These are 38 tips on how to fall asleep fast and sleep better. This list is constantly updated with the valuable help of our readers (thank you guys and gals) so check back from time to time to see what new ideas are included.
There are some lucky people that seem to already have learned how to get to sleep fast and sleep for a long time and some of the luckiest ones fall asleep the instant they put the head on the pillow.
The rest of us have to go through many minutes or hours of simply looking at the ceiling before being able to fall asleep. Testing lots and lots of sleeping positions, trying to have a clear mind, even counting sheep are useless tips on how to fall asleep fast if the person suffers from insomnia, sleep apnea or any other sleeping disorder so it is best to determine the causes and then start treating it.
Now, to learn how to make yourself fall asleep fast, you need to know what are the reasons why you can’t fall asleep.
Why can’t I fall asleep?
Besides sleeping disorders, there are many others elements that simply stop people in getting their deserved sleep. But this time is something that they are fully responsible for. I am talking about bad habits like:
– thinking at all the problems they have, all the debts, work problems, health issues, instead of concentrating on falling asleep.
– remembering something bad that happened to them, how someone insulted them or any other memory from the past that should stay in the past.
– getting into bed with one thought in mind: “I will have one of those nights when I can’t fall asleep. Off, I wish I could sleep fast like my boyfriend/girlfriend, husband/wife. They are so lucky”. This just the type of attitude that is keeping you awake and keeps the sleep at a distance.
– going to bed full of stress after a hard day at the office or with the kids would keep you nervous and unable to sleep.
After a morning wake up and a lot of hours at work, we all want to just go home, take a shower, eat and enjoy a relaxing sleep. If you are one of those unlucky ones that crave for some sleep and most of the times you don’t get it, read the followings indications on how to fall asleep fast and apply them.
Important! This is an on-going list of ways to fall asleep fast and it will be improved in time until it has all the ways that people can use to fall asleep, so if you have a suggestion or some tips on how to fall asleep fast that would fit in here, just leave a comment bellow and your tip will be included on this page. Thank you!
You should use pills only when necessarily and make sure they are natural pills. If your doctor prescribed sleeping pills, that doesn’t mean you have to take them every night, without even trying to get to sleep naturally, without all those pills. Even if those pills help you sleep fast, you will be soon become addicted to them and you will be forced to take them every night, for the rest of your life.
In some cases, these sleeping pills create such an addiction that if the person in cause wants to have an afternoon nap, will have to take the sleeping pills in this case too. It is best learn to how to fall asleep fast naturally so why not give it a chance and read the tips below on how to fall asleep at night.
If you experience sever problems in falling asleep, sleeping pills may help you but also keep in mind that you have to be careful when administering them and always respect the prescription your doctor gave you. If you are willing to make some change in your lifestyle and in your daily routine you are surely to get your well deserved sleep soon.
How To Fall Asleep Fast – 37 Tricks To Fall Asleep Fast
1. Self Hypnosis.
If you haven’t yet tried this, you’re really going to love it! Who knew you didn’t need pills to fall asleep fast? All you need is a self hypnosis audio to listen to and you’ll sleep like a log, each night.
2. Just do it.
Click here to fall asleep fast every night
The best and simple tip on how to fall asleep quicker is to try to fall asleep. Some determination can really do miracles. Just think of all the good things that you will be able to do the next day if you only could learn how to fall asleep faster.
Imagine doing those things and feeling great about yourself, and just realize that you need to be rested if you want to have a great day tomorrow. Don’t try to put pressure on yourself! Just think of the end results that you will get if you could fall asleep faster tonight.
3. Read a peaceful book.
Or a boring one. They both work for me. But do this until you go to bed because the idea is to fall asleep fast and not to read 100 pages in bed and then go to sleep. The moment you feel tired, put the book down and put your head on the pillow. This is the answer if you wanted to know how to fall asleep when not tired.
4. Get rid of distractions.
A simple yet effective tip on how to fall asleep very fast is this : put all the magazines, the remote control, fliers, books or any distraction away from the bed because this way you won’t be tempted to use them and you can fall asleep faster.
5. Have sex!
This is one of those activities that once completed require recovery so a good night sleep is the best solution. Men are usually the ones who feel really tired after this, so if you are a man, try it. Who said that learning how to fall asleep fast should not be fun?
6. Avoid coffee.
Don’t fill you body with caffeine during daytime because you will feel the effects at night. Too much caffeine is both harmful for your health and sleep. You can also avoid having a coffee late in the afternoon as this will interfere with your sleep too.
7. Avoid drinking too much alcohol before sleep.
Boozing your body is not helping you sleep faster but will give you some well deserved headaches. Night sweats from alcohol are very common today when people abuse their bodies and drink too much.
8. Cut down on sweets.
One of the hardest tips on how to fall asleep fast without pills is to limit the amount of chocolate or candies that you eat. All that sugar will keep you very energized and unable to sleep.
9. Turn the lights off.
This is a no-brainer but so many people try to fall asleep with the night lamp on and is not a miracle they don’t succeed. This will, in most cases, be the answer to the how to fall asleep faster question that one may have. Some people can and prefer to sleep with the lights one, but, most of us can’t do that. We sometimes tend to forget that we sleep better without any lights on, so we need to remember ourselves that. If you have trouble sleeping even with the smallest sign of light peaking through your curtains, try using an eye mask.
10. Don’t waste time in front of the PC.
Avoid staying in front of the computer till later in the night if is not necessary. All that bright light coming from the computer won’t help you to fall asleep faster.
11. Exercise.
This is great for your health and is inducing sleep too. By exercising you will also reduce stress and you will have greater chances of falling asleep faster. This works for a small part of people, but the next tip is exactly the opposite of this one.
12. Don’t exercise close to bed time.
Most people will feel energized if they work out before bedtime and this will stop them from falling asleep. Because of the adrenaline that is created when we workout, we feel alive and a boost of energy fills our bodies and that is why you should not workout before bedtime unless you know that this will make you sleepy. If I start doing this, I can’t fall asleep too soon, and that’s why I exercise early in the morning. But, who knows how you will feel after this. Just try it and see.
13. Pamper yourself with a nice bath.
A warm bath can give us the answers to how to fall asleep faster. So, have a warm bath. You will feel relaxed and the sleep will come naturally. You should take a bath with 1 or 2 hours prior to going to sleep, because the steam and that hot water will make you sleepy about 1-2 hours after the bath has been taken.
Use bath oils to create a relaxing atmosphere or dip into a bathtub full of bubbles. Look for a bubble bath that smells like your favorite flowers or like bubble gum if you want a quirk moment.
Click here to check some bath oils or here if you want a tub full of bubbles.
You should always try this for a couple of nights and see how it works best for you. Maybe you can take a bath and go to bed right after that or maybe you need to have a warm bath with 4 hours before going to bed. Who could know what makes you feel better? Special thanks to Maria who pointed out that some people will sleep better if they take a bath with more than 3 hours before sleep time. I think this also represents one of fastest ways for children to sleep. Try to give your child a bath prior to sleep and see if it makes him sleepy.
14. Ssst!
Make sure that is quiet in the bedroom. Noise can disturb your sleep and if it continues, you may have a sleepless night. A white noise machine will cover all the unwanted sounds and replace them with what they call a “smooth sound of rushing air”. Here you will find some models and reviews to help you better decide.
15. Count sheep or anything else.
I know that this is one of well know ways to fall asleep faster, but it does work in some cases, so it’s worth a try. You can count your breaths, the breaths of your bed mate or any other thing that relaxes you. Try not to focus on counting. Sleeping will be piece a cake if you do this.
16. Close your eyes gently and act sleepily.
You probably know the old “fake it till you make it” rule, and this is a great time to use this to your own benefit. Lots of times I pretended to be asleep just to scare someone and while I waited to perform the prank with my eyes closed I ended up falling asleep.
17. Think of your hobbies.
How to fall asleep faster? Just imagine yourself doing something that you like. I, for example, I think of cleaning my closet, decorating the house etc. Think what works for you and be creative.
18. Have a light dinner.
An easy to follow tip on how to fall asleep really fast is to avoid having big meals before getting into bed. It takes a couple of hours or more to digest the food and you risk staying awake if you eat more than you need.
19. Drink a cup of hot tea.
I use Chamomile tea and it works. See what works for you and use it. Go the natural way and avoid teas that contain caffeine or have stimulating effects.
20. Be comfortable.
Did you know that wearing comfy pajamas might be a great answer to the question how to fall asleep fast and easy? If your top is too tight you are sure not to fall asleep anytime soon.
21. Have a good mattress.
Not too soft or too hard, big enough to allow you to move easily.
22. Avoid afternoon naps.
You will risk sleeping way too much in the daytime and you won’t be able to sleep at all at night.
23. Listen only to ambient music.
It might sound a bit dull at first, but if you have patience you will see the results. On Amazon you will find thousands of MP3s or audio CDs with the proper type of music. Click here to check their products yourself and learn how to fall asleep fast tonight.
24. Have your sweet one in mind.
Another tip that will help you fall asleep fast is to think at your loved one. This will definitely relax you and you can fall asleep faster.
25. Pray.
Focus on what you pray and don’t let your thoughts to run away. Think of all the things you are grateful for and you will feel relaxed and stress free.
26. Sing your favorite song in your head.
Think at the clip, at the singer, at the dance. But feel relaxed and wait for the sleep to come. Use this and you won’t ever ask yourself how can you get to sleep quickly.
27. Say no to noisy clocks.
One of the good ways on how to fall asleep fast is to avoid having clocks in your bedroom. You won’t be tempted to look at the time and you will fell less pressure. The second solution will be a silent, no tick clock, like these here.
28. Do some stretching while in bed.
Think at what a cat does before going to sleep. The cat will do some really good stretching before she goes to sleep, and the question is how does this thing help the cat? Well, by stretching like, the cat is relaxing her muscles and getting ready to get some sleep. Cats can teach anyone a thing or two about how to go to sleep at night quickly. And this may help you too.
29. Watch horror movies. Just kidding!
Don’t watch horror movies before getting to bed. You will think at them all night and no wonder you won’t be able to fall asleep fast. You need happy thoughts, not the The Texas chain saw massacre.
30. Practice deep breathing.
Plain simple trick on how to fall asleep faster than ever.
31. Have a pet with you.
They are great sleeping pills for their owners. They can give you a positive boost of energy and make you sleepier after you play with them. You could learn a thing or two from them on how to fall asleep fast.
32. Use aromatherapy.
This will relax you and create a good atmosphere in your bedroom, just perfect for sleeping. Here you will find tons of products.
33. What’s your best sleeping posture?
It seems that sleeping in your favorite position is also very helpful for a good sleep. Finding a good position is which you feel comfortable and you are also relaxing your jaw will help in both falling asleep fast and sleeping great. Your jaw has been working for an entire day so it needs rest as well as you, so make sure that it has a good position so that it can relax. This tip was sent by Judy. Thank you, Judy!
34. Use ear plugs.
Get a pair or ear plugs so that no one or nothing will disturb your sleep. Even if you do fall asleep, if you are sensitive to outside noises and something happens during the night, you will probably wake up and this is why you need ear plugs. Here are some ear plugs that will do the trick and decently priced as well.
Just give them a try and you will see why they are so good. These could even help you to fall asleep faster, because as soon as you put them inside your ears, you will hear nothing and you will probably want to sleep, and with no one to bother you, you will get sleepy and fall asleep. Thanks for this tip, John!
35. Use Lavender to fall asleep
Spray a light mist of lavender around the room you are sleeping in and maybe even on your sheets. This worked for Annaabelle. Thanks for the tip!
36. Count backwards
One commenter suggested counting backwards from a 1000 and we will realize we are sleepy when we start mixing numbers and begin counting forward! Thanks for this tip, David!
37. Make some noise
It seems that some people find it difficult to fall asleep when they don’t have any kind of noise around them. User Kaoru Hitachiin said that he can’t sleep without a fan going on and a small waterfall sound in the background. Maybe this will work for you as well.
38. Avoid distraction.
Don’t look at TV or listen to music as it’s most likely these will keep you awake more than it should. So yes, learning how to fall asleep faster does require some sacrifices, but it will all be worth it.
You can use one tip at a time or try to combine more than one tip and soon you will teach others how to fall asleep fast. Remember, if you have a tip that you would like to share, just leave a comment bellow and it will be included in this page, if it is good and not already in here. Thank you! If you wish to try out a good way to fall asleep fast for free then you can try it here.
PS: I’ve added a how to fall asleep fast video with 10 of the most helpful ways to fall asleep fast. Hope this helps you!
does waking up early really help you sleep at night???????
Wearing ear plugs at night could potentially be very dangerous. If there was an emergency, such as a fire, you would never hear the fire alarm going off. If someone broke into your house you would never hear them! If there was a severe storm and the storm sirens went off, you wouldn’t know! It might work for some, but it definitely isn’t safe.
On the contrary, it doesn’t block out loud sounds nod the elite annoying little sounds so you would hear sirens, alarms, and even things breaking.
Can’t sleep, can only think about my problems and trying figure out what to do the next day, I start school in a few days… Desperately need help on how to sleep quickly
Ill give those tips a try cuzz they sound accurate….
this was so helpful
HELLP I cant sleep no matter how hard i try PLEASE HELP ME
I actually have a tip of my own:
DON’T STAY UP ‘TIL 3 IN THE MORNING, THEN SUDDENLY TRY TO GO TO SLEEP AT 10 IN THE NIGHT!!!
For Summer vacation, I’d usually stay up around that hour, then go to sleep. Once school started, I had to go to sleep at 10 (for obvious reasons), but I couldn’t help myself to do so. Darn, just TRYING to go to sleep makes me think bags are forming under my eyes.
But, like I said, don’t stay up to late for a long period of time, then suddenly change your mind and go to sleep WAY earlier than your previous bedtime.
(That’s my tip!)
Thank you so much for helping me with all these great tips!
Well it doesn’t matter if u go to bed different times in different seasons just that u adapt to the scheldule u go on.
Another way to sleep is to make your bed a relaxing environment.
I really really hope some of this works. My brother has no respect for people who needs to wake up in the morning. Plus every night my parents are always arguing with each other therfore I can’t sleep. So wish me luck
I would always think of my hobbies and it would put me asleep so quick. I use to love the night and i use to wish i wouldnt fall asleep as early and i could be able to lie there but id fall asleep to quick. Now its the opposite
thank u soooooooooooo much this heleped alot:)
count down from 100-it slowly shuts your body down and relaxes you…and continue doing it if it doesn’t work the first time-try, try again!
i have to sleep with some sort of noise! i try to count along with the ticking of the clock, i have a fan by my bed(i find their sound soothing) but i love it when its cold because you can always get warmer unlike when its hot. but meditating and thinking about the day ahead or your Boo always doea the trick 🙂 zzzz
This helps!Good tips. I can finally sleep, yey! Thanks a lot 😀 x
i think about playing runescape to fall asleep. but if i turn out the lights. i get shakey becasue im afriad of the dark what should i do
same problem i also can’t stop thinking about next year when i will be takin two more college classes than this year
Use a night light if that is to kiddish try a brightlight pillow or blanket.
Stay cool!!
During the summer especially if you stay cool you will be able to fall asleep a lot faster. You can do something like put your pillow case in a ziploc bag and in the freezer or fridge for a few hours and then it will be cold when you go to bed. Or you could put a fan in your room and next to it you can put a bowl of ice so that when it blows it is blowing cold air at you. You could also put a cold Roel around your neck.
I hope this helps!
Help me please it is 3. 45. In the morning and I cannot sleep and I have to get to work at 7. Am please help me
My dad tell me to just close your eyes and don’t think about anything let your mind forget about the whole day and bam you’re zzzzzzzzz……..(-_-)
thanks sooo much. really helps…
I was one of those people who fell asleep instanlt, but ever since he start of 2011 i have been having trouble sleeping and even if i lie down to sleep at 9:30pm i cant get to slep until at least 1am. I am in college (grade3) and i NEED to sleep. I’ve tried everything so if anyone has anyother advice please, please, please tell me!
i have horrible sleep problems, and to make it worst i have a really loud turtle filter in my room. i will try some of these tips, i really hope they work. iv actually been listening to my ipod to fall asleep, it really works for me, and it blocks out the turtle filter. and sadly, iv become somewhat dependent on sleeping pills, they don’t work well, but just knowing i didn’t take them keeps me from sleeping. thanks for these tips, ill hopefully get to sleep really fast.
Hi Everyone!
I found this tips really helpful
I do not have a sleeping disorder but I have problems with nightmares/bad dreams, and I always think about the people I dislike/ bullies, or scary things.
Another tip I find insanely useful when trying to fall asleep is take a shower/bath and make sure to brush your hair, brush your teeth, etc.
I find feeling super fresh and relaxed helps you fall asleep because it makes you feel relaxed, beautiful, happy, and feeling good.
Also, I agree with what they said about sleeping with a pet. If you have a dog, or a cat, or even a ferret that you love and care for, they will make you feel safe, loved and happy. I even find that it you ave a fish tank or aquarium, watching your fish swim around the tank is relaxing and peaceful.
Good luck sleeping! Sweet dreams!
Go to bed right after reading this. Don’t stay on the computer looking for more tips or doing other things. All you need is right here.
I tried a lot of these things and they really helped:-D
a simple method which normally works for me, its not scientifically proven but give it a try.get some hot milk or cocoa, jump in your bed and sleep. if that does no work try watching a seriously boring movie, maybe in a language you cant understand or a silent movie.
1 thing that often helps me sleep is using reverse psychology, I lie down close my eyes and try as hard as I can not to fall asleep
i have a sleeping disorder but hopefully these will help 🙂 thanks alot 🙂
Best way to get a good nights sleep is only stay an hour on a laptop/pc, but not before bedtime, have some exercise, not before bedtime… Have some cold milk just before your about to sleep and avoid anything light, like tv/light/phone/ipod. As them can keep you awake! That helps me get to sleep faster and easier 🙂 hope I helped !xxx
This really halped a lot. I usually try to sleep for hours but with this it took me minutes! Thank you so much!
i just lay comfortable and don’t think of any thing but my problem is because i am on Internet so much.
I have to sleep with a light on because I have night terrors and wake up paralyzed, I’ve had insomnia since I was a very young child, and I’ve tried just about everything and nothing helps. I’m such a light sleeper the quietest noise wakes me up and once I’m awake I can’t fall back asleep. fml
TRY TO STAY AWAKE, makes me fall asleep 🙂
You could use a sleeping mask.. that always helps me
or, i use this trick. its really complicated and hard to find but if you can learn how to do it successfully it’s the best sleep aid ever. Anyways, if you close your eyes (sometimes you can with your eyes open) and focus on the things that your brain wants to think of. Clear your mind and you can see the most random/strange images of whatever your brain produces. for example, it could be a yellow striped dog and then one of the stripes changes into a disc. It hard to master, and i dont know exatly what its called, but like i said, once you learn how to do it, its wonderful!
Having trouble sleeping right now. Soft music always helps me though. Hopefully this works.
All my life I have suffered bouts of insomnia but I have a trick that just might help some people. I know it sounds silly but someone told me this before and i tried it, I haven’t had a sleepless night in 4 years! Get into your most comfortable sleeping position. Lightly flex your toes a few times (nothing strenuous). Then gently wiggle your toes for a minute. Repeat this several times and just relax. Works like a charm. Hopefully this will help some more of you too.
It helped me fall asleep when something happy happens that day like when my crush asked me on a date! 🙂
D: i can never fall asleep no matter what i do!
35. Start thinking about sleep half an hour to an hour before you plan to go to bed. By doing so, you will get your brain and body primed for rest.
Came here because I couldn’t sleep haha, these are some good tips man! I will try using them,thanks! 😀
I find it hard to go to sleep because I usually stay up til about 7 in the morning and wake up at 1 in the afternoon and but I can’t seem to go to bed at 11 because I just wake up 3 hours later 🙁 So I’ll try some of these tips and see if they work 🙂
that is because your body is use to going to sleep late you need to re-train to sleep earlier
Grace, i have the same problem. I’m on summer vacation, and i went to a party a week ago, i got home at 5am, but i like to have ten hours of sleep, so everyday i have been going to sleep at 5am, sometimes later, and wake up ten to twelve hours later. Im not really having a great summer vacation right now, because by the time i wake up and am ready to do anything, my friends have been gone for hours!
When I can’t sleep its usually because I keep thinking about things, but since I was younger I have been teaching myself how to sleep. What I do is when I close my eyes I think of a white shape on a black background, usually I think of a square for some reason.. Anyway, when my thoughts start to drift off to think about something that happened during the day or whatever, I would then force myself to concentrate on the shape. Weird, but it works everytime 🙂
Thats kinda like me but I think of something or someone getting smaller and smaller.
If that didnt work I have other ways.
Two other suggestions:
* When you are visiting a relaxing location: the beach, the woods, the mountains, etc… Find a some place that is peaceful to you and “take a picture” of that location and environment with your mind and re-use it later. While falling asleep you can pretend that you are back in that peaceful location to help with relaxation.
* If you decide to count sheep it helps to imagine that the sheep are sleeping as you count each one. If you imagine playful/energetic sheep hopping over a fence it’s less helpful when trying to relax your own body.
I kinda have my own theory I like to make a shelter for the head out of pillow 😛 but it kinda makes my head feel warm and I just always fall asleep 😀
I tried this took like 5-15min BUT IT WORKED!
i will try these.us i really hope they help.
all i have to do is 5 mins of homework :0 and i’m asleep zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
omg i tryed these and most of them worked 😛
If you spray lavender oil mixed with water around your room you will find that the lavender makes you calm and relaxed and helps you get to sleep easier.
Thanks Millie. That was such a good tip. I got a much better sleep with the lavender (:
I have read that sprinkling baby powder on your bed spreads also helps to get a goodnights rest.
These tricks may help some people, but everyone is different. Some people need noises to help them drift while others need it completely quiet and dark. I, for one, need to be the right temperature. If I’m too hot, screw it I would never be able to sleep. Thanks though! Some really helped me!
I can’t go to sleep at all I’m about to drink hot tea and see if it works
35. Don’t keep checking the time. If you have a clock in your room, place it somewhere that you cant see from your bed.