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If you have trouble falling asleep at night, here are some recommendations for methods to fall asleep quickly. Read on and learn more.
fall asleep quickly it is a necessity for those who have little free time and must rest as much as possible, without wasting minutes going around. This would be the case, for example, of a person who works and studies. So you don’t want to stay in bed too long without being able to close your eyes.
On the other hand, there are those who suffer from sleep disorders and, despite going to bed early, can spend a lot of time awake. But fortunately, there are several methods to fall asleep quickly that can help us with this problem.
Why is it difficult to fall asleep quickly?
There is no exact figure about what is normal or ideal in terms of the time it takes to fall asleep. Sometimes we can spend half an hour in silence, reviewing what we did during the day, until sleep overcomes us.
However, when wakefulness is prolonged and persistent, it is called chronic insomnia. Although the time it takes to fall asleep is not the only symptom or indicator, since it can also cost us to stay asleep, waking up at midnight.
According to medical literature, to diagnose insomnia it is required that this hardship last for at least 1 month. In addition, other symptoms should be present, such as fatigue, daytime sleepiness, irritability, and concentration problems.
Now, there are several reasons why it is difficult for us to fall asleep quickly. Among them are the following:
- Excessive exposure to electronic devices.
- Changes in schedules when working in shifts.
- Anxiety, depression and stress disorders.
- Restless legs syndrome.
- Reaction to medications or drug use.
Ways to fall asleep quickly
If you’re dealing with a problem with insomnia, you may fall into a cycle where you push yourself and find yourself falling short, stressing you out more. There are methods to fall asleep quickly that will help you turn off the switch of the mind and guide your body towards effective rest. Let’s see.
1. Breathing 4-7-8
To fall asleep quickly the first thing we have to do is relax. But for that we must learn to maintain controlled and slow breathing.
The name of the 4-7-8 technique refers to the seconds we spend in each of the phases: inhale, hold, exhale. Let’s see how the procedure is:
- Place the tip of the tongue against the palate, behind the incisors.
- Part your lips slightly, pursing them a little, as if to whistle.
- Inhale silently through your nose, counting to 4 mentally (slowly).
- Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
- Exhale humming, also slowly, for 8 seconds.
Once 4 equal cycles are done, the body is told to rest. In case we feel that sleep begins to overcome us, we should sleepno matter if we do not complete the exercise.
People with respiratory conditions should ask their doctor if they can use this method.
2. Progressive muscle relaxation
Progressive or deep muscle relaxation is the complement of breathing. In this case, we try to release the tension of the muscles, although it begins by tensing them a little first.
The technique is performed as follows:
- We get into a comfortable position, lying down or sitting.
- We tighten or tense the muscles of the face, maintaining this tension for a few seconds (5-10).
- Then we relax for a longer period (20-30 seconds).
- Repeat with the same muscles 2 times.
- Then we move on to other groups: neck, shoulders, back, arms, etc.
3. Visualization exercises
To fall asleep quickly the third factor we must consider is the mind. What happens in the head is fundamental when it comes to resting. If the brain is too active, thinking about problems, we will not rest.
So we must try to concentrate, visualizing relaxing and calming images. For example, we can think that we are going down a city street, remembering what is in each place.
According to a study carried out at the University of Oxford, people who visualize images to distract their minds at bedtime fall asleep faster compared to those who do not use this technique.
4. The military method
This method owes its name to the fact that was a routine developed to help US Army pilots to fall asleep quickly. It is guaranteed to work, even in noisy environments.
Let’s see how the procedure is:
- Start by relaxing the muscles in your face.
- Now move on to the shoulders and arms, gently dropping the hands to the sides of the body.
- Take a deep breath, exhale and relax your torso.
- Continue with the legs and feet.
- Now imagine a relaxing scene, like walking along the beach.
- Mentally repeat: I don’t think, I don’t think…
Mastering this technique requires some practice.. So if the desired effect doesn’t happen immediately, you repeat it.
5. Acupressure to fall asleep quickly
This is a technique that is used for various purposes. It is ensured that acupressure provides benefits in relation to the release of accumulated tension, favoring relaxation. In addition, helps improve circulation and even reduce pain.
Although there is not enough evidence in this regard, it is thought that it can also be used to fall asleep quickly. This would be done with pressure on the points related to the areas that are tense.
6. Try to stay awake
This is known as the paradoxical intention method. It consists of doing the exact opposite of what is desired. Or rather, telling us the opposite: to stay awake.
The curious thing is that in some people with insomnia, the thought of not sleeping drives away anxiety they experience at bedtime. And consequently, they fall asleep.
Fall asleep quickly, without tossing and turning
In addition to the techniques explained above to fall asleep quickly, we must consider some other factors that will help make them more effective. For example, noise, which can be a potential disturber.
So we must try to make our room as quiet and pleasant as possible. You also have to invest in ventilation elements and in having pleasant colors on walls and sheets.
On the other hand, before going to bed, if you want to fall asleep quickly, you should turn off all the lights, do not exercise in the previous hours, avoid going to the room immediately after work or homework, turn off electronic devices at least least one hour before. And sweet dreams.
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