What To Do If You Can’t Fall Asleep

Why Can’t I Fall Asleep?

There are a number of reasons you might not be able to fall asleep at night. In general, having trouble falling asleep can be attributed to:

• Environmental factors
• Mental or physical conditions
• Habits or lifestyle choices
  

These broad categories give you a good place to start when you’re trying to find the source of your problems. The next step is to get familiar with the common triggers that can directly affect your sleep patterns and cause you to lie awake in bed at night.

Common Triggers

There are a number of common triggers that can quickly disrupt your sleep and make it difficult for you to fall asleep quickly. Here are some triggers to watch for:

• Stress - Stress is one of the top reasons people have trouble falling asleep. It could be due to a significant stressful event or smaller daily stressors. People commonly associate this with ‘racing thoughts’ at night, which can cause sleep anxiety.
• Caffeine - Having caffeine too late in the day can make it difficult to fall asleep when you’re ready for bed. If you’re having caffeine after lunch, it might be a good idea to try and cut back to see if that’s the issue.
• Electronics - You don’t have to cut electronics off before bed completely, but aim to  stop watching TV about an hour to 30 minutes before bedtime. You can also use your phone, but make sure you dim the lights and switch it over to night mode. Also, make sure you’re not consuming stressful content or doing things related to work and other stresses on your phone.
• A change in schedule - A change in schedule, like a time zone change or switching to a later work shift, can cause temporary issues falling asleep at night. It can take a few days or even a few weeks to get on a new sleep schedule.
• Exercise before bed - Exercise is generally good for sleep, but if you do a late-night exercise near your bedtime, you might have trouble shedding the excess energy before it’s time to go to sleep.
• A bad sleep environment - Is your sleep environment bright, noisy, cold, or hot? That could be making it difficult for you to fall asleep. You should have a dark, quiet environment to sleep in. Also, you should have the temperature in the 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit range.
  

These are just a few examples of the triggers that might cause sleep trouble. It’s good to remove as many barriers to sleep as possible to make falling asleep easier.

Who Has Trouble Falling Asleep?

There are millions of people who have trouble falling asleep. According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of insomnia can occur in anywhere from 33%  to 50% of the adult population. 

A study by the University of Pennsylvania also revealed that 1 out of every 4 Americans experience acute (short-term) insomnia each year. So, if you’re lying in bed trying to sleep, there’s about 25% of America right there with you at any given time. Still, no one in this dataset wants to deal with sleep issues. Fortunately, there are things you can do to get your sleep back on track.

How To Get To Sleep Quickly

If you want to get to sleep quickly, the first step is to practice good sleep hygiene. Good sleep hygiene requires you to adjust some of your daily habits and routines in order to promote a better night’s sleep.

It also helps to get yourself into a state of relaxation right before bed. If you don’t already, set 30 minutes aside each night to get yourself into a relaxed and calm state. There are a few things you can do to prepare and get relaxed, such as:

• Find somewhere quiet to start relaxing - Make sure you’re preparing to relax in an area of calm. A room with a blaring TV or loud music might not be ideal for this. You can even put on some calming sounds or white noise to help you focus.
• Sit comfortably or lie down - Get yourself in a comfortable position. You can use your bed, your floor if it’s comfortable, or your favorite chair. Anywhere that makes you feel calm works.
• Close your eyes or focus them on an object - This will help you concentrate on the moment and focus your mind.
• Breathe - Slow, steady breathing exercises can help you relax your body and center your mind. Don’t be afraid to let your mind wander during this time.
  

Finding dedicated time to prepare your mind and body for sleep can help you get ready for bed and fall asleep in minutes. This is a great place to start if you’re not sure what’s causing your sleep issues.

Improve Your Sleep

Falling asleep fast is just one piece of the complex sleep puzzle. To get healthy, high-quality sleep, you need to be able to fall asleep in minutes, sleep deeper, and wake up feeling refreshed. If you want to improve your sleep overall, and not just fall asleep quickly, it’s time to work on your sleep hygiene. Let’s talk about some things you can do to improve sleep hygiene and some things you shouldn’t do.

Things To Do

Having good sleep hygiene is an ongoing process. Your sleep hygiene habits aren’t just about getting ready for bed, they’re about making gradual changes to your everyday life so you can get a better night’s sleep. Let’s talk about some best practices:

Have a Consistent Sleep Schedule

One of the most important things you can do is set your sleep schedule. Determine how much sleep you need at night, and then set your bedtime. Make sure you wake up at the same time every day as well. This includes weekends. Consistent sleep will help train your body and make it easier for you to fall asleep when you crawl into bed.

Keep a Sleep Diary

The best way to observe your sleep patterns and your sleep problems is with a sleep diary. Are your new habits making a meaningful and consistent difference? You can find out by writing about your sleep experience when you wake up. Write down if it was easy to fall asleep, if you were waking through the night, and if you feel refreshed.

Create a Comfortable Environment

What we said about meditating before bed applies here too. You don’t want your sleep environment to be loud, bright, or an uncomfortable temperature. While you’re at it, upgrade your mattress and bedding if possible.

Try Aromatherapy

Filling your room with a calming scent might make your sleep environment more pleasant and help you fall asleep.

Exercise

Exercise for at least 30 minutes per day if possible. Any aerobic exercise will work. It’s even better if you can get outside and take in some natural light while you do it.

Things Not To Do

Certain habits can make it more difficult to fall asleep at your scheduled bedtime. Avoid these habits to prevent disrupting your sleep:

Don’t Snack Late or Eat Big Meals Near Bedtime

Your digestion has to go into overdrive when you have a big meal near bedtime. Digestion requires energy from your body and it can keep you up, so try to limit your food intake late in the evening.

And although those late-night snacks can be tempting, they cause the same issue. The same goes for spicy foods. In general, it’s best if your last meal is dinner time. This ensures you have time to digest and you’re not hungry when you go to sleep.

Alcohol and Caffeine Before Bed

Alcohol isn’t something you have to cut out completely, but if you usually drink it right before bed, try having your drink earlier in the evening. Having it too close to bedtime can cause you to wake up during the night. Caffeine usually needs an even longer buffer, since it can sometimes be in your system for up to 7 hours. Try to limit caffeine to early morning and early afternoon.

Don’t Toss and Turn

Everyone is familiar with the feeling of tossing and turning all night, hoping that lying in bed will help you fall asleep. The fact is, this can just ratchet up your sleep anxiety and rob you of valuable sleep hours. It’s best to take a brief break from your bed and do something relaxing. Once you start to get a little tired, you can head back to bed and try again. Do this if you’re in bed for 10-20 minutes or more.

Use Your Bed Sparingly

Your bed is for sleep and sex. The sooner you can create that association in your mind the better. If you work, eat, and do other activities in bed, you might stop viewing it as a place of rest.

Cutting out just a few of these habits can start you on the path to falling asleep faster.

Start Sleeping Better With Sleep Reset Today!

If you’re wanting to learn why you’re not sleeping well and find out how to fall asleep in minutes, Sleep Reset can make a huge difference. The Sleep Reset program is designed to identify the triggers that are causing your sleep concerns. After you take our assessment, we design a custom sleep plan that will help you form good sleep habits and learn what’s keeping you up at night. 

You’ll also be assigned a dedicated sleep coach who will be with you every step of the process, setting goals for you, keeping you accountable, and helping you improve your sleep. Sleep Reset is natural too. That means you fall asleep without pills or supplements, and the side effects and dependency that come with them.

Getting started with Sleep Reset is easy. Just take our sleep assessment so we can see what your sleep problems are. Take our sleep assessment today!