Sleep is an essential part of obtaining healthy well-being. You spend a third of your life asleep. Despite what many individuals believe, it is almost impossible to be in good shape and not have enough quality sleep. Lack of sleep has been said to affect your health as much as, if not equally to, not drinking, not eating, nor breathing.
And if you find yourself tossing and turning at night, you may be wondering, “how I fall asleep?” quickly. Small changes in habits and using tools for sleep, such as a portable sound machine, can make a difference in how fast you fall asleep. We take ours everywhere from when the kids were babies to now that they are teens. It really helps.
The Importance of a Consistent Bedtime Routine
If you struggle with falling asleep, a consistent bedtime routine will help you wind down and prepare for bed. Creating a bedtime routine is one of the smartest things that you can do for yourself. After having a jam-packed day, you can slow down and focus on what matters the most.
Aside from helping you fall asleep faster, sleep routines can also lead to:
• Lowers your stress levels
• You feel more energized and feel less fatigued
• You have better communication with others
• You have a lower risk of disease and have a stronger immune system
• You tend to be more productive
Here’s how you can create your perfect bedtime routine.
1. Make a schedule
Start your bedtime routine with a consistent time each night. You can set an alarm or notification on your phone to remind you. This will train your mind that it’s time to unplug and start your bedtime routine.
Set a realistic bedtime and wake-up time you can stick to. It is recommended for adults to have at least 7 hours or more of sleep daily. Getting complete hours of sleep allows your body and brain to fully recharge, helping you feel and perform better the next day.
Additionally, having a consistent bedtime routine will program your brain and internal body clock to get used to the routine you set. By working out what time you need to wake up, you can set a regular bedtime schedule.
2. Wind down
Bedtime requires your body and mind to get on the same page and recognize it’s time for sleep. Your body won’t know it’s time for sleep if you’re eating a large meal, getting worked up from a movie or show, or exposed to bright lights.
Avoid having exercises, heavy meals, and screen time prior to bed. Try to finish up your dinner three or more hours before you decide to wind down and turn off your devices with blue light two hours before bed. Your wind-down is your moment to relax and get comfortable.
Here are habits that you can include in your routine:
• Complete your skin care routine and nightly hygiene tasks
• Keep your phone outside your bedroom or at least lower its volume and avoid looking at the screen
• Read something for at least thirty minutes
• Wind down with a mindful breathing exercise to gently send yourself to sleep
3. Practice meditation
You can also include meditation in your bedtime routine. It is one of the best ways to empty your mind. Meditating for at least ten minutes before you go to bed will leave your mind in a calm and peaceful state.
Studies have shown that meditation has a calming effect on your body. It can free your mind from unwanted thoughts and can decrease emotional reactivity, which, when combined, may help you fall asleep faster.
Aside from that, meditation can also help you:
• Increase the melatonin in your body (the sleep hormone)
• Increase your serotonin (precursor of melatonin)
• Reduce your heart rate
• Decrease your blood pressure
• Activate parts of your brain that control sleep
4. Journaling
Journaling your emotions and thoughts will help you vent out all your thoughts before sleeping. Writing about what has been bothering you gives you a sense of acceptance for your current situation, and that allows you to go to bed without any baggage.
Your bedtime routine is your foundation for improved sleep, and its impact extends throughout your life, from exercise to productivity, and it should be between thirty to 60 minutes. You’ll have enough time to unwind without feeling rushed.
How to Optimize Your Bedroom Environment
Your bedroom should be a relaxing environment. Studies claim that there is a strong correlation in people’s minds between sleep and the bedroom.
• Making your bedroom dark when sleeping can affect how fast you fall asleep. Block out the lights coming from your window or use room-darkening shades or heavy, lined draperies. If you want, you can also wear an eye mask throughout your sleep.
• The recommended bedroom temperature is between 18-24 degrees Celsius. You can sleep better if your bedroom temperature is cooler than normal. Try different room temperatures and find out which one works comfortably for you.
• How fast you fall asleep and the length of your sleep, and its quality can be affected by disruptive noise. You can use earplugs or a portable sound machine to block noises such as dogs barking in the night or a noisy neighborhood.
• Deformed and saggy mattresses can make your sleep uncomfortable and can cause issues like spinal alignment that can lead to neck and back pain. If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, it may be time to replace your mattress.
The Best Foods and Drinks to Help You Sleep
What you eat and drink also affects how fast you fall asleep and the duration. Including foods rich in calcium, magnesium, and tryptophan can make a big difference to help you fall asleep faster and have a longer and more restorative sleep.
If you lack calcium, it may be difficult for you to fall asleep and may cause you to wake soon after falling asleep. Experts have shown that low calcium levels are associated with poor REM sleep. Foods rich in calcium are dairy, green leafy vegetables, and salmon.
Magnesium can improve your overall sleep quality. It reduces the inflammation and your stress hormone cortisol. You can get magnesium from almonds, bananas, legumes, and nuts and seeds.
The amino acid, Tryptophan, increases your melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone. Good sources of tryptophan are cheese, red meats, and chicken.
Drinks for better sleep
When it comes to drinks for sleep, chamomile teas, warm milk, and malted drinks are recommended.
• Chamomile tea is best taken about 30 minutes before you go to bed. It not only promotes sleepiness, but it is also good for calming your upset stomach. It is recommended to stir the chamomile leaves for at least 10 minutes before drinking for optimum flavor. You can also add lavender for extra soothing to warm your senses.
• Warm milk is one of the popular pre-bed drinks you can have. With its high calcium content, it can make your body relax and sleepy.
• Malt-based powder drinks can help produce endorphins in your body, which can lead to a positive mindset right before you go to bed. This also works with warm almond milk for those who can’t have dairy. It is often high in vitamins and minerals, which could be perfect to help relax your muscles.
Using Relaxation Techniques to Quiet Your Mind
Aside from the tips mentioned above, you can also try these relaxation techniques to ease your racing thoughts.
The 4-7-8 Breathing Method
The 4-7-8 breathing method is a breathing pattern developed by Dr. Andrew Weil. This method came from the ancient yogic technique known as pranayama, which helps practitioners gain control over their breathing. Here’s how to do this method:
1. Place the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth
2. Exhale completely through the mouth and make a whoosh sound
3. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose while counting to four seconds in your mind
4. Hold your breath and mentally count to seven seconds
5. Exhale completely through your open mouth, making a whoosh sound and mentally counting to eight seconds
6. Repeat at least three more times
The Military Method
This method came from a 1981 book entitled “Relax and Win: Championship Performance”, and writer Sharon Ackman reported on it. She wrote that the US Navy Pre-Flight School formulated a method to fall asleep in any conditions, within two minutes. Here’s how to do this technique:
1. Relax your entire face
Close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply. Then slowly relax all of your entire face muscles. Start with your forehead muscles and work your way down. Relax your jaw, mouth, cheeks, tongue, and your eyes.
2. Drop your hands and shoulders
Release any tension. Relax your neck and your traps; feel yourself sinking into your bed. Then start at the top of your right arm, and slowly relax your biceps, hands, and forearms. Repeat this on the other side. Keep your breathing slow and deep.
3. Exhale and relax your chest
Exhale with your shoulders and arms relaxed.
4. Relax your legs
Rest your legs and start with your right thigh; let it sink into your bed. Then repeat it on your calf, foot, and ankle. Repeat the process with your left leg.
5. Clear your mind
For ten seconds, imagine you’re lying in a pitch-black room or on a comfortable bed. If you are having difficulty clearing your mind, repeat the words, “don’t think”, over and over.
If this method is done properly, you should fall asleep within two minutes. Remember that this technique takes practice for you to master. After 6 weeks of practice, 96 percent of pilots could fall asleep in just two minutes or less.
The Role of Physical Activity in Sleep Quality
Physical activities such as exercise are another way for you to fall asleep quickly. When you’ve done nothing much during the day, it is difficult for you to fall asleep, but after being productive throughout the day, you are more likely ready for sleep as soon as you’re in your bed. Including exercise in your everyday routine impacts your health and sleep.
Here are some of the exercises you can do:
• Yoga
• Stretching
• Walking or running
• Swimming laps
• Light to heavy weightlifting
• Biking
Tracking Your Sleep Habits for Better Results
If you’re struggling to sleep and can’t understand why, you can monitor your sleep patterns. Sometimes your sleep problems are a result of your bad sleep habits, such as not exercising, poor sleep hygiene, or drinking too much caffeine during the day.
Here’s how you can track your sleep habits:
• Keeping a sleep diary
• Using a sleep-tracker app
• Using smartwatches and fitness trackers
• Using sleep monitoring devices
By consistently tracking your habits, you can see what’s working, what’s not, and make adjustments that lead to deeper, more restorative sleep.
