Falling asleep can be a challenge, especially when you're habitually lying awake late into the night. You may experience trouble falling asleep fast when you drink caffeine before bed, are stressed out, or have a sleep disorder. In a different blog, we talked about four healthy sleep tips that can help you create long-term habits. Sometimes, you just need to know how to go to sleep fast when stress, life changes, or minor sleep disorders make you take the long route to dreamland. We’ve explored eight research-backed tips to fall asleep fast. They’re easy, effective…and some are fun.
How Can I Fall Asleep Faster?
Everyone has asked this question at least once in their life. Sleep experts have conducted studies to figure out how insomniacs can fall asleep faster. The answers vary from relaxing activities to more surprising methods, like not trying to fall asleep. Try these sleep tips to find what works for you:
1. Keep Yourself Awake…for a While
Some sleep experts recommend trying to stay awake as long as you can. We were surprised by this. When you think about it, pressuring yourself to fall asleep quickly can make things worse. Make yourself work to stay awake, or at least to keep your eyes open. A small study found that people who had trouble falling asleep achieved sleep faster if they tried to keep their eyes open as long as possible.
Try reading a book before you fall asleep. Challenge yourself to reach the end of the chapter when you start to feel drowsy. Avoid suspenseful stories that might keep you awake longer with exciting cliffhangers.
2. Write It Down
Do you lie awake at night replaying plans and to-do lists in your head? One of the most intuitive tips to fall asleep fast is to write down the ideas or tasks that make you anxious. Think about all these sleep-stealing topics before bed as you write them out while listening to relaxing music to promote sleep. Place them somewhere you will be sure to review them in the morning and let your mind rest. You won't be completing tomorrow's tasks or solving stressful problems overnight, so do what you can to let go and get some good night's sleep.
3. Blow Bubbles
It sounds bizarre, but this childhood activity isn’t just fun and nostalgic. According to sleep experts at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, blowing bubbles is also relaxing and requires some conscious breathing—the perfect recipe for better quality sleep. Try blowing bubbles as part of your evening routine to unwind and focus on the present moment. It might make you feel a little self-conscious at first, but you just might sleep like a baby.
4. Practice Relaxing Meditation
Like blowing bubbles, meditation before bed can help you slow down and focus on your body rather than the thoughts racing through your mind. The National Sleep Foundation recommends a relaxation exercise that combines deep breathing with a scan of your body to bring awareness to your tension and release it as you prepare for sleep. This exercise is a great long-term habit to relieve stress, help you fall asleep faster, and improve sleep quality.
5. Leverage Your Sleep Data
Tracking your sleep isn’t just the latest tech trend; it can help you make changes that benefit your health. Sleep.org has highlighted the most important sleep tracking stats to consider when trying to fall asleep faster. These include your sleep time while in bed, speed of falling asleep, and restlessness during the night.
Comparing the amount of sleep you get with the time you spend in bed gives you insight into how you could be using your time to relax rather than thinking about your insomnia. Tracking the time it takes you to fall asleep will help you set goals and track your progress. And lastly, restlessness is an indicator of poor sleep quality—the more you toss and turn, the more tired you will feel during the day.
To gather this data with your isense adjustable mattress, make sure you have the sleep tracking feature activated. The biometric sensors will track your sleep behaviors overnight. isense tracks each side of the bed independently, so you and your partner can personalize your sleep goals. Use the feedback from the app to fine tune your Comfort Control™ settings for your best night’s sleep.
6. Wear Warm Socks
Keeping your feet warm at bedtime is scientifically shown to be one of the best tips to fall asleep fast. When your feet are warm, the blood vessels expand, which signals to your brain that it’s time to sleep. You don’t have to wear socks to accomplish this, but that’s the easiest way to warm those toes. Other options include taking a warm bath and placing a hot water bottle or extra blankets near the end of the bed. Find this and other surprising advice in our roundup of mind-blowing sleep tips.
7. Hide the Clock
We’ve said this before, and it bears repeating: Hide the clock to achieve better sleep. Watching the clock can add to your anxiety as you count the hours of sleep you’re missing with every passing minute. Plus, digital clocks are bright and often emit blue light that disrupts healthy sleep cycles. A glowing clock tells your body and mind that it’s time to wake up and stay up, but a dark room lets you know that it’s time to sleep. Remove digital clocks from the bedroom and opt for an analog alarm clock that is not backlit. Out of sight, out of mind.
8. Talk with Your Doctor
If you're struggling with chronic insomnia after making some of these lifestyle adjustments, talk with your doctor. Healthcare professionals have the training to help you identify underlying issues that could be preventing you from falling asleep quickly. For many, trouble sleeping is a matter of mental healthcare. Mention this to your therapist or consider Somly—an app that uses research-backed cognitive behavioral therapy to help you change your sleep patterns. Together, you can determine how to fall asleep quickly in ways that work with your health needs.
Deep, restful sleep is essential to your overall health, and the faster you fall asleep, the sooner you experience the rest your body needs to heal and rejuvenate itself. Harness the power of our adjustable Comfort Control™ technology to fall asleep and stay asleep, whether you sleep solo or with a partner.
