These 16 science-backed tricks to fall asleep fast while lying in bed are bound to improve your efficiency. Nowadays, time is of the essence. Jobs, studies, and hobbies leave little time for us to waste. However, many of us have experienced the hopeless feeling of lying in bed, awake for hours on end while trying to sleep somehow. And then finally, when we go to sleep, the alarm bell rings the very next minute (or so it seems), signifying the start of the new day, leaving you tired, cranky and exhausted.
Fortunately, there are plenty of methods out there which science has proven to be effective in this matter. We’ve considered various tricks that can help you sleep and then ranked them according to how often they were mentioned as really helpful. The list of 16 science-backed tricks to fall asleep fast while lying in bed are sure to cure any insomnia you might be facing while improving your productiveness and efficiency simultaneously. On the other hand, if you have a lot of money lying around gathering dust, you might be more interested in simply throwing money at your problem until it goes away, in which case you should take a glance at the Most Expensive Mattresses in the World.
Now, let’s start with those science-backed tricks to fall asleep fast while lying in bed that are going to help us to fall asleep faster!
16. Acupressure
Having gained credence from Bastyr University, acupressure is an ancient Chinese practice which has endured for centuries, and there is a reason for that. The theory goes that there are specific pressure points located in the body, which when pressed upon, can restore balance to your mind and body. Here are some of the areas you can focus on, which can, in turn, improve your sleep issues:
1. You can massage both your ears for a few minutes each.
2. There is a depression between your first two toes, which should be pressed until you start feeling a slight ache.
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15. Blowing bubbles
Blowing bubbles is not just a fun activity; it is a useful exercise which will help you go to sleep. The reason behind this is that you need to breathe deeply to blow bubbles, which relaxes your body and in turn, your mind. Furthermore, getting involved in the activity can distract you from other mind consuming thoughts which negatively affect your sleep.
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14. Listening to music
Music is love. Music is life. Without music, life might not even have any purpose. And now we have another reason to love music. Listening to classical music allows you to relax, a fact any classical music lover can attest to. In a study conducted in 2008, people who listened to classical music before sleeping for around 45 minutes, reported a much higher quality of sleep. One pretty cool science-backed tricks to fall asleep fast while lying in bed, right?
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13. Sleeping in total darkness
No, covering your window to block the sunlight completely does not mean that your room is in total darkness. That is just one part of it. All the gadgets you keep with you, such as your laptop and phone, often blink in the dark. And that is all the distraction your body needs to disrupt the production of melatonin. Hence, either completely shut off the gadgets or keep them in another room when you go to sleep to ensure proper sleep.
12. Force yourself to stay awake
Autosuggestion is a psychological technique and also one of great science-backed tricks to fall asleep fast while lying in bed. Reverse psychology is often beneficial, and that is definitely true in this case. A study conducted in Glasgow showed that people who were asked to force themselves to stay up were actually far more likely to fall asleep quicker than those who were not asked to do anything.
11. Avoid the usage of stimulants
Stimulants affect your brain, and even if they create a positive response, the bottom line is that they distract your brain which is why it is harder to fall asleep. For example, while smoking creates a positive buzz in your brain, the effect is actually much more likely to make it harder for you to fall asleep. Hence, avoid such activities before you are about to go to sleep.
10. Read a book
No, this isn’t a punishment for people who avoid reading books for pleasure, though how such people exist I have no idea. When you immerse yourself in a good book, the body’s natural fatigue then tends to take over, which allows you to sleep peacefully. Of course, this is in respect of good old fashioned books and not using Kindles to read, because they emit light which is distracting for your brain. Or unless you’re like me, in which case, you’ll have to finish the book before you sleep because you’re too curious to know what happens next.
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9. Working Out
Exercising has a myriad of benefits, and surprisingly, one of them is allowing you to sleep better. If you exercise in the evening, according to a Swiss study, the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, will be reduced which will result in better and deeper sleep. The study did mention a 90-minute workout, though, but taking out that much time can be really hard.
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8. Forget about the clock
I’m sure everyone has been there. You sleep for what seems like 10 minutes and then you suddenly wake up, only to realize hours have passed. You then start stressing and calculating how much more hours of sleep you have left, and the stress, in turn, causes you to be more wide awake. This is a never ending cycle and to combat this, you need to simply stop focusing on the time when you wake up. Just try going back to sleep when this happens.
7. Wear socks
Wearing socks result in your feet becoming warm (duh), and this flow of blood to the extremities of your body results in greater heat loss, thereby creating a cooling effect on your body. This cooling effect increases the production of melatonin, which has the benefit of relaxing you further and improving your sleep situation. A study placed hot water bottles at the feet of the people participating, and the results saw that these participants slept much better in such conditions.
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6. Move around
No, we don’t mean to ask you to try to sleep while moving. Instead, this advice is pertinent to those who have a habit of waking up in the middle of the night and then have trouble going back to sleep. In such cases, instead of lying in bed and trying to force yourself to sleep, you will be much better off instead if you simply get out of bed and move about or do different things, which requires your focus. This is so that your brain isn’t fooled into thinking that your bed is a place for staying awake. Instead, your brain should believe that when you go to bed, that means it is time to sleep, and thus, your body will adapt accordingly.
5. Take a warm shower
Ah, the bliss of a hot shower is second to none. I thought I was the only one who felt really sleepy after warm baths but turns out science has backed me up on this. When you move from a hot environment (the lovely bath) to a cooler environment (your room), your body starts to cool at a fast rate and this, in turn, sends a signal to your brain that it is time to go to sleep. Once you make this your routine, your body will be prepared to go to sleep as soon as you take a bath.
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4. Cool your room
As mentioned above, it is the act of transferring from a hot environment to a cold environment that makes a warm bath such an attractive proposition for sleeping quickly. But for that to work, your room should be cool as well. And to accomplish this, make sure it is completely dark and remove any heat producing objects. This should help lower your body temperature, and hence, enable you a deep relaxing sleep.
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3. Keep your bedroom for just sleep and sex
We have already mentioned why it is important for your brain to associate your bed with just sleep in the 6th entry on this list of 16 science-backed tricks to fall asleep fast while lying in bed. If you watch a movie on your bed or even browse your phone, it is less beneficial for you. Instead, sex and sleep, the two most important things in the world some might stay, are the only activities which should occur on your bed.
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2. Picture a relaxing place
We have been told since childhood that the best ways to fall asleep are either to use your brain for time-consuming activities such as counting sheep or simply trying to shut it off completely. Scientific studies have shown there is a far more effective method, where you simply picture a serene and peaceful place, such as a waterfall or maybe the mountains. This relaxes the brain which allows your body to got to sleep effectively.
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1. Progressive Relaxation
The most popular theory out there, progressive relaxation easily tops the list of 16 science-backed tricks to fall asleep fast while lying in bed , as it was mentioned in every list that we saw. You need to tense and then relax each muscle in your body, starting from the toes and then moving upwards. You should tense them for 5 seconds and then relax them for 30 seconds which helps your body to relax and hence, fall asleep.
