How to go to bed faster with these 12 tips.
You can sleep faster with simple tips, like making a personal schedule or using a thinner blanket
How to sleep fast is a frequent search for those who suffer at bedtime. This is also the case, for example, for those who have insomnia, a very problematic condition.
Completing our day-to-day tasks before dinner is critical.
Thus, our brain stops processing heavier information earlier, becoming calmer, and after dinner is much more relaxed.
Tips do go to bed fast
1. Lower the room temperature
Body temperature changes when we start to sleep.
The central temperature decreases, while the temperature of the hands and feet increases.
If the room is too hot, it may be difficult to sleep.
To sleep faster, you can change the blanket for a thinner one or avoid very hot baths before going to sleep.
Individual preferences vary, so find the temperature that helps you go to bed faster.
2. Use the “4-7-8” breathing method
The “4-7-8” method is a simple but powerful breathing method that promotes tranquility and relaxation and therefore can be used to sleep faster.
But it can be practiced whenever the person feels anxious or stressed.
Here are the steps:
1. First, place the tip of your tongue behind your front teeth;
2. Exhale completely through your mouth and make a whoosh sound;
3. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose while mentally counting to four;
4. Hold your breath and mentally count to seven;
5. Open your mouth and exhale completely, making a whoosh sound and mentally counting to eight;
6. Repeat this cycle at least three more times.
This technique can bring relaxation and help you go to bed faster.
3. Make a schedule
Setting a sleep schedule helps you fall asleep more easily.
That’s because the body has its own regulatory system called a circadian rhythm.
This biological cycle keeps the body alert during the day and sleepy at night.
Understand this theme better in the article: “What is circadian rhythm?”.
Waking up and going to bed at the same time each day can help the biological clock maintain a regular time.
Since the body tends to adjust to this schedule, it will be easier to sleep and wake up at the same time each day.
It is also important to sleep seven to nine hours a night.
4. Expose yourself to light during the day and avoid it at dusk and dark
Light influences the body’s circadian rhythm, which regulates sleep and wakefulness.
Exposure to irregular light can lead to dysregulation of the circadian rhythm, making sleep and waking difficult.
During the day, exposing his body to light, he is in a state of alert.
At night, darkness prepares the body for sleep.
In fact, research shows that darkness increases the production of melatonin, an essential hormone for sleep.
Go out and expose yourself to sunlight or artificial light during the day. But, at dusk, avoid it, especially blue light (wavelength of light found in smartphones, televisions, computers, white LED lamps, among other devices).
5. Practice yoga, meditation, and mindfulness
Stress makes it difficult to sleep. Yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practice, on the other hand, help to calm the mind and relax the body. In addition, studies show that these practices help you sleep faster
Meditation can increase melatonin levels and help the brain achieve a state that helps you sleep faster.
Practicing one or all of these techniques can help you sleep faster and wake up with more energy.
6. Don’t look at the clock
It is normal to wake up in the middle of the night. However, the inability to go back to sleep can ruin a good night’s sleep.
People who wake up in the middle of the night usually look at their watch and end up obsessed with the fact that they can’t get back to sleep fast.
This behavior can cause anxiety and lead to insomnia.
To make matters worse, waking up regularly without going back to sleep can cause your body to develop a wrong routine. As a result, you can wake up in the middle of the night every night.
If possible, it is best to remove the clock from your room.
To get back to sleep, you can also use deep breathing and guided meditations. If the feeling of guilt appears with other concerns, one solution is to write those concerns down. Keep a notepad on the side of the bed for this.
When you write it down, your mind will probably be more relieved and calmer to go back to sleep.
7. Avoid daytime naps
Due to the poor quality of sleep at night, people with insomnia tend to have sleep during the day. This usually leads to daytime naps.
While short naps have been linked to improvements in alertness and well-being, there are conflicting views on the effects of napping on nighttime sleep.
Some studies have shown that regular, long (two hours or more) and late naps can lead to poor quality of night sleep and even sleep deprivation.
8. Pay attention to your plate
Research has shown that high-carbohydrate meals can be detrimental to a good night’s rest.
A review of studies concluded that while a high-carbohydrate diet can get you to sleep faster, it will not be a peaceful sleep.
Instead, high-fat meals can promote a deeper and more peaceful sleep
In fact, several studies agree that a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet significantly decreased sleep quality compared to a low-carbohydrate / fat diet with the same amount of calories for both diets.
If you still want to have a high carbohydrate meal for dinner, you should do this at least four hours before bed, to have enough time for digestion.
On the other hand, some foods can help with go to bed faster.
9. Listen to relaxing music
Music can help you sleep faster. It can even be used to improve chronic sleep disorders, such as insomnia.
Buddhist music is a type of music created from different Buddhist chants and used for meditation. Listening to this musical style can be a great tool for better sleep.
If you can’t hear relaxing music, try to block out all the noise so you can sleep faster, and to promote uninterrupted sleep, it also works.
10. Exercise during the day
Physical activity is often considered beneficial for healthy sleep. Exercise can increase the duration and quality of sleep, increasing the production of serotonin in the brain and decreasing levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.
However, it is important to maintain a moderate-intensity exercise routine and not overdo it. Excessive training has been associated with worsening sleep quality.
The time of day when you exercise also matters. To sleep faster and have better quality sleep, training early in the morning seems to be better than training at the end of the day (check out the studies here).
Therefore, moderate exercise in the morning can significantly improve quality and make you go to bed faster.
11. Get comfortable
A comfortable mattress and bedding have a noticeable effect on the depth and quality of sleep.
A medium-sized, firm mattress has been shown to positively affect sleep quality and prevent sleep disturbances and muscle discomfort (check the studies here).
The quality of your pillow is also crucial. It can affect your neck curve, temperature, and comfort.
12. Turn off all electronics
Using electronic devices late at night is terrible for sleeping. Watching TV, playing video games, using a cell phone and social media can significantly impair sleep (check out studies on this). This is mainly due to the blue light
coming from these devices.
It is recommended that you turn off all electronic devices and store computers and cell phones to ensure a quiet place, free from distractions. This will help you to go to bed faster.