5 Habits to Help You Fall Asleep Faster
Lying in bed, eyes shut but struggling to fall asleep… we all know how frustrating it can be.
In between work, home life and social life, we are barely left any time in the day to stop and switch off. A lot of us struggle with falling asleep quickly, which is no surprise considering when it comes to bedtime, our brains are still going 100mph; processing what happened that day and planning tomorrow’s To-Do list.
Besides the lucky ones, it’s quite rare to fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow. Although we can never know exactly what time our bodies actually fall into slumber, we can estimate, and then build a bedtime routine. Bedtime routines are a set of activities you do every night which encourages our minds and bodies to relax, they help reduce stress and anxiety that can sometimes keep us awake at night and improve our overall mood, mental and physical health.
Adopting simple habits to build a bedtime routine that suits you can help you fall asleep faster. Here are 5 daily habits to adopt…
1. Exercise during the day
If you don’t feel tired when bedtime approaches, then it could mean you’re not using up enough energy during the day. Exercise is important here, even if it’s just a daily walk. This helps use energy as well as ensuring our bodies get enough daylight hours, so when the sun sets, our bodies know it’s time for shut-eye.
2. Avoid blue light
According to The Sleep Foundation, an excessive amount of screen time during the day and before bed can affect the body’s levels of Melatonin, often referred to as the sleep hormone. The blue light emitted by our screens can reduce the amount of Melatonin that is produced and in turn, disrupt the quality and duration of your sleep, upsetting your cardiac rhythm. To improve the time in which it takes you to fall asleep and the quality of your sleep, try to turn off or steer away from digital devices before bed, to allow your mind, eyes and body to completely relax and de-stress.
3. Stick to a regular sleep pattern
As creatures of habit, following a regular sleep pattern can actually help you fall asleep easier. It’s recommended that adults need about 7-9 hours of sleep to function properly, so once you know what works for you, try to get into a routinely sleeping pattern of falling asleep and waking up at a similar time each morning and night.
4. Get cosy
Taking a warm bath or shower before cosying up into a warm bed is said to help our muscles and mind relax and feel sleepy, tricking our bodies into falling asleep quickly. The same goes for a hot, non-caffeinated drink like chamomile or hot honey and lemon.
5. Switch off the mind
We often struggle to fall asleep when our minds are in overdrive. Reading a light-hearted book can help distract your minds from any worries you may have. Yoga and meditation have also been known to improve sleep by stretching away any built-up tension. Regulating breathing patterns through the 4-7-8 breathing technique is also said to promote calmness and relaxation which can help you drift into a peaceful night’s sleep.