We often binge watch an entire show in one evening, or get stuck working until late at night, staring at the computer. Some have some urgent missions to accomplish in an online game, or catch up with a friend via messages or chat apps on their phone… There are a million things that can get in the way of our sleep schedule, and it’s so easy to disrupt it. Most things these activities have in common is the infamous blue light which decreases our melatonin levels, making us feel less sleepy. That’s why we go to bed, and hopelessly toss and turn, hoping we can catch some shut eye. How to fall asleep faster after such an event?
It doesn’t only end with cool bedroom gadgets – stress plays a big part in this as well. It can be work-related or an argument with a loved one – they certainly keep us up at night. Anxiety is an issue many of us have to face once the light is off. How many times have you played scenarios in your head, in hope to find a solution to your problem, or worry?
We all have our sleep issues and we all face them differently. Luckily, there are some tricks to falling asleep faster that even you can learn and make your daily (or rather nightly) routine. It doesn’t take much time, just a little effort. Here are some of the top advice you need to follow to fall asleep faster.
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Trying to sleep and tossing and turning in your bed only adds to the stress. If you’ve already tried to sleep, and it didn’t work out – don’t force it. Get up and do something until the feeling of sleepiness comes back. It’s best advised to indulge in an activity that requires brain work. For example, you can buy a coloring book that can keep you occupied, or try solving a jigsaw puzzle. The most important part is to make your brain associate your bed with sleep, and sleep only. If you’re in your bed for, say, 10 hours, but only spend a portion of that time actually sleeping, it’s a gateway for anxiety and insomnia. That huge gap left when not sleeping is literally forcing you to start thinking about things, and naturally become stressed because it usually goes downwards from there. Don’t let that happen.
The four-seven-eight trick is the best if you want to fall asleep faster. It will reduce your anxiety levels and stabilise your blood pressure. Here’s how to do it:
Repeat that until you feel better and you’ll fall asleep faster in no time. The trick is that the adrenaline caused by stress and anxiety increases your heart rate and makes your breathing faster and more shallow. You are basically, by using this technique, forcing your own heart to slow down the beats in order to get all the necessary oxygen. This trick relaxes your body, provides enough oxygen, and might even make you feel a little dizzy. It’s very similar to when you’re being sedated and easing into the sleep.
Heavy, high-in-fat, spicy, and high-in-protein meals are what you should avoid before bed. Make sure that you don’t eat immediately before bed and take a light snack. Some of the best bedtime snacks are cherries, oats, green salad, turkey, avocado, or herbal tea (just not green or black). Avoid spicy food, junk food, greasy food and other heavy meals like meat, steaks, pasta or lasagna. Many of these can cause acid reflux, heartburn, and even nightmares that will keep you up for long after you’ve went to bed. Avoid these meals if you want to fall asleep faster.
As we’ve mentioned, most gadgets emin blue light that can disrupt your sleep patters. Make sure you leave your phone, tablet, or laptop out of your bedroom. By all means, avoid falling asleep in front of the TV – it may be sweet and cosy, but you won’t get enough rest. Another upside to keeping the gadgets away is that you won’t have the temptation of grabbing your phone as soon as you realise you can’t go to sleep. If you take your phone as a pastime, you’ll only be prolonging the sleepless cycle.
Research showed that people with chronically cold hands and feet had more trouble falling asleep. When your feet and hands are warm – you’ll fall asleep faster. When your hands and feet are cold, that means that bloot started to travel to protect your most valuable organs. Make sure that your bedroom has the right temperature – don’t overheat it though. Try sleeping with socks, or bring a hot water bottle to your bed and put them at your feet to keep warm. Blood circulating back into your extremities will relax your muscles and let that sweet melatonin do the rest.
It doesn't end there – many people reported that they have trouble sleeping because they have difficulties with their pillow or mattress not being to comfortable. It's only natural that you need to sleep in your preferred position. If you're comfortable and don't spend much time looking for a good position, you'll fall asleep faster. Ask yourself? Do you have the right mattress for your sleep habits? For example, if you have a firm mattress, but you're sleeping on your side, you need to have at least a good pillow that can support your back. Otherwise consider buying a memory foam mattress that can conform to your body. Likewise, if you're a stomach sleeper, but your mattress is soft, your spine, shoulders and hips will suffer – a firm mattress is definitely a better choice for you.
Your senses also play a huge part in relaxing for sleep. If you want to fall asleep faster, you need to make sure to create the right environment. For example, some essential oils have proven to be effective against anxiety, and relaxing the body and mind. Lavender is the top pick when it comes to essential oils, as well as some other calming and incredible, natural scents. You can use a sleep spray as well.
For your ears, it might not hurt to try a white noise machine. White noise has an amazing calming effect on the mind – especially if it bring you back to your childhood. I remember going to bed, and listening to my mom blow-drying her hair in the bathroom. That sound always takes me back and I fall asleep to it like a baby. White noise is also great for isolating other noises – for example, a neighbor listening to loud music, or traffic from outside.
Your brain is a powerful machine. It won’t work well if you don’t oil it frequently, and you’ll do that by getting quality sleep. If you don’t want to wake up groggy, restless, depressed and nervous in the morning, you need to make sure to get rid of all the negativity before you go to bed. De-stress, do some fun activities which don’t involve screens, and sleep when it’s time to sleep. Don’t waste your time in bed if you’re not feeling sleepy. Make sure you keep a proper diet an have at least a moderate exercise routine. Your body, and your brain will be thankful in the long run if you follow some of these advice.
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