Sleeping should be a relatively quick and enjoyable experience, and yet for many people it can be a major challenge, filled with anxiety and frustration.

We all want to fall asleep quickly and get quality rest. Unfortunately, the list of things that can prevent us from getting a decent amount of sleep at night is long.

Poor sleep hygiene, misaligned circadian rhythms, and hormonal changes, such as menopause, can all keep us awake and prevent us from enjoying quality and refreshing sleep.

Fortunately, there are some tips that can help you fall asleep quickly and improve your night's rest.

In this article we will examine how long it takes the average person to fall asleep and then we will look at the best tips that can help you fall asleep quickly and effectively.

How long should it take you to fall asleep?

The amount of time it takes to fall asleep - or, in scientific terms, sleep onset latency - varies from person to person, but generally speaking, it should take between 10 and 20 minutes to transition from a state of wakefulness to sleep.

However, there are many factors that can affect the time it takes you to fall asleep. These may include:

• Anxiety disorders
• Sleep disorder
• Poor sleep hygiene
• Bad sleep environment
• Medicines
• Diet
• and more...

As with many sleep-related phenomena, researchers still don't fully understand the exact mechanism behind delayed sleep onset. However, they do know that the time it takes you to fall asleep can be a strong indicator of the amount and quality of sleep you're getting.

For example, taking more than half an hour to fall asleep is associated with poor sleep quality, which in turn is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and other serious complications.

On the other hand, falling asleep too quickly can be a sign that you're not getting enough quality sleep during the night.

11 practical tips that will help you fall asleep quickly

Are you ready to fall asleep in record time? We've put together 11 practical tips that will help you fall asleep quickly and with quality.

Let's start!

1. Lower the room temperature

A warm bedroom may sound cozy and inviting, but research shows that you'll fall asleep faster when your bedroom is cool.

The reason?

Your body temperature naturally drops as night falls, signaling that it's time to sleep. Experts believe that keeping your bedroom at a cooler temperature can help you fall asleep faster by communicating the same signals to your body that it's time for bed.

But what is the ideal bedroom temperature for better sleep ? Most experts agree that the best sleeping temperature for healthy adults is somewhere between 15 and 19 degrees Celsius.

2. Create a relaxing nighttime routine

Nighttime should be a time of relaxation, free from stress about deadlines and assignments that need to be submitted. It would therefore be a good idea to dedicate the hours after work to quality time to help your body relax from the tension of the day and therefore, fall asleep quickly and effectively.

Need some ideas on how to decompress from the stress of the day? Relax your body and mind before bed and relieve stress by doing one of the following:

• Do light yoga.
• Write your thoughts in a diary.
• Enjoy a cup of herbal tea
• Read a book (or listen to an audiobook)

Try to stick to the same routine every night — even on the weekend. The more your body associates these activities with sleep, the easier it will be to fall asleep at night.

3. Use a gravity blanket

Speaking of relaxing activities, wrapping yourself in a heavy blanket can be one of the most effective ways to fall asleep faster.

The gentle and steady pressure that the blanket exerts on your body, known as Deep Tactile Pressure , activates the parasympathetic nervous system, putting your body in a state of relaxation that facilitates stress relief and promotes sleep.

At the same time, the constant pressure exerted by the blanket increases the levels of the body's "good" hormones, such as serotonin (the "happiness" hormone), oxytocin (the "love" hormone), and melatonin (the sleep hormone), while reducing levels of cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress and fear.

According to a study conducted in the scientific journal “ Journal of Sleep Medicine Disorders ” on people suffering from chronic insomnia, gravity blankets helped participants not only fall asleep faster, but also stay asleep throughout the night.

In addition, otherresearch showed that 63% of participants reported less anxiety after using the gravity blanket, while 78% preferred the gravity blanket for anxiety relief over any other alternative.

Prosleep tip: If you get hot easily or sweat frequently during the night, try Gravity Ice , the cool gravity blanket made from innovative fabrics that "breathe" to keep you cool and dry throughout the night.

4. Take a warm bath

If you want to fall asleep quickly, try taking a hot bath a short time before going to bed.

According to a report published in Sleep Medicine Reviews , bathing about 90 minutes before bed in warm water (40 to 42 degrees Celsius) can help you fall asleep 10 minutes faster than normal and improve your sleep quality overall.

Researchers hypothesize that a hot bath aids in the body's natural cooling process (yes, you read that right) by dilating blood vessels on the surface of the skin, essentially pulling blood from the body's core to the surface.

Thus, your skin, palms, and soles act as thermal emitters and disperse heat outward, while the temperature at the body's core remains reduced, an ideal condition for enjoying healthy and quality sleep.

Prosleep tip: For an even more relaxing bath, you can use salts or even hang eucalyptus from the shower head. The steam from the hot water will release the plant's oils, filling the air with a relaxing aroma that will help your mind calm down and relieve stress.

5. Use the military method

The military method for falling asleep quickly is nothing new. Soldiers have been using the technique for decades to help them fall asleep faster in war zones and other stressful environments.

But in recent years, this simple sleep hack has spread like wildfire across social media platforms like TikTok, promising to end insomnia in two minutes or less.

Read about the military method technique in the detailed article we have written.

While the military method can help you fall asleep in minutes, don't expect it to work on your first try. It takes patience and practice to master this sleep technique. But if you stick with it, you'll be rewarded: the military reports that the technique works for 96% of people after a 6-week period. So be patient if you don't see results the first night.

6. Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique

If the military method doesn't suit you, try the 4-7-8 breathing technique. This technique was developed by Dr. Andrew Weil as a variation of pranayama, an ancient yoga technique that helps people relax while replenishing oxygen in the body. .

Breathing techniques in general, such as the 4-7-8 technique, are designed to put the body into a deep state of relaxation and are therefore particularly useful if you are having trouble sleeping due to anxiety and general worries.

See how you can start with 4-7-8 breathing:

• Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. Regardless of the position you choose, make sure your back is straight.
• Place your tongue at the back of your two front teeth and hold it there.
• Get all the air out of your lungs.
• Gently seal your lips and take a deep breath through your nose, counting to 4.
• Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
• Exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds.

Practice this breathing pattern four to eight times, as many times as you feel comfortable. By the end of the last cycle, your body should feel relaxed and ready for sleep.

7. Count backwards from 300 in multiples of 3

If your mind is racing while you're lying down and it's preventing you from falling asleep quickly, then you need to find a way to calm it down. Experts say that engaging in a mindless activity, like counting down from 300 in multiples of three, can help distract you from your thoughts and put your body in a state of relaxation and drowsiness.

8. Make your bed

Remember when your parents used to scold you for not making your bed in the morning? As this study shows, they might have been right. According to the study, people who made their beds every morning slept longer than those who didn't, and they also felt better when they went to bed.

It makes perfect sense, given the negative impact that clutter can have on our well-being. Clutter bombards our minds with stimuli, making us stressed and unable to sleep. For this reason, try to keep your bedroom tidy and make your bed every morning. Your sleep will thank you for it!

9. Create a dark sleep environment

Sleeping in a dark room offers many benefits, one of which is that you can fall asleep more easily. According to sleep experts, darkness triggers the pineal gland in your brain to start producing melatonin, one of the main hormones involved in regulating sleep. Melatonin not only helps you fall asleep, but it also ensures a good night's sleep, helping you stay asleep throughout the night.

There are several ways to keep your bedroom dark. Blackout curtains are a good investment because they can block out outside light, as are good sleep masks.

Prosleep tip: Even a very small light source can disrupt the natural production of melatonin, so don't take this tip lightly. Cover with electrical tape any light bulbs that may be shining in your room from a device, e.g. the air conditioner, the TV or something else.

10. Meditate

Meditation is another great option for those who struggle to stop the “mental chatter” in their brain at night. This ancient Buddhist practice encourages you to be more aware of the present moment and observe your thoughts in a non-judgmental way. By focusing more on your breathing and how your body feels in the present moment, you can let go of unnecessary worries and fall asleep faster.

Shutting down your brain chatter isn't the only way meditation helps you fall asleep quickly. According to research, meditation can help the body prepare for sleep by increasing melatonin production and activating the relaxation response, encouraging us to let go of any tension and drift off to sleep.

If you are new to the practice of meditation and are looking for easy guidance, you can download a meditation app on your phone or even do a search on YouTube.

11. Leave electronic devices out of the bedroom

If you like to scroll through social media at night, you're not alone. According to a 2018 study published in Sleep , 70% of adults use their phones in bed.

Unfortunately, this habit doesn't help you fall asleep quickly. The blue light emitted by your cell phone suppresses melatonin production, making it difficult for your brain to "turn off" and enter a sleep state.

Instead of winding down in the evening by watching TV or scrolling through Instagram, choose another activity that promotes relaxation, such as yoga or reading a book. This, in addition to relaxing your body, will also prevent blue light from interfering with your sleep-wake cycle.

Improve your sleep naturally

Gravity blankets are the most effective way to deal with insomnia and stress without medication, as they have been used for many decades to help people suffering from anxiety disorders, autism, and other sensory disorders.

How do they work?

They are designed to apply gentle, steady pressure to the entire body, which occupational therapists call “ Deep Tactile Pressure .” This steady pressure relaxes the nervous system and helps the body naturally increase levels of serotonin and melatonin (the hormones of happiness and sleep) while reducing levels of cortisol, which is responsible for stress.

As a result, the mind stops "racing", the heart rate drops, the mood improves and the body enters a state of complete relaxation.

Choose the one that weighs closest to 10% of your body weight and upgrade your sleep from the very first night.