A Sleep Science survey says more than 50% of Americans find difficulty sleeping quickly after lying on the bed. People keep turning and tossing in their beds. They keep thinking about not being able to sleep, which, in turn, worsens their sleep time. Primary methods induce sleep like reading a book, listening to music, or turning off electronic gadgets.
But what do you do when these natural tricks don't work? Don't worry; we know some unconventional techniques to promote sleep based on biology and psychology. These creative yet straightforward methods will help you to sleep faster and can be tried anywhere. However, if you have any sleep disorder, take medical consultation. If you're on some sleep-promoting prescription, these tricks may not work.
How to Fall Asleep in 5 Minutes?
People, who find it difficult to sleep as soon as they get into and close their eyes, should try the techniques below. After including these methods in your bedtime schedule, you'll sleep quickly and have quality sleep. The following sleep-inducing ways will help you move from sleepless nights and drowsy days to sweet dreams and energized days.
- Breathe through mind
The pattern of our breathing plays a crucial role in the autonomic nervous system. It regulates muscle tension, heart rate, motivation, and all other excitement or relaxation aspects. Shallow breathing patterns can cause anxiety, and slow breaths give the feeling of calmness.
A specialist, Dr. Andrew Weil, suggests trying the 4-7-8 breathing method as the process regulates better breathing flow and is also simple.
- First, place your tongue tip behind your upper teeth on the ridge while doing the exercise.
- Now, exhale completely through your mouth.
- 4: Close your mouth after exhaling completely and inhale through the nose while counting till 4.
- 7: count till seven while holding your breath.
- 8: start to exhale slowly till the count of eight and then repeat.
Dr. Weil suggests practicing this breathing method with a straight back and sitting down. Once you grow comfortable with the process, try it lying down. For starters, repeat this process only four times and increase the count with regular practice.
- Sleep like a caveman
There was a time when a dark and cool atmosphere was a way to sleep since there were no smartphones. Modern sleep research also suggests that the best way to sleep quickly and longer is by keeping the room cool and dark. According to a sleep researcher from Duke University, artificial and electronic devices light disrupt sleep and quality.
When your bedroom is free of artificial lighting and noise, it ensures a dark, quiet, pleasant environment that promotes sleep. Also, the caveman atmosphere will signal to the mind that the darkroom is only for sleeping and not using social media or watching TV. This will also help your brain understand how nothing else is more important than sleeping when you get into bed.
Thus, when you decide to sleep at night, do not keep any artificial light on. Go prehistoric and create a cave with no TV, smartphones, or any other electronic gadgets. Suppose you can't achieve complete darkness. Use eye masks or dark curtains to stop natural light from coming into the room. You can also use dark curtains and eye masks to promote enough sleep if you wake up after sunrise.
- Keep it chilling
Have you ever been to your office? It's chilling because of the AC, and your body gets ready for a nap? Sleep Science researchers have found in multiple studies how cooler temperatures promote deep and fast sleep. Also, wrapping yourself in a warm blanket when it's cold is a cozy feeling that increases melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone that promotes sleep.
Cold temperatures help in sleeping better and faster because of the circadian rhythm. When the circadian rhythm reaches the sleep phase, the body's temperature starts to fall and stays lower for the next few hours. The same is why people who have insomnia can't sleep at night as their body temperature is high.
However, there are ways for people who have sleep disruption problems to sleep well. All you need to do is regulate your sleep cycle using natural light exposure in the morning while the sun is at its peak. This exposure change will help get the body back to a cooler temperature at night and faster sleeping. However, if you have any severe sleep disruption issues, it's always better to take medical advice from professionals.
No one temperature can keep everyone happy, so it's crucial to be open and try finding that sweet spot. The trial and error method is the perfect way to find your comfortable temperature, which will regulate your sleep well throughout the night. Some researchers suggest a go-to temperature for sleeping in less than five minutes is 65 degrees. Personally, for you, it may not be the ideal temperature, but your trial and error method could start here.
- Get the right mattress
A mattress is one of the most primary factors influencing sleep. If you're comfortable in your bed, you'll sleep faster and for longer. However, if your mattress is not supportive enough, you won't sleep well. Also, one mattress can't put all kinds of people to sleep. Everyone has their choices, and the selection of the mattress depends on various factors. For example, some people like to sleep on their back, while others sleep on their stomach or side.
Other factors influencing sleep through a mattress include age, body mechanics, activity level, firmness, and softness. To sleep well at night, the mattress will match your body type and sleeping style. The question remains how do you find that *perfect/ideal* mattress.
The answer is simple, a mattress store like Mancini's Sleepworld where there's SleepMatch. A technology that will take inputs of all kinds and calculate them against thousands of parameters. SleepMatch provides results in the form of mattress options that are best for you and your body. With 35 stores in Northern California, contact them to get the nearest Mancini's Sleepworld location with SleepMatch. If you're in Northern California and looking to shop for beds, Mancini's Sleepworld is the place to find your perfect mattress.