If you went to the article page, then you have problems falling asleep. Here we will tell you in detail how to fall asleep quickly and what factors affect the quality of rest. According to statistics, it takes about 20 minutes for most people to fall asleep. If this figure is higher, then there are some disorders. In particular, this may indicate the presence of insomnia. It should be noted that these figures are very average. And the duration of the nap phase largely depends on the level of fatigue.

The process of falling asleep is little studied. This is due to the individual characteristics that each person has. Some sink into unconsciousness smoothly and quickly, others long and painfully. Still others feel alert at all, waking up before the onset of the deep sleep phase. What to do when you can't sleep, read more on the PAGOTI website.


What keeps you from falling asleep

Factors that affect the speed of falling asleep can be external and internal. Internal include anxiety, emotional overstrain, heavy thoughts.

 

 

External factors are:

  • Bright lighting. Lanterns, billboards, and a full moon can illuminate a room with bright light. This also includes gadget screens and the bad habit of scrolling through social networks before going to bed.
  • Loud sounds. Behind the wall can live restless neighbors, small children, dog breeders or lovers of watching TV late. Perhaps you live near a road where car noise is constantly heard.
  • Uncomfortable bed. Dents, bumps and bumps may have formed on a sofa or mattress over the course of its life. It is not uncommon for a person to fall asleep quickly at night without sleeping pills in an inappropriate level of rigidity of the bed.
  • Wrong microclimate. Too hot or cold, lack of fresh air, high humidity - all this creates physical and psychological discomfort.
  • Fast food and alcohol. On the one hand, alcohol has the same effect on the nervous system as caffeine. And heavy food takes a long time to digest. On the other hand, after drinking alcohol and fast food, a person falls asleep faster. However, it is categorically impossible to call such a vacation quality.
  • Physical exercise. Heavy physical activity makes the muscles overstrain, which makes it difficult to fall asleep very quickly. Therefore, in the evening it is better to choose light sports: walking, slow running, stretching.

External stimuli are much easier to eliminate. You can use earplugs, an eye mask, do not exercise in the evenings in the gym, etc. Internal problems sometimes have to be solved for quite a long time, and not without the help of specialists.

 

Helpful tips for getting ready for bed

Here are some helpful tips to help you fall asleep faster:

  • Tonic drinks. Exclude the use of tonic drinks after 15:00. Caffeine suppresses the production of the hormone melatonin, which helps the body enter deep sleep.
  • Sleeping accessories. Pillow and mattress should be selected according to your individual characteristics. The ideal option is products with an orthopedic effect.
  • Correct mode. To be healthy, a person needs 7-9 hours of sleep per day. Sleeping too much at night is just as harmful as not getting enough sleep. It's in our best interest to do our best to fall asleep quickly at night if we don't feel like it.
  • Active lifestyle. Try to move more during the day. Set a goal for yourself to walk at least 10,000 steps a day. Also in the evening, light sports, simple cardio exercises are recommended.
  • Airing. It is important to fill the bedroom with fresh air before going to bed. Room humidifiers received a lot of positive feedback.
  • Darkness. Make sure the bedroom is as dark as possible. Use blackout curtains or an eye mask.
  • Earplugs. If it is not possible to completely eliminate external noise, use earplugs. They save you from noisy neighbors, barking dogs and honking cars.
  • Relaxing sounds. If you can’t fall asleep quickly in silence in 5 minutes, turn on soothing sounds: wind, rain, Japanese motifs, etc.
  • Gadgets. It is recommended to finish browsing your social networks 1-2 hours before bedtime. Thus, the eyes will have time to wean from bright light, and the brain - to abstract from new information.
  • Dinner. Doctors recommend eating dinner no later than 4 hours before bedtime. During this time, digestion processes that interfere with quality rest will end. In addition, this diet allows you to lose weight.
  • Relaxation. Try a warm bath, massage, yoga, or breathing exercises.
  • Bedroom according to purpose. Organize a workplace outside the bedroom. This room should be associated only with relaxation.
  • Lie on your back. If you can't sleep, try lying on your back. In this position, the spine assumes a natural position, and the muscles can relax as much as possible.
  • Don't think about falling asleep. If you constantly think about how to fall asleep as soon as possible, anxiety can develop, which in turn will lead to insomnia.

 

 

Effective ways to help you fall asleep

There is no single method that would be equally effective for every person. You need to try different options until you find the one that suits you. Someone falls asleep counting sheep, others represent a swinging pendulum. We recommend thinking positively, thinking about something pleasant and dreaming. You can also try the popular 4-7-8 breathing technique or taking melatonin tablets. The following describes the methods that are actively discussed on the forums. Perhaps some of them will help you fall asleep quickly if you do not want to sleep.

 

 
Military technique

Military technique has established itself as one of the most effective. With its help, even the most anxious people managed to get enough sleep.

So what to do:

  1. Relax every muscle in your face and slow down your breathing.
  2. Relax your arms: If you are right-handed, start on the dominant side.
  3. Take a deep breath in and out to relax your chest muscles.
  4. Gradually move to other muscles until the body is completely relaxed.
  5. Turn off the brain for 10 seconds: do not think about anything. Focus on the dark room you are in right now.
  6. Try repeating the phrase "don't think about anything" in your head.
  7. Breathe evenly, slowly and deeply.

If the technique does not help, it is necessary to carefully work out the basics - breathing and relaxation.

 
Breathing technique 4-7-8

The technique is a unique development of Dr. Andrew Weil. With its help, you can get rid of insomnia and learn to fall asleep in 60 seconds. And all thanks to the ability to independently regulate their own breathing and relaxation. Breathing technique does not require special devices and can be used at home.

What to do if you can’t fall asleep based on the 4-7-8 breaths technique:

  1. Deep exhalation through the mouth, accompanied by a characteristic whistle.
  2. Calm breath through the nose for four counts.
  3. Hold your breath and count to seven.
  4. At eight exhale air through the mouth.

The last exit should also be accompanied by a whistle. Then you should repeat the whole cycle three times. Don't worry if you lose count a little. There will be no negative consequences.

 

 

 

Muscle relaxation

How to fall asleep quickly using the muscle relaxation method:

  1. Raise your eyebrows, strongly straining the frontal muscles, for five seconds. Then relax this area for ten seconds.
  2. Smile widely for ten seconds and relax for that amount of time.
  3. Squint your eyes for ten seconds, then relax for ten seconds.
  4. Raise your neck slightly, looking up, for five seconds. Return your head to the pillow and rest for ten seconds.
  5. The same manipulations are carried out alternately with the rest of the body: from the shoulders to the feet.

Now you know what to do to fall asleep quickly and not wake up during the night's rest. And quality bed linen can be found on the PAGOTI website.