Tips For Falling Asleep Faster Tonight

Tips For Falling Asleep Faster Tonight

Getting enough sleep is an essential aspect of overall health. How much a person needs is unique to that individual, however, on average adults need 7-9 hours of solid sleep. Lack of sleep is associated with higher rates of motor vehicle accidents, a higher rate of obesity, increased risk for diabetes, cardiovascular problems, increased risk for psychiatric conditions, impaired decision making and reduced cognitive ability.

Making sure you allocate enough time every day to getting enough sleep is incredibly important. Sometimes however when you go to lie down, you might find yourself starring at the ceiling unable to actually fall asleep. Here are some tips to help the Sandman come faster:

1. Cut off the caffeine. Set a goal to be caffeine free after 2PM. Caffeine is a stimulant we obviously use to increase alertness when we feel drowsy. The problem is that caffeine has a half-life of up to 8-hours. This means it can take 8 hours for HALF the caffeine to be flushed from your system. The remaining stimulant can be the culprit of your late nights.

2. Lower your AC. A cool environment is optimal for a good night sleep. Shoot for somewhere between 65-75 degrees. If you don’t want to crank up the air conditioner consider using fans.

3. Do some stretching. Just a few minutes of light yoga can increase drowsiness before bed. Childs pose and legs up the wall are two good poses to try.

4. Limit the light. Turn off the computer and TV a good 60 minutes before you head to bed. The artificial light can trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime and increases your alertness. Also, limit the artificial light in your room. Use blackout curtains to cut out the street lights, turn off night lights, use dimmer bulbs in your bedside table lamps, and ditch the lit alarm clock. If you can’t limit the light, try wearing an eye mask.

5. Use a sound machine. The sound of the ocean or rain pitter-pattering on a window can help calm your mind and ease your transition into sleep.

Find what works for you in order to ensure that you’re getting enough Z’s tonight!

What tricks do you use to fall asleep easier?