It is a natural phenomenon anywhere in the world that human beings sleep in order to rest and continue with their endless human activities; sleep makes the body and mind to relax, giving way to pressures accumulated in the day’s struggle to be eased out.
It is quite obvious that some persons can sleep very easily while some still find it difficult to do so; some who sleep wake up too early while some wake up so late.
However, it is better to sleep well and longer as sleeping less than the expected normal sleeping hours could be for reason that could be emotional, mental, medications, diet or stress.
You might be ready to sleep but talking can send the wrong signal to the brain that you aren’t ready and this can either lead to sleeping late or not to feel sleepy at all.
You can also sleep faster when you are lost in your world of fantasy; dream of those places especially your favourite spots where you would love to go to, the impossible trip/vacation which you have always imagine and wished it could be possibly be achieved etc.
This helps to distract you from your thoughts at least for that moment and sleep faster than expected.
- Put Off The Light In Your Room
This is for the category of persons that can’t sleep with the lights on. Try to put off the lights or anything that reflects in your eyes.
This includes TV as well as other digital screens which are known to suppress the hormone which induces sleep known as melatonin due to the device’s ability to release blue light rays which the natural filters in our eyes cannot protect.
When it’s being done, sleep will gradually creep in.
- Have Sex
This can be an option for those who are married especially; history has shown that most persons after having sex feel sleepy.
Having sex helps to improve hormones such as oxytocin which is known also as a “hormone of love” it acts as a binder, binding you with your loved one like your partner in this case.
It also helps in lowering the stress hormone known as cortisol and producing prolactin, a hormone which is released during orgasm which makes one feel happy, relaxed and as well sleepy.
So if you want to sleep very soon, have a good round of sex with your partner.
- Stop Looking At The Time
Checking the time often increases anxiety, troubles the mind and makes one stay awake; if it is the type that makes a sound when it ticks try to remove the sound, or even better hide the clock where you can’t conveniently look at it.
If not, this scenario of constant ticking might be reminding you of the popular children’s rhyme “Tick says the Time” which in this case is true for you as you are quickly idling away your precious sleeping time.
To sleep fast, keep your watch/clock, even your phones away from your bed and sleep will take over in a short period of time.
- Tidy Up Your Room
An untidy environment can cause anxiety in some persons as there will be a lot of things to worry about.
Tidying up your environment including your room will also help in cooling it as it will allow the passage of fresh air which can make you feel relaxed and once you are comfortable, you can sleep easily.
It has been studied that when the room is cool, dark and comfortable for you, your body itself gets cooled as well and that can make you fall asleep easier as the brain itself produces more of the sleeping hormone – melatonin in the dark, and this condition makes the brain believe that it is time to fall asleep.
- Play Soft Music
Lots of research have shown that soft music like blues, classical music and others genres especially soft music makes one fall asleep faster.
Just as singing a baby to sleep works, so also listening to soft music enhances the ability for sleep to take over as it helps in suppressing depression and makes your body feel relaxed by reducing the heart rate.
- Practice Reverse Psychology
In as much as this might be a surprise to many, it is still a good news to let you know that it works, has worked for many who have had issues/difficulty sleeping, and is still working.
“Reverse Psychology” in this context simply means that for you to be able to sleep or quickly fall asleep, you have to try to be awake.
As stupid as this may sound, it has been proven scientifically and it has shown great results especially in people who have insomnia.
So when you want to fall asleep faster, don’t try so hard to sleep as you are more likely to fail in this attempt, do the exact opposite and you are likely to succeed.
Although it may not be a long lasting solution, it can serve as a better alternative for the meantime while you work on a long-lasting solution.
- Warm Your Feet With Socks
You can hardly sleep when you have cold feet, due to the fact that the circulation of blood in your extremities which includes your hands are at a reduced rate.
Therefore, in this case, wearing of socks/hand gloves help to keep your feet/hands warm by increasing the flow/circulation of blood in those areas.
When your extremities are warm, it is likely to send a signal to the brain that it is time to sleep.
- Sleep on Your Left Side
As difficult as it seems, our sleeping position has a long way to either make us sleep faster and better or not.
Though some persons can conveniently sleep in any position, for a better health and wellbeing it is recommended to sleep more on the left side as also is the case for pregnant women.
It is so because of the positions of the vital organs in the body which also helps to improve its functions while we sleep.
The advantages of sleeping on the left side includes and is not limited to the ability of the specific body organs to strengthen the lymphatic system, promote the circulation of blood as well as digestion, help to reduce heartburn as well as relieve back pain and prevent the growing uterus in pregnant women from firmly pressing on the liver, the fetus and kidney.
