what you have to avoid and what you have to adopt for a better quality of sleep.

If all of the away doesn’t help you out, check out this YouTube video.

Not being able to sleep fast or not being able to sleep properly are all lifestyle issues. They crop up because of our mind’s inability to calm down and relax. Today, we are all plagued by problems like stress, anxiety and depression. These mental health issues do not differentiate on the basis of your age or gender or income levels. The first thing that gets affected by these issues is your sleep. Hence, it is very important to get a good 6 hours of sleep.