Fall Asleep when You Can't

Everyone occasionally has difficulty sleeping. If you've been struggling to nod off at night, there are a few simple changes you can make that will help. Engaging in relaxing activities and altering your lifestyle can result in a better overall sleep cycle.

Steps

Falling Asleep

1. Practice a relaxing ritual. If you find yourself struggling to sleep at night, try engaging in a relaxing ritual. This can help clear your mind and allow you to slip into sleep.
   • Take five deep breaths. Inhaling and exhaling can help the body relax. Place your hand on your stomach and try to breathe in a way that your hand rises and falls on your belly with your breathing.
   • Focus on the present moment. This can help you take your mind off of any intrusive thoughts that are preventing you from falling asleep. Focus on the feeling of the sheets against your legs, the temperature of the room, any noises coming from outside, and the smell of your sheets or bed. Hyper focusing on the present moment can help lull you to sleep.
   • Tensing your toes can actually relieve a lot of tension. If you're trying to fall asleep but can't, try pulling your toes inward, holding for a count of ten, and then releasing them and counting to ten again. Repeat 10 times.
2. Leave the room and do something else. If you've been trying to fall asleep for awhile and can't, it's best to leave the room and do something else for a bit. Reading a book, listening to soothing music, and other calming activities can help lull you to sleep. You should associate your room primarily with sleep, so make sure you go to the living room or somewhere else in your home and only return to your bed if you start feeling sleepy.
   • Remember to keep the lighting dim and not do anything too stimulating. If you read a book, don't choose a page-turning suspense novel. Try a biography or something a little less exciting.
3. Make a to-do list. If you're having trouble sleeping because you can't stop thinking about everything that's on your plate for tomorrow, make a to-do list. This can get distracting thoughts out of your head. Write down everything you need to do tomorrow on a piece of paper. Avoid using your smartphone, as the light from the screen will interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps you fall asleep. Purging distracting thoughts can help you fall asleep easier.
4. Make sure your bedroom is sleep appropriate. Your room can have a dramatic effect on your ability to sleep. If you frequently struggle to nod off, an inhospitable sleeping environment may be to blame.
   • Watch the temperature in your room. The ideal sleeping temperature is between 60 and 65°F (15.6 to 18.3°C). If your room is hotter or colder than this, you may need to invest in a space heater or air conditioner.
   • Bright lights can inhibit your ability to sleep. Use black-out drapes or a sleep mask to block out any light. Dim any clocks or appliances with bright screens before bed.
   • Keep you sleeping and waking life separate. Try to avoid doing work in the bedroom and use it primarily for sleeping. If you make a habit of engaging in work in bed, your brain will learn to associate your sleeping space with "go" time. You may end up feeling energized when you get into bed.
5. Try body scan meditation. Body scan meditation is a meditation practice in which you try to be aware of different regions of your body. By hyper-focusing on one section of the body at a time, you can ease your mind into sleepiness.
   • Body scan meditation techniques vary in length. They can last from 10 minutes to three or five minutes. You start by focusing on a small part of your body, like your little toe, and then move on to focusing on an entire region of the body. You pay attention to sensations in that body part, then in a particular region, and then move upward. You go from, say, your toe to your foot to your lower leg and so on.
   • There are many guided meditation techniques online that focus on body scan meditation. If you're trying to fall asleep, you may want to do a shorter routine of about five minutes; however, if your mind feels particularly busy and distracted, a longer routine may help.
6. Drink chamomile tea or warm milk. If you're having trouble falling asleep, sometimes something like chamomile tea or milk can help. Try having a drink of one of these beverages on sleepless nights.
   • There is still a great deal of scientific uncertainty as to warm milk's effect on sleep. It's believed that, while the physical effect of milk is limited, the beverage is comforting to some. The psychological soothing effect of warm milk may increase feelings of drowsiness, especially if you were given warm milk as a sleep aid when you were young.
   • As with warm milk, there is still some confusion about the benefits of chamomile tea on sleep. The effects are likely more psychological than physical but as many find chamomile tea comforting, a cup of tea before bed can help you sleep. Just make sure to avoid caffeinated teas, which can affect the sleep cycle.
7. Take a hot bath or shower. Your body temperature dips naturally just before bed. If you take a warm bath or shower close to bedtime, this causes your temperature to increase momentarily and then decrease when you exit the water. This decrease in temperature mimics the natural bodily process that prepares you for sleep, which can help calm you down and promote feelings of drowsiness. For the best effect, hop in the shower about two hours before bed.
8. Get a white noise machine. If you're having trouble sleeping due to noise outside or loud neighbors, consider a white noise machine. This is a machine that generates white noise or soothing background noises to drown out unwanted sound. You can also download white noise apps on many mobile phones.
9. Try a melatonin supplement. Melatonin is the hormone your body makes that helps influence your sleep/wake cycle. Taking a melatonin supplement may help you feel sleepy and can be taken as a short-term solution. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking a supplement.
   • Purchase a supplement that is marked "USP Verified," which means the dosage and ingredients are accurately listed on the package.

Establishing a Sleep Routine

1. Stick to a Set a Sleep Schedule. If you want to work on improving your sleep long-term, establish a firm sleep schedule. Your body runs on a circadian rhythm that will adjust to set sleep/wake times. If you make an effort to fall asleep and get up at the same time every day, you'll end up sleeping and waking up easier.
   • Make gradual adjustments. If you normally fall asleep around 2AM and find yourself lagging in the morning, you can't immediately switch to going to bed at 11PM. Try to to go to bed 20 or 30 minutes earlier each night until you reach the bedtime you desire.
   • Stick to the schedule even on weekends. While it can be tempting to sleep in on Saturdays, doing so confuses the body's circadian rhythm. This will make falling asleep Sunday night and waking up Monday morning difficult.
2. Wind down before bed. Your body needs at least an hour before bed to wind down and relax. Choose calming activities to engage in an hour before bedtime.
   • Reading, doing crossword puzzles, taking a warm bath, or listening to music are all relaxing activities that can help you fall asleep.
   • Many people watch television to wind down before bed. If you choose to do so, watch something that is half an hour or less to limit exposure to bright lights. Choose a relaxing, lighthearted program over anything heavy. Viewing something upsetting before bed can result in difficulty sleeping.
3. Avoid bright lights in the evening. Electronic devices, such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones emit "blue light," which is stimulating and can interfere with your sleep. Try to avoid these devices before you go to bed or look into options that reduce the emission of blue light in the evening, such as programs like f.lux for your computer or "Night Shift" for your smartphone.
4. Watch what you eat near bedtime. Eating heavy foods before bed can result in an upset stomach keeping you up at nigh t;however, going to bed hungry can also be distracting. If you feel hungry before bed, choose a low-calorie healthy snack over something greasy or sugary. Healthy foods will fill you up, allowing you to fall asleep satisfied.
   • Try a piece of whole grain toast with a little peanut butter. This is a satisfying snack that may also help you fall asleep, as the complex carbs will help your body deliver sleep-inducing tryptophan to your brain.
5. Adjust your bedding. If you have chronic trouble sleeping, your bedding might be to blame. Uncomfortable sheets of pillows can cause restless nights.
   • If possible, opt for all cotton bedding. These promote airflow and breathability, making them less likely to cause irritation.
   • Avoid irritants. Check the labels of your sheets, comforter, pillows, and pillow cases. There might be a substance you're allergic or sensitive to in the fabric, which could result in difficulty sleeping.
   • Pillows lose firmness over time. If your pillow is becoming increasingly saggy, replace it.

Making Lifestyle Changes

1. Exercise. Having an established workout routine can help regulate your sleep cycle. Just 10 minutes of aerobic exercise a day can improve the quality of your sleep. It also reduces the risk of sleep disorders like sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome.
   • Exercise helps with sleep and it improves the overall health of your body and also helps manage stress. Incorporating aerobic activities, such as jogging or biking, a few times a week can help you fall asleep faster.
   • Timing is important when it comes to exercises effect on sleep. Exercising too late in the day can result in an increase in energy, leading to difficulty falling or staying asleep. Aim to exercise in the morning or late afternoon.
2. Cut back on nicotine, alcohol, and caffeine. Nicotine and caffeine are both stimulants that say in your system for a long time. Smoking or drinking coffee too late in the day can result in trouble sleeping. Try to avoid coffee past early afternoon and if you smoke make an effort to quit. Tobacco can have other negative health effects in addition to trouble sleeping. While alcohol can cause you to feel sleepy, the sleep you have when intoxicated is of less high a quality. Aim to avoid drinking more than one or two drinks a night if you want better quality sleep. Alcohol also interrupts REM sleep.
3. Manage stress. If you have a lot of stress in your life, this can keep you up at night. Make efforts to reduce your overall stress level if you want better quality sleep.
   • Start with basics. Make an effort to be more organized. Small changes, stuff like just keeping your environment neater, can have a dramatic impact on stress.
   • Take breaks. Do not push yourself to work too hard throughout the day. When you need a minute, take 10 or 15 to unwind.
   • Look into stress reducing activities. Things like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing exercises can have a dramatic effect on your stress levels.
4. Know when to see a doctor. If you often have trouble sleeping even after making certain changes, contact your doctor. Difficulty sleeping can point to a variety of underlying health concerns. A medical evaluation is necessary to rule out any serious health problems. Your doctor may be able to prescribe you medication to treat sleep disorders.

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