Are you tired of counting sheep after sheep, only to remain wide awake? Falling asleep is a struggle for many individuals. But with these five secrets to falling asleep quickly, you can stop counting sheep and start sleeping.
- Get Up for Ten Minutes
If you use your bed for anything more than sleeping, it becomes more difficult for you to fall asleep in it. The next time you find yourself lying awake, get up. Find an activity and do it for about ten minutes. Then, try to sleep again. This prevents your body from thinking that your bed is for more than just sleeping.
The activity should be something that requires your hand and your mind. For example, a puzzle is ideal. It’s enough to occupy you and has the potential to wear you out.
- Sleep in a Cold and Dark Room
The ease at which you fall asleep depends on your body clock. Recent research shows that your body clock is partially regulated by your body temperature. When you have a cold room, your body clock is more likely to tell your brain that it’s time to sleep.
Darkness can also help. When it’s dark, your brain gets a signal to produce melatonin. In turn, it lowers your body temperature and prepares you for sleep. A dark and cool room is the ideal sleep environment.
- A Good Mattress
If your mattress isn’t comfortable, you’ll never fall asleep. One of the keys to getting to sleep fast is to invest in a good mattress.
You need a mattress that contours your body and provides the utmost comfort. Do some online mattress shopping or head to your local mattress shop and try out a mattress. When you find the right one, you’ll know it.
- Take an Ice Bath
OK, you might not want to immerse yourself completely in an ice bath. However, you can put your face in a bowl full of ice water. Although it might seem as if this would wake you up, it has the opposite effect.
When you shock your nervous system with ice water, it resets. It’s an effect known as the Mammalian Dive Reflex. Your blood pressure and heart rate lower, which soothes your body. Once this occurs, it’s easy to fall asleep.
- Use a Breathing Technique
There’s a common breathing technique known as the 4-7-8 technique. When you use this method, you get more oxygen to your bloodstream. Your heart rate slows down and carbon dioxide leaves your lungs at a faster rate. The result? You fall asleep quickly.
If you’re interested in trying the technique, you’re in luck. It’s easy to learn. First, take the tip of your tongue and set it on the area behind your upper front teeth. Keep it there as you complete the technique.
Breathe out through your mouth and make a whooshing sound. Then, close your mouth and inhale from your nose. Count to four in your head, and hold your breath for a seven count. Breathe out from your mouth and count silently to eight. Repeat the process three times.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.
