There are some people that are struggling to fall asleep due to insomnia, sleep anxiety, or having too many thoughts in mind. When you are struggling to fall asleep, you will most likely not have enough sleep to heal and energize your body. Luckily, there are different ways for you to fall asleep faster, and in this article, we will talk about those methods and see how effective they really are. Here are the different ways to fall asleep quickly and naturally.
Adjust Your Body Clock to a Normal Sleeping Schedule
Adjusting your body clock should be a priority if you want to get faster and better sleep every day. A body clock is a natural timing device that enables our body to wake up at a specific time. So, if you are always waking up at 7 AM, then there will be rare chances that you wake up earlier and an hour too late because of how your body has already become adjusted to waking up at that time.
A body clock will also remember the time that you sleep every day, so if you want to sleep at 9 PM, you should already lie in bed one hour or 30 minutes before the said time each day. Through this process, you will be able to adjust your body clock with 9 PM as the sleeping time. Having a well-adjusted body clock is essential for better sleep since you will sleep and wake up on time.
Avoid Taking Naps in the Middle of the Day
Taking naps in the middle of the day can just make sleep more difficult at night. According to studies, taking regular naps that are about two hours long leads to poor sleep at night. [1] This phenomenon is most likely caused by your body already interpreting the naps as a form of sleep, so your body will have rest in the middle of the day and wouldn’t need another one at nighttime. In addition, taking naps can also lead to shorter sleep at night.
In order for you to get a full rest each night, you should avoid taking naps in the middle of the day. If you are feeling a little bit sleepy in the afternoon, you should just keep yourself busy by playing games, reading books, listening to fast-tempo music, and doing other activities that can stimulate your mind.
Listen to ASMR
The autonomous sensory meridian response, also known popularly by its acronym ASMR, is said to be effective in making people fall asleep faster. ASMR is a tingling sensation that you will feel whenever you hear specific sounds like crinkling, tapping, and whispering. This tingling sensation would then help in making the body feel calmer and more relaxed, which could lead to better sleep.
ASMR is very popular today, and you will find plenty of videos and audio files of people doing ASMR online. On YouTube, you will have dozens of choices when it comes to ASMR channels, with some being more popular than others. What’s great about ASMR videos is that you can watch and listen to them for free, as long as you have an internet connection and a YouTube app installed on your phone. Try one or two ASMR videos and see if they can make you fall asleep quicker..
Try Yoga or Meditation Before Sleeping
Yoga is arguably one of the best activities for relaxation, so doing it before sleeping might help you sleep faster. Whenever you do yoga, your body will feel more relaxed, and your mind will also be in a much calmer state. With a relaxed body and a calm mind, you will fall asleep faster without having too many thoughts that disrupt your sleep.
In order to practice yoga safely, you may need to place a yoga mat on the floor that is designed to protect your knees, elbows, and other body parts from bruises while doing different yoga poses. There are plenty of yoga videos on YouTube that you can watch and follow for yoga routines. But if you can’t perform yoga at night, you can just practice meditation to help calm your mind. Much like yoga, you can find meditation techniques and routines on video streaming platforms as well.
However, if this does not work for you, maybe you need to take medicines to fall asleep faster. To learn more about this, you may read our article Doxylamine Succinate Vs Diphenhydramine – Which Is The Better Sleep Aid.
Avoid Drinks that Have Caffeine
If you want to have a better chance of sleeping faster, you should avoid drinks that have caffeine, as they can just energize your body and mind, which you really don’t need when you are trying to sleep. Drinks that have caffeine include coffee, green tea, energy drinks, sodas, and chocolate drinks. Caffeine is a stimulant that fuels your body, and drinking this stimulant would sometimes feel like you are giving yourself an adrenaline rush.
While consuming caffeine is great when you want to get energy during the morning, it is not advisable to get caffeine at night, especially during the hours when you are going to sleep. When you drink caffeine, your body becomes more alert, so you will certainly have a difficult time relaxing and calming yourself. So, to have a night of better sleep, you should avoid caffeine at all costs.
And these are five of the best ways that you can sleep quickly without using sleep-enhancing supplements or medications. You can try all of the tips we have provided above each day so that you will surely have a better chance of sleeping faster.
In addition to these, using a comfortable mattress is also another factor in falling asleep natural and quickly. You can learn more about it in our Guide to the Different Types of Mattress Technologies.
References
[1] Semeco, A. (2020, August 10). 20 Simple Tips That Help You Fall Asleep Quickly. Healthline. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-fall-asleep