There are a few lucky people out there who have absolutely no trouble falling asleep at night. The minute their head hits the pillow, they’re out. The rest of us lie in bed staring at the ceiling, tossing and turning, counting sheep or minutes, or snore, waiting for the mercy of blessed sleep to come.
Lack of sufficient, good quality sleep takes a toll on nearly every aspect of our lives, everything from health, to mood, to safety, to job performance. The good news is…all is not lost. With a bit of knowledge, a bit of planning and a bit of patience, we can learn how to fall asleep fast!
With that in mind, here are a total of 5 ways to get you a good nights’ sleep fast.
Daytime Sleep Enhancers
1. Avoid naps.
Try not to nap if you possibly can. Sleeping during the day makes it difficult to fall sleep at night. If you absolutely must, limit naps to a power nap of 20 minutes.
2. Limit beverages that interfere.
We all know that caffeine makes it difficult to fall asleep, but we may not be aware that alcohol interferes as well, as does drinking too much water right before bedtime.
3. Exercise during the day.
Exercise improves our health and also improves our sleep by reducing stress. The caveat, don’t exercise within 3 hours before bedtime. The adrenaline will keep you awake. Check out the tips to get yourself moving here.
Evening Sleep Helpers
4. Mind what you eat.
Have a light dinner. Heavy meals may be difficult to digest and indigestion may make it difficult to fall asleep. But don’t go to bed hungry. Hunger keeps you awake. Eat a light snack shortly before bedtime. Snacks like bananas, greek yogurt and hummus will help you sleep better.
5. Turn off the TV and computer.
This kind of stimulation tells the brain to be alert when it’s supposed to be winding down and has been proven to reduce sleep quality.
