Constantly tossing and turning in bed without sleep coming your way? Do you spend more time trying to fall asleep than actually sleeping? Well, if you do agree to this, you are not alone.
Clocking in 7-8 hours of sleep is crucial for every individual. Proper sleep helps you recharge, be fresh, keep hormones in check and even lose weight. However, falling asleep is easier said than done. Blame it on the distractions in front of you, poor sleep hygiene, sleeping positions, there could be countless reasons why one fails to sleep well, or rather faces a hard time falling asleep. In fact, even the mere act of trying to sleep can sometimes turn into an anxiety-driving cycle that keeps your mind busy and unable to go to sleep.
The result? Sleep deprivation, tiredness, groggy eyes and countless other problems.
Is there a solution to this? How can you fall asleep faster?
To get proper restful sleep, it’s important that both your mind and body are in sync. Sleep hygiene is equally important.
That being said, there are also some science-backed tips and tricks you can follow to enter the sleep mode and rest, as much as you can.
We list some of the strategies below. Remember, they may not be fool-proof, but definitely worth a try if you have been struggling to get a good sleep of late:
How to go to sleep in 10, 60 or 120 seconds
What we are trying to say here might sound questionable, but according to science, there are a lot of hacks and ways to fall asleep in as little as one or two minutes!
Remember, if you are a beginner, it might take you a little more time for these methods to work.
The military method of falling asleep
One of the most popular ways to do so is by following the Military method. The sleep hack was first designed by the US Navy Pre-Flight school to help pilots fall asleep in less than 2 minutes twice, no matter what distractions are present. It is also said to help put people to sleep even if they are sitting up!
To fall asleep the military way, focus on relaxing your facial muscles. Drop your shoulders and release the tension, dropping your hands to the side. Now, deep exhale, relaxing your chest. Relax your thighs, legs and calves. Imagine a real calming visual imagery and with time, you will find yourself asleep! The more times you practice, the better you get at this and would be able to fall asleep faster.
The 4-7-8 method
This popular method of falling asleep focuses on muscle relaxation primarily and sleep faster. It’s also referred to as a breathing method that combines the power of meditation and visualization.
To do so, start by placing the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth. Purse your lips and the tongue should remain so. Now, gently part lips and begin to exhale through the mouth. Close your lips, inhaling through the mouth. Count to 4 and hold your breath for 7 seconds. Exhale again, doing so for a good 8 seconds.
The aim is to try to be mindful of your actions and not remain too ‘alert’. Complete this 4-7-8 cycle for at least four full breaths. You will find your body enter a relaxed, calmer state of mind and willing to go to sleep.
Note, if you have an underlying respiratory condition, check with your doctor beforehand to try this, since this could increase the severity of some of your symptoms.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
Here’s another science-backed strategy to help you go to sleep easy. This hack focuses on easing and relaxing the tension in your muscles, which would then promote an aura of relaxation through the body. It also often is recommended to people suffering from insomnia.
To try thi, arch your eyebrows as high as possible for at least 5 seconds. This will create some tension in your forehead. Relax the muscles immediately and wait for at least 10 seconds. Similarly, create some tension in your cheeks by smiling widely. Hold for a few seconds. Now pause. In the same manner, start progressing down downwards and create a tensing-relaxing measure all over your body. This routine would release all stress and let your body fall asleep naturally.
Paradoxical intention
There’s another way of naturally falling asleep, especially if you experience sleep problems or insomnia very frequently.
The aim of this experiment is to help your body unwind, by forcing the body to do just the exact opposite. Basically, paradoxical intention focuses on telling your body to stay awake intentionally to fall asleep faster. It may be an untraditional method of falling asleep, but science says that this method can help you sleep faster than any other method, and is in fact, more effective than other methods.
What else could you do?
Besides these scientific methodologies, you can do a lot more to promote better sleep and fall asleep faster. A lot of the basic tweaks need to come from your lifestyle and diet. If you can, stop using stimulants and triggers like caffeine a few hours before retiring for bed. They negatively impact your sleep. Avoiding eating heavy food at night may also be a good way to rest your digestive system and sleep better. Instead, go for soothing teas and concoctions which help you relieve stress, anxiety and feel better.
You can also try visualizing a calm place or a scene to clear your thoughts. For a lot of people, visualization, or imagery distraction works a lot easier than traditional methods like counting.
There are also methods like acupressure, holistic healing which can be given a try. Of course, they need to be done regularly under the expertise of a trained professional.
Try and also maintain proper sleep hygiene in the room that you sleep often. From clearing away the clutter, keeping the room cool, freeing away gadgets and screens from the bed or using aromatherapy, there are a lot of hacks that could potentially help you sleep better. Taking a warm, soothing bath, or even wearing socks to sleep can also help.
