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!
Curl up I found that it helped
try not going to sleep and try to stay up late most of the time you will find yourself unable to stay up
Keep your eyes closed and don’t open them is a good tip.
It doesn’t always work for me though because i can never clear my mind and stop moving. Also, you could avoid T.V and computer or any other electronics a half an hour before bed, which i am not good at either because im on the computer right now…..but it could really help some people calm their minds down.
I also recomend humming to self for a while and take deep breaths as doing it.
I literally had what, 5 mins this afternoon and I am wide awake now. 🙁
and one more tips! sleep with your OWN PILLOW,not others! hahaha (Y)
xD
My dad says to get your mind off the things that happened that day and think of something completely different. This is wired but planning a house works for me . First think of the main structure then think of the finer points like: What floor will be in that room?
I cannot sleep at all I have spent hours looking up what to do and tried what I to believe is everything. I just don’t know what to do most of the things you have listed I have tried except the music I find music just detracts me and water sounds make me wanna use the bathroom
Thanks for the tips. Another way to go to sleep is to THINK about sleeping–imagine your self drifting off into a dreamy world, with peace and no strange distractions…. The other one that works for me is counting, if you know and like math, it should work for you too. 🙂
Very helpful except for the song thing… When a song is stuck in my head I can’t sleep!
My brother used to say that when you want (or try) to fall asleep, you never will. However, if you don’t want to sleep, you’ll get tired.
I have no problems staying asleep, getting to sleep is my problem. I don’t really focus on my own problems, I focus on the problems of our nation. My brain wants to run at a million thoughts per second when I have to wake up in 4 and a half hours (it’s 1:30 am and I have to wake up at 6 am). So for the past 3 hours I have been thinking about what America can do to fix our recession and how we need to cut back on government spending, and once we get our national debt under control, we need to cut taxes considerably.
My problem is, I DON’T want to sleep, but I NEED to. I’ve been playing this online game for quite a while now, and you know, online games are so addictive that you just wanna get at it. But I realize that I need sleep, I keep yawning and yawning but I just can’t fall asleep. I will usually fall asleep around 2-3 am, and I usually wake up at 12 in the afternoon or so. I don’t mind waking up late, it’s the holidays, it’s just that I have religious matters to attend to. I don’t care if I sleep late, I just wanna wake up early.
Here’s another tip, if you have any kind of mp3 player or iPod or whatever, just buy some slow,calming music from the app store. Then before bed, put the earphones in and listen to it. Until you get very sleepy. Then put the device on your bedside table or on charger while your still sleepy. Hope this helps!
Try humming to yourself. A childhood rhyme possibly. Anything that brings back good memories. That means you will have a great dream too !
i can never sleep without a light or something and i always seem to overthink things and remember all my bad or scary memories but one nite i used the tip where you rethink all the happy things and the fake sleep trick and the REALLY WORK!thank u so much for the tips they r helping me alot:)
After reading this , not to be funny i found saying the word sleep made me nod off . So the next night i said the word sleep over and over in the same came tone , and befor i new it i was fast asleep. I think it is just like when some one asks you are you hungry , and thats when you feel it . I have done this now for a week and it works every time
I have a couple of my own to add:
a.) If you are having trouble focusing because something needs to be done, try getting up and doing it. I find late at night, many things cannot or should not be done. If this is the case, just remind yourself that you’ve done all you can do for now, and it’s time to rest.
which leads me to:
b.) having said that, you still can do pretty much anything you want. Do you want to go to sleep? Then make your first goal to realize you can just relax. Lay there, and remind yourself that now you get to sleep. Breathe deep, and concentrate on it. If you start thinking about the things that might worry you, remind yourself that you are choosing to sleep, and to think about sleeping.
If none of these or the suggestions from the wonderful comments work…see a doctor. You might be suffering from Insomnia or depression.
I have a helpful tip. 🙂
Don’t think about all the stress from your day, or the stress you are going to have the next day. What I do, is when I lay down, I plan out the next day, when I am going to do what, how I will use my time wisely and get things done. I also do this for getting ready in the morning. Before bed, I think about what I will do when I wake up. (Shower, hair, makeup, outfit) and a time schedule for each thing.
If you don’t spend too long doing this, it will help you feel less stressed and more relaxed.
I usually go through and relax every muscle in my body starting at my head and ending at my toes, i also imagine as I’m relaxing all my muscles that I feel the tension leaving through my toes until I’m totally relaxed. It works for me!
Get everything ready for the next morning so your not awake worrying about what you will have to do when you wake up and sleep with a hot water bottle, it will make you more calm and relaxed:)
I’ve developed a way to fall asleep fast by making sure I don’t stick with a certain thought. Seemingly, while laying in bed and the time of pondering begins, a trail of thought starts which leads to falling asleep much later then hoped for. The majority of my thoughts come to me visually, but nonetheless, the same method will work on auditive thinkers too.
This is the part I base my method on:
As soon as I get a thought in my mind, I get a clear image or a verbal discription. If I choose to think about it, the thought will lead to another thought. Which in turn, leads to yet another thought. This starts a chain reaction of thoughts which can go on for hours.
What to do about it?
Something, which really seems to do the trick making me sleep within 3 minutes under perfect conditions, is, as mentioned earlier, to make sure I do not stick with a thought which starts the chainreaction. Ever tried not thinking at all? It’s near impossible. So, ironically instead of trying not the think at all, I try to speed up my thinking. As soon as a thought pops up, I try to think of the immediate next thought I can think of. Every jump from thought to thought should take less than a fraction of a second. The next thought doesn’t have to be logical, as long as its a next thought. Instead of letting yourself stick with a single thought which would otherwise let yourself be entangled be daily problems and thus a pattern in which you could be for hours, you choose to think about the next thought as fast as possible and thus lose sight on what you are really thinking of. Losing track of thought by thinking as fast as possible makes everything blurry and nothing stand out, which subsequently makes the mind comparable with bliss as white noise to make you be able to glide into the new day.
Sleep tight folks. I hope this helped.
I find the best way to fall asleep quickly is through meditation, lay down and get completely comfortable. Then clear your mind of all cares and tensions. You must stop any thought trying to interrupt and just allow your mind to be clear and silent. If you feel like a thought is rising then although it sounds silly, you should say Ommmm in your mind to stop the thought coming in then silent again. your thoughts will give up as you become more and more relaxed and your mind is clear of any cares, tensions or thoughts.
this should help 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Try going to sleep 1-2 hours before you need to go to sleep, takes off the stress of having to fall asleep right then.
I am the only one in my family who can’t fall asleep fast. But now I can thanks to you guys!!!!! Thank you so much 🙂
having something on like 102.3 the beat wont help or something like heavy metal. just put on like blues or something
take a nice hot bath right before bed, wear warm pajamas, hop under the covers, be in the complete darkness and think happy thoughts, if it helps listen to music
i find that im sleepy through out the day but can never take naps, i cant sleep most nights either, i usually fall asleep at anout 4;30am but then wake up at 9am and dont fall back asleep all day.. ive tried most of these techniques but they dont seem to be working any other suggestions?:) thanks guys,x
What I do is just try ro put myself into sleeping mode by saying in my head: It’s time to go to sleep now just relax and take deep breaths. I also pretend that I am floating through space on a mini asteroid floating and floating untill I fall asleep
I have never been able to sleep before 2 am even when I was little I think its a sleeping disorder but a few of these tips have helped me fall asleep eventually. I also found that i have to have some white noise, usually a fan or some rain sounds on my ipod
I usually recite the alphabet but in animals. Like, a alligator, b bear, c camel. My boyfriend recites shots cuz hes a bartender
I find that thinking real hard about a color in you head will put you to sleep. I found myself trying to picture the color on any material, shirt, pants, whatever, and i found myself falling into a snooze and then waking up from realization. But you have to see the color perfect because if you just simply picture it, it will come out gray, you need to see the full obect in color
try telling yourself a story with characters and the plot made up on the spot. Its a 90% guarantee
still can’t sleep. PLEASE ANYONE HELP
This usually works for me;
Put yourself in the position to do a pushup while laying in bed, then push up and hold that position until your arms get so tired that you fall onto the pillow. You drain all the rest of your energy, and since you didn’t actually excersize in the process your body doesnt administer any adrenaline, or not much. So you should be nice and tired, and should be able to fall asleep now 🙂
I’ve found that if you lay in your most comfortable position, close your eyes, and begin telling yourself a story, or make your own movie in your head. Once you get far enough along, you mind will take over and you will fall asleep. Could take anywhere between a few minutes or even an hour. But every time I have done this, I have been asleep, and dreaming about my make-believe movie. =]
Thx This Helped me
We run a box fan in the hallway instead of spending so much money on white noise machines (tip #14). The one fan makes enough noise that it helps all 5 of us sleep, without having to use earplugs (tip #34), which can sometimes be uncomfortable. 🙂 This is a great article, and I’m going to share it with my husband, who has been having a really hard time sleeping well lately!
I have found that having my dog at my side helps me sleep better. It makes me feel secure and safe. Though one problem that I have is thinking about horror movies. I’m not scared when I watch them, it’s afterwards. But another thing that is a helpful way of falling asleep is putting lotion on your feet and back and neck. Yes, I know this sounds quite odd but it works. Hope this works for you!! Good luck!
Try taking a shower/ bath before you get into bed if you can, it helps relieve both; physical and mental pain. Hot water also loosens up your muscles, making your night more relaxing. Many people are tempted to do a various amount of activities while trying to fall asleep. This means you should try to keep away your laptop, cellphone, ipod, or anything tempting to use while going to sleep. Alarm clocks are also tempting to look at and you can be kept starring at them all night long. This is why you should use something like a cloth to keep it covered. If you are worried about waking up at a specific time, just set your alarm. Try setting it a few minutes prior to the time you expect to wake up, and when it goes off, just turn it off, and remain lying in bed for a couple of minutes. This helps get away from that sleepy feeling most of us usually have in the morning.
TIP: prepare yourself and others around you that you’ll be gone for the next 8 hours. Make sure everyone has what he / she wants until the time you must wake up so that you don’t have to be woken up by them and so that you don’t come up with it as you’re trying to sleep (like for example keys to a store room). Try to prepare everything today for tomorrow. Write down all the things that trouble you, the things you did not get done today, and that you still have to do. Put the list aside and leave it until tomorrow to deal with. Only come back to the list if you think of something else.
I’ve beem suffering from this disorder since my 20’s. So I know frustration, you mention a lot of great tips, but the ones that I find that help me is Praying. I also listen to free Pandora radio on my Nook reader (meditation musci). And yes, a nice warm bath or shower helps. It’s true that it’s so easy to get distracted but you need to concentrate on the soft music or reading The Bible. Thank you for other great tips…sleep well All !!!
Somethings that I do is that I’ll either have a competition with myself or someone else to stay up to either watch something or who can stay up the longest and it wind up making you sleep faster or make you sleepier then you would be if you tried to sleep it works for me
Thnx I feel asleep much faster and refreshed. Nice Tips
easiest way to fall asleep is you could hang your leg off the side of the bed and just shake it really fast i will personally guarantee this will put you to sleep. the shaking leg kinda vibrates the rest of your body. im assuming this creates an artificial mother rocking baby to sleep kinda thing. anyways it always works for me. good luck everyone on falling asleep!
First off, sleeping for me sometimes works and sometimes it doesn’t. But I heard once that boring yourself to sleep works and I’ve tried it. Guess what its true. Try counting down from 300 by 3. Boring, and noone wants to do it. But hey! Your asleep before you ever get to 0!
Set a bedtime for yourself, and always be in bed a relaxing at that time. You don’t have to sleep, you could read a book until you feel tired. Turn off the light and count. I always fall asleep to this. I hope others do too.
Make sure you get up early enough in the mornings, because if you sleep in late, you are likely to be restless at night.