How to Fall Asleep Faster

Wouldn’t life be better if we all knew how to fall asleep faster? We know how important sleep is for our wellbeing. Yet, sleep can be one of the hardest things to get right. So many things, like stress or sickness, can affect our ability to sleep well.

Here we share tips and advice on how to fall asleep faster so you get as long as possible to recharge overnight.

Clean up your sleep hygiene

Sleep hygiene doesn’t mean the cleanliness of your bedsheets or how well you brush your teeth. The phrase ‘sleep hygiene’ is used to describe how well your sleep environment is designed to facilitate and encourage sleep. Having great sleep hygiene is part of learning how to fall asleep faster.

“Good sleep hygiene is all about putting yourself in the best position to sleep well each and every night. Optimizing your sleep schedule, pre-bed routine, and daily routines is part of harnessing habits to make quality sleep feel more automatic. At the same time, creating a pleasant bedroom environment can be an invitation to relax and doze off.” Sleep Foundation

How well is your bedroom set up for sleep? Do you find it a relaxing space to be in? If not then it might be time to make some changes.

One important part of sleep hygiene is to keep your places for rest and work separate. That means no more e-mailing on your phone from bed. This separation helps your brain and body to associate your sleep environment with sleep and not with work.

Change your routine

Enjoying a peaceful bedtime and falling asleep easily is strongly affected by your day. There are some tried and tested tweaks to your daily routine that can help you to fall asleep quickly.

1. Stick to gentle exercise. Studies show that vigorous exercise close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep.
2. Encourage your mind to relax. It’s a good idea to flood your mind with relaxing, uplifting content before you go to sleep. Glorify has released a series of Sleep Stories with this aim in mind. As you listen to one of the atmospheric Bible stories your mind, body, and soul are encouraged to rest in God’s presence.
3. Swap out your coffee. If you’re wondering how to fall asleep faster then cutting out any late night caffeine is up there as one of the top tips. Thankfully there’s a world of delicious herbal teas or other decaf options to explore. Studies suggest ingredients such as chamomile (which makes a delicious tea) can help you drift off easier.

Tell someone about it

Chronic sleep deprivation is incredibly difficult. You might have young children who aren’t sleeping well. Or, maybe you suffer from anxiety that interferes with your rest. Whatever the reason for it, not sleeping well has a very real impact on your wellbeing.

Make sure you tell someone about it. While they might not be able to help you get more sleep, or have any ideas on how to fall asleep faster, they can provide emotional support. Just because exhaustion is common, doesn’t mean it’s not worth seeking support.

Your employer, a member of your family or maybe someone from your church community can help encourage you that you’re not alone.

Do you need to reset your circadian rhythm?

Our circadian rhythms tell our bodies when to wake and when to sleep. If you’re having trouble falling asleep it’s possible your circadian clock could do with a reset.

Exposure to daylight is one of the main ways your body sets it circadian rhythms. Getting outside in the daylight as much as possible is one healthy way to help reset your body clock.

Your body also uses regular meal times and interaction with other people to help guide its circadian rhythms.

How to fall asleep faster: try meditating on Scripture

The Bible has many encouraging passages about sleep, rest and peace. Taking the time to meditate on one or two before bed is a positive addition to your bedtime routine.

When you lie down, you will not be afraid, when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Proverbs 3:24

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” Psalm 91

“Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.” Psalm 116:7

Try a breathing exercise

Something as simple as trying a breathing exercise can play a huge part in helping you to fall asleep more quickly.

The 4-7-8 breathing method is often cited as a way to help us to drift off to sleep easier.

How to do the Relaxing Breath Technique:

“The 4-7-8 breathing technique, also known as “relaxing breath,” involves breathing in for 4 seconds, holding the breath for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. This breathing pattern aims to reduce anxiety or help people get to sleep. Some proponents claim that the method helps people get to sleep in 1 minute.There is limited scientific research to support this method, but there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that this type of deep, rhythmic breathing is relaxing and may help ease people into sleep.” Medical News Today

Keep trying

It could take a little while to discover what it is that helps you sleep. It might be the relaxing Sleep Stories available on Glorify. Or, it might be getting into the habit of going for a morning walk every day to soak up the daylight. Or, perhaps, a mixture of a few different things. Just keep trying until you find an approach that works for you.

Photo by Benjamin Voros on Unsplash.