Fall Asleep Faster

The average adult requires seven to nine hours of sleep per night to maintain good health. With 24 hours in a day, that sounds easy enough. However, it can be surprisingly challenging to get the amount of sleep we need. If you’re asking, “How can I fall asleep faster,” you’re not alone! With the competing pressures of work, maintaining a household, parenting, pet care, and other activities, not only is it hard to get at least seven hours, it can be hard to put our minds to rest enough so that we can fall asleep. 

If you are like millions of other Americans who have trouble falling asleep and getting the recommended number of sleep hours, you may appreciate our five tips and methods to help you fall asleep faster.

5 Helpful Tips to Help You Fall Asleep Faster

Start With the Mattress

This might not be something you want to read or hear. After all, mattresses don’t come cheap. But, if you have the wrong bed for your needs, sleep won’t come quickly, no matter what other strategies you use. If your mattress is too soft or too firm, you can wake up sore. If your mattress is over ten years old, if you wake up stiff, or if you have problems getting comfortable at bedtime, the chances are that you need a new mattress. Selecting the right mattress is a pretty simple step on your journey to learn how you can fall asleep faster.

Cut the Caffeine

Caffeine messes with your circadian rhythm. Your body has an internal clock that tells you when to sleep and wake up. The more caffeine you consume, the more it pushes back that clock that tells your body it’s time to sleep. Even one double espresso from your favorite coffee shop can push that clock back 30 to 40 minutes. How can you fall asleep faster when you’re sending your body signals to stay awake longer? If you’re having trouble sleeping, cutting back on caffeine is essential. 

Remove Devices from the Room

Mobile technology has become so commonplace that many of us don’t like to put our devices down. We have developed an urge to check our devices the moment that screen notification pops up. Unfortunately, this can impact our sleep schedules as well. Removing the device from your room at bedtime is a simple method to fall asleep that can, over time, help eliminate that tendency to roll over and check on the latest. If you currently use your phone as an alarm clock, you may want to consider purchasing a dedicated alarm clock not tied to your mobile device.

Consume a Few Carbohydrates

Dietary changes can be an answer to the question, “How can I fall asleep faster?” This may seem a bit counterintuitive, but consuming a few carbs before bedtime can help you fall asleep and stay asleep longer. Simple carbs such as white rice, pasta, potatoes, and white bread are easily digested and can help you feel fuller so that hunger doesn’t keep you awake. Related to this, avoid consuming too much sugar before bed. Sugar, similar to caffeine, will make it hard for you to fall asleep.

Count Sheep or Meditate

Once you’ve tried the previous suggestions, the next thing to do is to teach yourself how you can fall asleep faster. One of the best ways to relax is to practice meditation — or even count sheep. Of course, you’re not counting actual sheep, but the process of slowly counting to yourself can help your body relax. Focus only on your counting so that other thoughts slowly work their way out of your mind. The act of counting gives you something neutral and stress-free to focus on. This is a tried-and-true method to fall asleep that you can count on, literally.

Don’t Jeopardize Your Sleep

In this busy world with competing priorities, it can be easy to deprioritize sleep. When we need more time in the day to get things done, sleep seems like the easy thing to give up. Unfortunately, a lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your overall health. Sleep deprivation can result in memory challenges, trouble with thinking and concentration, mood changes, accidents, weakened immunity, high blood pressure, weight gain, and a heightened risk for diabetes. By following our suggestions for how you can fall asleep faster, you can increase your chances of catching more zzzzzz’s.