Falling Asleep Faster

If you have trouble falling asleep, don’t just rely on staring at the ceiling, or counting sheep. There are things that you can do to help get your body and mind ready for bed, making falling asleep faster and easier than ever.

Here’s a list of things you should try the next time you’re going to bed: –

Start A Routine: We can train our bodies to start getting ready for bed before we even put our pyjamas on. First, make sure that you’re waking up and falling asleep at the same time.  While sleeping in on the weekend might feel good, it can actually mess up our internal clock.

Get Some Exercise: Studies have found that people who get aerobic exercise 4 times a week have much less trouble falling asleep than those who don’t. They also reported fewer depressive symptoms and have higher levels of energy throughout the day.

Diet Change: Try not to consume caffeine in the afternoon, a good cut off time is 3:00 p.m.  Avoid eating a heavy dinner and eat at least 3 hours before you plan on falling asleep.

Quit Smoking: Survey data from 3,516 adultsincluding both males and females, showed smoking was associated with difficulty falling asleep, and difficulty waking up. Excessive daytime sleepiness was related to smoking only for females while nightmares and disturbing dreams were related to smoking only among males.

No Nightcaps: While it might seem like a good idea, a drink before bed isn’t really helpful. While a cocktail might help you doze off initially, it will wear off during the night and you’ll be awake again.

Cut Out Electronics: A Survey of 1500 people, conducted by the Sleep Health Foundation, found up to 45 per cent of Australians brought electronic devices into the bedroom.  The blue light that is emitted from these devices stimulate our brains, making it harder for us to calm down and fall asleep.Eliminate electronics at least an hour before bed.

Keep It Cool: While it may not seem like it, a cooler bedroom will make it easier to fall asleep. For optimal sleep, your ideal room temperature should be between 18–22 degreesthis is ideal for falling asleep.

Black Out: With a room in complete darkness, our brains have very little problem falling asleep. Light signals the brain that is time to wake up, so the darker your room, the easier it will be to fall asleep.

Beds Are for Sleeping: While they really aren’t just for sleeping!!  It is important to associate your bedroom with something peaceful and non-disruptive. So, try and keep Electronics, work, or anything else that can be disruptive or stressful out.

Sleep is what all our bodies need to get through the day;  you can’t run an engine non-stop and expect it to work perfectly day after day.  Treat your body right and it will treat you right!