How to Go To Sleep Faster

Are you having trouble sleeping? Do you want to take the fastest time possible to fall asleep? If yes, find out more about how to sleep faster in this article.

Having good sleep is important to one’s health. According to health experts, a normal person should sleep for at least seven hours and at most nine hours every night. However, this can't be met by everyone as many people struggle with sleeping difficulties. Some people may take even an hour or two before they fall asleep after going to bed. This may be due to many reasons such as sleeping disorders, fatigue, stress, anxiety, etc. In this article, you will learn simple tips that will allow you to fall asleep faster when in bed. Falling asleep faster determine how long you will sleep. For instance, taking a long time to fall asleep implies that you struggle with some factors that hinder sleep. That means you will not sleep for the normal required time. However, if it only takes a few minutes to fall asleep, you may sleep for the normal required time. Poor sleep affects your brain and causes other complications such as memory, emotions, mood, and other biological functions.

Simple Ways to Apply to Sleep Faster

Lower Temperature

The body temperature change when you sleep. It cools when you lie down and is warm when you get up. So, if your bedroom’s temperature is high, you will have difficulty sleeping. The best temperature that will allow you to sleep faster ranges from sixty to sixty-seven Fahrenheit. However, this is not a fixed value as you may have preferences; hence you can find the best temperature.

You can also regulate your body temperature by taking a warm shower. When your body cools down afterward, it will send signals to the brain and allow you to sleep faster. According to Raymann et al. (2005), taking a warm shower or bath before bed induces positive sleep effects such as quality and efficiency.

Use the 4-7-8 Breathing Method

According to Andrew Weil et al. (2005), the 4-7-8 breathing method promotes relaxation and calming of the body. Moreover, it helps you unwind from the day’s activities, which helps you sleep better. The breathing method is based on techniques used when practicing yoga and other body fitness techniques. The breathing patterns relax the nerves, and you can practice it anytime you are stressed or struggling with mental disorders.

Follow the Following Steps

• Place the tongue tip behind the upper incisors.
• Make a ‘whoosh’ sound by exhaling your mouth.
• Close your mouth, breathe in by your nose, and count to four internally; do not open your mouth.
• Hold it on and carry in, counting to seven.
• Open your mouth and breathe deeply with a whoosh sound, then count using the method to 8.
• Repeat the procedure for three to four rounds.

After performing this technique, your body will relax, and you will sleep faster.

Experience Light and Darkness

Light influences your internal clock, thus regulating how you sleep and wake up. So, if you’re sleeping in a bedroom with irregular lighting, the circadian rhythms will be interrupted, making it tough for you to sleep. During the day or exposure to light, the body cells remain active, and you will not sleep. Your alertness is high; hence you can’t sleep during the day.

In the darkness, the dark promotes a dizzy feeling. Burgess et al. (2002) revealed that darkness promotes melatonin production. This is a crucial hormone that enhances sleep. During the day, this hormone is rarely secreted. You can cover your windows and doors with dark curtains to sleep better.

Practice Yoga, Mindfulness, and Mediation

When you are stressed or experience any mental disorder, you will find it tough to sleep faster or rarely fall asleep. Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness will help you calm your mind and body, thus enabling you to sleep faster. Yoga aims to improve breathing patterns and body movements, allowing you to release all the stress, anxiety, or depression that hinders you from sleeping. According to Schmalzl et al. (2015), yoga has other positive effects on sleep, such as quality, duration, and efficiency.

Meditation enhances the production of melatonin and helps the brain achieve a perfectly calm state, thus making you sleep faster. Mindfulness helps you focus on your current state, not worrying about anything that will hinder you from sleeping. This increases the speed at which you sleep.

Practicing all or one of the techniques will help you sleep better.

Avoid Looking at the Clock

It is normal for your sleep to be disrupted at night. However, you may find it hard to fall asleep faster. This may ruin your peaceful sleep, but it can be avoided. If you look at the clock after waking up, you will be obsessed that you can’t go back to sleep even if you want to. This is usually common in people struggling with insomnia. This character will cause you to feel anxious, and you will never sleep for a short time. It is good to take away the clock in your room and see far away from your phone to void the temptation of looking at it.

Avoid Taking Naps during the Day

People with insomnia will ways be sleepy during the day. Milner et al. (2009) noted that regular long naps that take at least two hours might lead to sleep deprivation. In a certain study, older adults who frequently nap during the day have low-quality sleep during the night. It is not easy for such people to fall asleep.

The Bottom Line

Having good sleep is important to one's health. According to health experts, a normal person should sleep for at least seven hours and at most nine hours every night. However, this cant is met by everyone as many people struggle with sleeping difficulties. Some people may take even an hour or two before they fall asleep after going to bed. Light influences your internal clock, thus regulating how you sleep and wake up. So, if you're sleeping in a bedroom with irregular lighting, the circadian rhythms will be interrupted, making it tough for you to sleep. During the day or exposure to light, the body cells remain active, and you will not sleep.

References

Burgess, Sharkey, & Eastman (2002). Bright Light, Dark, And Melatonin Can Promote Circadian Adaptation In Night Shift Workers. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 6(5), 407-420.

Milner, & Cote (2009). Benefits Of Napping In Healthy Adults: Impact Of Nap Length, Time Of Day, Age, And Experience With Napping. Journal Of Sleep Research, 18(2), 272-281.

Raymann, Swaab, & Van Someren (2005). Cutaneous Warming Promotes Sleep Onset. American Journal Of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative And Comparative Physiology, 288(6), R1589-R1597.

Schmalzl, Powers, & Henje Blom (2015). Neurophysiological And Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying The Effects Of Yoga-Based Practices: Towards A Comprehensive Theoretical Framework. Frontiers In Human Neuroscience, 9, 235.

Weil, & Rosen (2004). From Chocolate To Morphine: Everything You Need To Know About Mind-Altering Drugs. HMH.