How to fall asleep quickly: 5 scientists’ recommendations

Staring at the ceiling half the night again and remembering embarrassing moments from five years ago? That’s okay, we know how to help you.

1. Eat

Eat lightly before you go to bed, but don’t go to bed hungry either. Some products contain natural relaxants and substances that help the production of the sleep hormone: a banana, milk, almonds and oatmeal. It is better to have them as a snack an hour or two before lights out. But protein, caffeine, spicy, fatty and sweet things will only interfere – it is better to leave them until morning.

2. Get some fresh air in the room.

For a person to fall asleep, his body temperature has to drop a little. So in cool rooms we fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. Forget about warm pajamas and open a window at night – at night the temperature in the room should be about 3 degrees lower than during the day.

3.Forget about gadgets at least one hour before you go to sleep.

They give off a special blue light, which your body mistakes for daylight and stops producing sleep hormone. And instead of relaxing, your brain just has to process the new information.

4. Relax

You can take a warm bath, listen to calm music or meditate. Or you can try special exercises for falling asleep. For example, “4-7-8” – this method was developed by Andrew Weil, MD and Harvard professor. Here’s what to do:

Breathe calmly in through your nose for 4 seconds;
Hold your breath for 7 seconds;
Slowly exhale through your mouth for 8 seconds.
Holding your breath with a slow exhalation slows your heart rate, so you relax and calm down. Plus, you’ll have to focus on your breathing and keep counting – you get a kind of meditation.
Listen to white noise
Quiet, monotonous noise helps you fall asleep: such sounds are intuitively perceived as safe, relaxing. It doesn’t matter if it’s the sound of the sea, the rumble of a train, or the rustle of leaves. Some people even listen to the crunching of bacon: a “falling asleep” video can be found on YouTube.
Just don’t forget about the harm of blue light. If you listen to noise from a smartphone or tablet, put the gadget with the screen down or turn on a special night mode.

Important:

All information provided at Keygx.com is for INFORMATION only and is not a substitute for consultation, diagnosis or professional medical care.
If you have a health problem, contact a health care professional immediately.