4 Techniques to Help You Fall Asleep Faster

Along with good nutrition and regular exercise, getting enough sleep is the third pillar in the trifecta of healthy habits for well-being. Adequate sleep for most adults is seven or more hours per night, but 1 in 3 adults say they're not getting enough.¹

Sleep latency refers to the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, typically about 15 to 20 minutes for most adults.² People who have an excessively long sleep latency period or tend toward insomnia often have difficulty shutting off worries or anxieties, and sometimes exhibit signs of stress, such as an elevated temperature, faster heartbeat or tense muscles.²

If you're having difficulty falling asleep, try some of the relaxation methods outlined below to find one that may work for you and help you fall asleep faster — and stay there.

Techniques for Falling Asleep Fast

Employing sleep techniques can help you reach the Land of Nod faster, and often include elements of purposeful relaxation such as deep breathing and focused attention, which signal to the body and mind that it's time to prepare for sleep.² Let's look at some of the most popular techniques in more detail.

1. The military method

The military method is a deep relaxation technique designed to help soldiers fall asleep in two minutes under virtually any conditions. Try using the military method by following these steps:²

• Find a comfortable position, either lying down or sitting up, in a place where you can relax your body.
• Close your eyes and begin to inhale and exhale deeply and slowly. Starting with the top of your head, begin to relax each muscle, including the brow, eyes, cheeks, lips, tongue and jaw.
• Continue down the body, relaxing the muscles on one side, then the other. While still breathing deeply, relax your right shoulder, bicep, forearm and hand. Repeat on the left side.
• Relax your chest, shoulder blades, torso, hips and glutes.
• Relax your right thigh, knee, calf, ankle and foot. Repeat on the left.
• Clear your thoughts and try to think of nothing — which can be challenging. If intruding thoughts come up, acknowledge them and return your attention to your breath, or visualize a soothing image.
• Repeat the steps as needed until you relax into sleep.

2. The 4-7-8 method

The 4-7-8 method is based on the ancient yoga practice of pranayama breathing, or controlling your breath to control your nervous system. Mindful breathing techniques like pranayama breathing have been shown to reduce stress and support relaxation.³

Pranayama breathing can be done anywhere and at any time but takes some practice, as you may feel lightheaded at first. Begin practicing with four cycles, working your way up to eight. Here's how:³

• Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down with your back straight.
• Place your tongue against the back of your top teeth.
• Purse your lips and exhale completely through your mouth, keeping your tongue against your top teeth. Make a whoosh sound if it helps to expel more air.
• Close your lips and inhale through your nose for four counts.
• Hold your breath for seven counts.
• Exhale completely through your mouth for eight counts.
• Repeat for three more cycles.

3. Progressive muscle relaxation

This technique promotes relaxation and stress reduction by combining controlled breathing with muscle contraction and release of the major muscle groups.²

• Lie down with your eyes closed and begin to inhale and exhale in slow, deep breaths.
• Tense your face muscles for a count of 10. Release the muscles and take three to four deep breaths.
• Move down the body, tensing and relaxing each muscle group while continuing to inhale and exhale deeply; tense and relax your neck and shoulder muscles, back, torso, glutes, legs and feet.

4. Guided sleep meditation

While guided meditation can be done anytime, practicing this technique before bed can be particularly helpful to calm the mind and release worries, tension and anxiety. You can practice sleep meditation using your own music or prompts, but many people find using a sleep app or other audio recording as a guide to be more effective.⁴

Guided sleep meditation may include any or all of the following components:⁴

• A body scan, which asks you to notice feelings or sensations in the body without attempting to change them. For example, you might notice sensations of tingling, tightness or tension; or emotions like sadness, worry or fear. You may be asked to relax each body part by “breathing into" that area. You might also be prompted to release worrying thoughts with imagery of clouds floating in the sky or water moving in a river.

• Breathing exercises that ask you to count as you inhale and exhale slow down your nervous system and signal that it's time for sleep.

• Visualization of a favorite image or scene you find calming and peaceful can help your mind into a hypnotic-like state.

• Gratitude practice asks you to shift your focus to what you're grateful for and show yourself loving kindness.

More Tips for Falling Asleep Faster

In addition to the techniques outlined above, there are other ways to help facilitate falling asleep faster.

Stick to a sleep routine

Getting to bed and waking up at around the same time — even on weekends — can help regulate your natural circadian rhythm, your body's internal clock that signals alternating periods of sleep and wakefulness. A regular routine is one component of healthy sleep hygiene and can help improve sleep latency and sleep quality.⁵

Move your body (during the day)

Thirty minutes of moderate daily exercise is recommended for most adults, and getting enough exercise during the day can play a big role in helping you fall asleep faster at night. Try upping your exercise during the day, but be aware that for some people, a vigorous workout too close to bedtime can be stimulating and result in the opposite effect, making it harder to fall asleep.⁶

Try aromatherapy

Aromatherapy, or the use of essential oils and other aromatic plant compounds, has been employed for thousands of years to promote health and well-being, including relaxation and stress relief. Essential oils like lavender, lemon and thyme are popular choices to promote sleep and can be used with an essential oil diffuser or formulated for topical use on your skin.⁷

Limit screen time

While you've likely heard it before, it's worth repeating: Our electronic devices are not helping us sleep at night. Phones, tablets, TV, computer screens and gaming devices emit blue light, which is thought to interfere with our circadian rhythms. Try going screen-free for at least one to two hours before going to sleep. If you must look at a device before bedtime, adjust the settings to “night mode," which typically shades the screen in an amber light that is less disruptive to your natural sleep signals.⁸

Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed

At a minimum, it's best to avoid caffeine four to six hours before going to bed. This is because, as a stimulant, it takes anywhere from three to five hours for caffeine to leave the body. Some people may find that cutting back on caffeine during the day greatly improves their ability to fall asleep at night.⁷

And while alcohol may help you relax and fall asleep quickly, it tends to disrupt the sleep cycle, resulting in poor quality sleep or wakefulness during the night. Experts recommend avoiding alcohol for a minimum of four hours before bedtime.⁵

Get up

Tossing, turning and worrying about why you're not sleeping is counterproductive to sleeping. Instead, get out of bed and do something you find both relaxing and distracting, such as reading, journaling your thoughts or light yoga stretches. Try to stay off screens or other stimulating devices. Do the activity until you feel drowsy and get back into bed. Repeat as needed until you're able to fall asleep.⁹

Try melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone in the body that helps regulate sleep. When taken as a supplement, either as a pill, patch or liquid, it can help address issues such as jet lag or other sleep disruptions.¹⁰

While it's typically considered safe for adults to take melatonin daily for short periods of time, there are several factors to consider before doing so, including age, overall health, the specific sleep problem and potential interaction of melatonin with prescription medications, like those for epilepsy, diabetes, high blood pressure, blood thinners, birth control or antibiotics.

It's a good idea to consult your physician first on whether or not melatonin is a good choice for you to help with the situational sleep issues you may be having.¹⁰

When to Seek Help

Many people can improve their sleep hygiene and ability to fall asleep faster simply by making small changes to their sleep routine. However, if you consistently have trouble falling asleep or regularly experience poor-quality sleep that affects your waking hours, you may benefit from consulting with a healthcare professional or sleep specialist. They may be able to diagnose a sleep disorder or an underlying medical issue that's affecting your sleep, and recommend a treatment plan to help you get the high-quality sleep you need.²

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Author Bio

Anne-Marie Kennedy is a freelance writer with more than 20 years of experience covering health and wellness, personal finance and real estate/investing.