It may sound difficult to learn how to fall asleep quickly, but you can try these methods with just your mind and a smartphone.

Tossing and turning while attempting to sleep can make it difficult to fall asleep quickly on occasion. The fundamental ideas, like reading a book and turning off your electronics, are probably ones you already understand, but what can you do if they don’t?

It seems that sleep experts have found some unusual methods of encouraging relaxation that depend on your own biology and psychology.

Breathe with your mind

Breathing patterns have an impact on our autonomic nervous system, which regulates heart rate, muscle tension, motivation, and other aspects of relaxation or excitement. While rapid, shallow breathing can make you feel anxious, deep, slow breathing can be calming.

One approach to try is Dr. Andrew Weil’s 4-7-8 method. The process is also fairly simple to implement. How to do it is as follows:

Keep your tongue’s tip in contact with the ridge behind your upper teeth throughout the exercise (inhaling and exhaling).
As you completely exhale through your mouth, make a whooshing sound. Now shut your mouth and inhale deeply four times through your nose. Breaths are separated by seven counts. As you slowly exhale to the count of eight, make the “whooshing” noise (pucker your lips if it feels awkward).
In order to get used to the technique, Dr. Weil suggests practicing it while sitting up straight before attempting it while lying down. She also suggests repeating the cycle four times to start.

Purchase a mattress with the ideal firmness.

There is no “one size fits all” solution for mattress firmness. Depending on their sleep position, activity level, body mechanics, age, and other factors, different people will sleep better on different levels of firmness or softness of a mattress. You’ll have the best night’s sleep if you choose a mattress that fits your body type and sleeping preferences.

Go primitive

To help you fall asleep, make your bedroom feel like a sleeping cave.
Prior to the development of smartphones, nights were gloomy and chilly. Surprise! Modern science has also discovered that complete darkness and a cool environment make for the best sleeping conditions. Expert on circadian rhythms and sleep at Duke University, Dr. Jade Wu, Ph.D., asserts that light from electronics and artificial lighting can disrupt our biological clocks and impair the quality of our sleep.

So transform your bedroom into a Paleolithic sleep cave. Turn off all electronics, including televisions, laptops, tablets, and smartphones, before going to bed. Use blackout curtains or an eye mask if your room cannot be completely darkened or if your wake-up time is well after sunrise.

Start lowering the lights at least 30 minutes before you want to go to bed to tell your body that it is time for bed. It is even better to use lamps with dimmer, warmer-colored bulbs and software like f.lux to lessen the impact of light.

Remain composed

Have you ever observed that working in a chilly environment makes you want to nap? According to research, cooler temperatures do seem to hasten our ability to fall asleep and encourage deeper sleep. A warm blanket is also the ultimate in relaxation, especially in a chilly room.

How does that work? As our circadian rhythms get closer to the sleep phase, our body temperature naturally drops, and it does so up until a few hours before you usually wake up.

A study from Australia found that people with frequent insomnia tend to have warmer bodies overall. People who have trouble falling asleep due to sleep onset insomnia tend to stay warm later in the evening, which may be a factor in their inability to do so. The good news is that they might be able to sleep faster and get back to a regular body temperature rhythm by resetting their biological clocks in the morning with bright light exposure.

Just as some people prefer it warmer or cooler during the day, there is no one temperature that works for everyone when it comes to the ideal sleeping environment. If you want to nod off in five minutes or less, 65 degrees is a good place to start. It won’t be the only component needed, but it will be a good starting point.

Take a warm bath approximately 30 minutes prior to going to bed to hasten this process even more. This could possibly encourage restful sleep and cause the temperature to drop more. If possible, try sleeping without any clothing on since clothes can interfere with your body’s ability to regulate its temperature while you sleep.

Put down technology

While technology and lights can disrupt sleep, they can also be useful. High-tech materials and contemporary bedding options can improve comfort and hasten sleep.

With adjustable beds, you can also change the angles of your legs and upper body. This may be especially beneficial for those who experience conditions like lower back pain or swelling because the adjustments can ease back tension and boost circulation, which can make people feel more at ease.

Even if you cannot afford an adjustable bed, you can still relieve aches and stiffness with a special type of pillow. A neck pain pillow, for instance, might have a contoured or shredded fill.

Trick your brain

Have you ever noticed how your stubborn mind can sometimes get in the way of your efforts? It turns out that the paradoxical intention principle, which is comparable to reverse psychology but does not involve deception, may also aid in promoting sleep.

A Scottish study discovered that the clinical application of paradoxical intention (i.e., purposefully not trying to fall asleep while lying in bed) reduced insomniacs’ sleep effort and anxiety in comparison to doing nothing. Another study found that having a strong desire to sleep resulted in less restful sleep.

Instead of telling yourself you’re trying to fall asleep, tell yourself you’re trying to stay awake for a while. Try listening to a podcast or audiobook at a low volume or visualizing relaxing activities to keep your mind off the task of falling asleep if a quiet, dark bedroom makes your mind race.

Daydream deliberately

One of the main causes of insomnia for many people can be ruminating or unwanted thoughts. Instead of drifting off to sleep peacefully, your thoughts keep returning to the happenings of the day, embarrassing moments from the past, or tomorrow’s to-do list.

Before going to sleep, one method to break the cycle of rumination or to get rid of unwanted thoughts is to use visualization or imagery, which is similar to daydreaming. There are several ways to accomplish this:

Simply create in your mind a serene scene and explore it. It might be a serene forest, beach, or some other place.
Instead, visualize yourself performing a monotonous but uplifting activity, such as making free throws.
Even though it sounds cheesy, daydreaming about serene places can actually help you relax. Recognize that it’s acceptable for your thoughts to stray while you’re visualizing. Bring your focus back to the scene gently and without passing judgment. To find out which sounds and techniques work best for you, experiment with a variety. Remembering visualization is another effective midday stress reliever.
This enables you to put aside worries about the past and the future and concentrate on the present, which is sometimes all it takes to settle your mind and get some rest.

Eat carbohydrates at night

Planning ahead is necessary for this advice, but a study revealed that consuming carbohydrates four hours prior to bedtime helped people fall asleep more easily and sleep more soundly. Simple carbohydrates, which digest quickly and easily, were the focus of the study. Items like potatoes, white bread, white pasta, and rice are among them (as well as sugary foods). Interestingly, a Japanese study found that only rice provided sleep benefits, not bread or noodles. Even if you are attempting to reduce your intake of carbohydrates, it may be best for your sleep to have at least one serving for dinner.

To avoid experiencing indigestion later, the key is to keep dinners simple and of a moderate size. Because eating carbohydrates four hours before bed was more effective than eating them an hour before, planning your evening meals may be beneficial. Remember that spicy foods can make it difficult for you to fall asleep quickly.

Conclusion

It may be helpful to read up on the fundamentals of good sleep hygiene and how to organize your bedroom if you frequently have trouble falling asleep. It would be best to consult a behavioral sleep medicine specialist if your sleep issue doesn’t seem to get better despite making these lifestyle changes.