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!
When I can not fall asleep because I am afraid, I call my dogs over and they cuddle right up to me and I fall asleep.
If I can not fall asleep because I have a lot on my mind, I listen to ambient music/calming music with no words.
The only thing I am having a little trouble on is falling asleep when my RLS kicks in( haha an unintended pun). I constantly move around and right when I start to fall asleep… bam! My arm or leg starts to killlll. Usually when this happens I make love to my hubby, but I only see him two days every two months 🙁 Making love to him KO’s me because it makes my body all relaxed. I am just trying to figure out what I can do when he is gone. Hopefully one of these will help! 🙂 Thank-you for posting!
well for me i do like 60 situps in bed and sometimes some more stuff before (like half an hour, usually push ups) and that usually gets my muscles tired somewhat and that helps me hope this helps anyone
i have a wierd method… i have like 5 feather pillows. one i squeeze between my legs… one in my left arm… one in my right arm and 2 under my head… and if you havee more than 5 i make a barrier around me which makes me feel protected from robbers and such. that puts your mind ro ease. hope this helped (ps. if u have a cotton pillow, put that under ur head and a feather right on top of it 😉 good luck)
make sure your hands are below your heart. If they are higher than your heart your body has to work harder to get blood to your hands and could make sleeping harder.
Hug a stuffed animal! Contrary to popular belief, you are never too old for a stuffed animal. Once I got one again as an adult, it was much easier to sleep. Look for one just the right size to hug under its arms and rest your chin on. That seems to be the perfect size. This especially helpful if you live without pets, or if your pet just won’t cooperate.
Just be aware that if you’re an allergy sufferer, clean your stuff sleeping companion regularly. Baby wipes work wonders to surface clean a plushie.
I found that strectching and deep breathing helped me!
Every time I stretched I yawned is that normal? It worked tho
Thanksx
what i usually do is try to act something out in a movie or book,play as a character say the characters lines and such and before you know it, your basically KO’d from it! works for me alllll the time!
I have found that playing games on my smartphone that require you to think but not too much, make me fall asleep. Games lunged that included: Draw Something, Hanging With Friends, and Temple Run.
Thanks some of these tips worked well for me. Tip: stop looking at/using technology (phone, computer, TV) 30 – 40 mins before going to bed. These items keep you awake longer. If you are going to bed soon, get off that computer!
I think the counting backwards will help. One other thing that will also help is not sleeping during the day.I do a lot of that and never can seem to go to sleep at night:(!!
I say pop a good movie in the dvd or blue ray player, one that you have watched thousands of times and love it. You will find your self dosing off as you hear your favorite movie in the back ground. 🙂
Thank you very much! This really helped me, except the counting sheep one. I’ve never been able to use that one as they all do gymnastics and dress up, so I get too excite 🙂 Thank you again 🙂
I love how Kaoru Hitachiin from OHHC is referenced here…or someone used it as an alias. Anyway..I find (since I have all my tech in my room) that just having white noise, like a computer or a fan running can not only lull you to sleep..but help you stay asleep.
Thx
One key trick I do is keep my eyes open and breath in and out untill I fell a little dizzy. Then I just close my eyes and clear my mind. Forget everything and relax. Just as simple as that for me. Also I have this app on my iPod that makes a gental rain noise called the sleepmaker storm free.
Flex all your muscles for 10 secods as tight as you can and repeat it three times and it usually makes me real tired
Every Night I take a bath with lavender soap bubbles and have nice candles around it. I also get my dog and we play fun games. ( of corse shes outside the bath) I also put on a funny movie so i can watch it while washing! I useually get weak and tired so I get out and wash my face and mosterize it. Then I Put on pjs and keep the movie runnin, get my dog and cuddle up! WORKS LIKE WONDERS!
Sleeping is hard for me, but everyone else in my family can think of sleeping and BOOM, asleep. I wont exersize and i will demolish every light in my room!
ps: I don’t have a window in my room so YES!
I often find myself sitting in bed, thinking about sleeping and not being able to. I lay there, moving around a lot, really uncomfortable. And then. I wake up in the most comfortable position. But I never remember what it was. I have a dog that I sleep with at my dads and I don’t find that it really help. But that’s probably because he takes up basically the whole middle of the bed. =] I also listen to the fish tank bubbling at my dads and a fan at my moms. It just feels weird not doing that. Well. I guess I’ll see if any of these work. Thanks!
a way that has worked for me , and i dont know if anyone has mentiond it before,is to lie to bed in a comfortable position and try to stay still, if your head itches refuse to touch it , refuse to move, just stay completely still like you are already sleeping and also try NOt to move your eyes, and try to concentrate only at your breath until you eventually fall asleep 😉
My cat’s an indoor/outdoor cat so he’s not with me all the time and it’s hard to sleep without a cat.
Here’s another tip that I find helpful:
Have a glass of water beside you. If you are thirsty at night, you’re most likely going to wake up because of a parched mouth.
I am in a routine were i get to sleep early hours in the morning then wake up late in the afternoon any way i can get out this routine?
turn on the TV. tune in to a boring channel. turn the volume down. and put it to sleep mode like 20-30mins.
Make sure you have a comfortable environment
doing this makes the room feel more relaxed and witch makes you feel more relaxed,try to have no lights or very dim ones, also try not to have a T.V on or even a computer the light or noise is tempting to see what is going on.. avoid taking naps in the afternoon or for kids after school isn’t always good because it messes with your sleep for later that night. NO SWEET DRINKS OR COFFEE, the sugar and caffeine makes you want to stay up and avoid sleeping, try something like hot tea (green tea works great) or if your thirsty just stick with water
ALSO
having soft pillows on top and a more firm one on the bottom feels more relaxing because it isn’t so soft or to firm.
This is all i could help with, hope i helped 🙂
I have tried everything from herbal sleeping medications nothin seems to work me. My biggest problem is i hate sleeping alone 🙁 sadly i have no one in my life either to fill that space.
I hope these tricks work tonight because I have alot on my mind and I dont feel to good either..
set up a fish tank near the wall furthest from your bed but in the same room, in this fish tank you can put watever you want but you need to have a filter the makes a low humming noise that you can hardly hear and you need a air pump attatched to air stones, the low and quiet hummm of the filter mixed with the sound of the bubbles will stimulate endorphans that lower the oxygen levels recived by your muscles, this will lower the tenchion in the muscle fibours and reduse the stress levels allowing you to be in a state of alpha concentration were you will quickly fall asleep.
for the past 3 years of my life id rather relied on sleeping pills or getting drunk every day.. and now.. most of the time it takes both.. I need help 🙁
don’t think of anything. Just let your mind go blank or focus on your breathing.
I can’t sleep without music playing on the radio to distract me from any scary thoughts and it helps me when I can go to bed before my parents because it helps me to feel safer I guess. I don’t really know but I have an imagination that is not helpful at all when I am trying to fall asleep and I’m thinking about something scary. Lol because I took a nap this afternoon and I can’t sleep AT ALL!
One thing I do is to ‘track’ my eyes from left to right as though I am reading. This is best done while I am flat on my back with the lights out. It seems strange that this would work but it only takes ten seconds to make me start yawning. It is the strangest thing.
Sometimes when i fall asleep them best is when i wear warm clothes but stick my feet out so my body temp is just right. Sometimes it also helps if i crack the window open and listen to the rain (witch is easy for me because I live in Seattle) i also suggest putting things like cell phones, computers, and other electronics far away, because of things like a cell phone ring, a computer blinking, or possibly even just the urge to take a quick look.
i find that audio books like harry poter help me go to sleep
I seriously needed this. Though I have to say… I can’t be the only one who saw the “Ouran High School Host Club” reference, could I? Number 37? No? Just me, eh? That’s cool…
When you are ready to go to sleep, flick your eyes quickly from side to side behind closed lids until you see flashes of light, then stare into the middle distance. As a chronic insomniac, I find this works really well.
OMG!!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!:) At first when i couldnt fall asleep i would go to bed at around 8-9 and ended up falling asleep at 3:00 a.m. but thx to you i excercise in the mornings, drink chamomile tea, pray, dont sleep in the afternoons, take a really warm bath, read, dont drink anymore coffee, and definitley dont eat too much sweets anymore so that all helped go to bed in a flash thank you!!! Oh and another way to fall asleep very fast is to be in bed with the lights and tv off for about 10-15 minutes. Then if you havent fallen, accidentally, asleep yet, you can turn on the tv with volume up to 5 and watch it because your eyes were seeing darkness and when you light all of a sudden your eyes will get tired and want to fall asleep fast!!! Well i hope this worked but thank you so much anyway!!!! It reakky worked for me!!!:)
What I always do is have a nice warm cup of milk with nutmeg. It always works there’s something in the milk that makes you sleepy. It always works!
This was really helpful to me and i thank every one for all of the tips, comments and helpful ideas… What most works gor me is when you close your eyes and imagine pictures/images of yourself and what you are going to do the next day… I guess a little weird but thought I would share and comment!!:) thanks!
IMPORTANT! If you wear contact/eye lenses them take them off before you get to bed, i can’t sleep when im wearing those and actually im getting a little more sleepy when i’m taking them off… Good luck falling asleep!
What really helps me most of the time is to tell my body to sleep. One body part at a time. I start with my toes I tell them in my head of course to go to sleep and I give the ten sec. Then my ankles. My calfs. My knees my thighs. Going all the way up to my head. Usually about my stomach or shoulders I’m out. Of it takes a while you may alternate sides if the body. Like left toes right toes. Etc. there is a rule though. If you move then your whole body is awake again and you have to start over.
One more that I find helpful is room temperature. I live in a dessert so it’s hard to sleep when it’s so hot so maybe cool the room down during the day and at night you can sleep like a dog all cozey in your blankets
There is a 38th way but I am not very sure this work fast I act on a role play and when I am done i lie down on the bed to take a rest but eventually i felt sleepy.
P.S. Not very sure whether it work on others but it worked on me!
I always sleep with a pillow, it makes me feel safer .
I cannot fall asleep without music… It can be screamo,rock,country,or Latin even! But if there it’s any jazz I won’t sleep for months:(( … I guess I’m just strange like that. Anywho, you really helped me with some of these. Thank you, so very much! 🙂
A cup of warm milk. Fast and deep sleep guarantee by a guy from Poland.
I can never fall asleep unless I am IN the blankets. Even if it is too hot, I can’t stand not having that warmth surrounding me.
I also can’t sleep well if I am not in my own home where my fish filter is on all night and my wax melter thingy is on. The wax melter provides a good smell and a some light, which I prefer since I like to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. I don’t want to trip on anything! I also enjoy thinking about a guy I like, and how we are going to have our first kiss and get married.
Lately, though, (especially during lady times, girls, you know what I’m talking about) I cannot fall asleep and then I am sooo tired during class and I have been getting worse and worse grades, and I have all “A”s, and I do NOT want to lose that. I’ve tried all the suggestions you have, except for number 5 because I am only 12 years old and I don’t want to try that one. Please help me!
So i tried counting didn’t work. i cant play music because my brother wont be able to sleep. i tried lifting my feet up didn’t work. thinking bout a song makes me want to sing or dance. I’ve tried blankets. Counting is just annoying it reminds me i hate math. i swim on a swim team and do that for 3 and a half hours plus running 2 miles but it didn’t work. i need help! i’m desperate!
MakE sure not to wear the earplugs every night as this will get ear wax build up and cause hearing problems. This happened to me, so make sure to keep yours ears unplugged most of the time! Or take them out when there’s no sound.
this thing helps me a lot!!! thanks that whoever created this things! but another way is to do a lot of things that need a lot of patient and seat any where as long as you can or play computer for a while because this may get you sleepy by not to long when playing computer
I find counting backwards from 1000 useful!!!=)