Relaxation is the key to falling asleep quickly. Relaxation prepares your body and mind for sleep. In particular, several activities such as meditation, breathing exercises, and guided imagery can help improve sleep.
While your personality and needs may affect your sleep patterns, practicing a few of these proven methods can help you fall asleep faster.
How long does it take to fall asleep?
Sleep latency, or sleep onset latency, refers to the time required to fall asleep. A healthy bedtime usually ranges from 15 to 20 minutes
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. This time does not include bedtime routines such as showering, brushing teeth, or meditating, but includes time spent trying to sleep after going to bed.
Sleeping too long or too short can indicate problems with sleep health. If your sleep latency is out of the normal range, it may be helpful to talk to your doctor about your concerns.
Faster sleep techniques are often aimed at reducing pre-sleep stress and creating a state of calm known as the relaxation response.
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. Some studies have shown that these methods can help relieve pain, stress, anxiety, and other conditions that interfere with sleep.
As part of your bedtime routine, make time for relaxation techniques that work for you and your sleep habits. Be sure to start your bedtime routine early enough so you can get the recommended amount of sleep for your age group.
Military method
Military personnel often have irregular schedules and suboptimal sleeping conditions, which affect their sleep patterns.
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. The Military Method was developed to help soldiers fall asleep within two minutes. This process includes the following steps.
Get into a comfortable position and relax every part of your face, including your eyelids, chin, lips, and eyebrows.
Put your arms at your sides and lower your shoulders first.
Begin by taking deep breaths to relax your chest.
Relax your lower back and work your way from your hips down through each part of your leg to your feet.
Imagine a peaceful setting to relax your mind, whether it’s a beautiful countryside, a quiet lake, or a cozy room at home. If any intrusive thoughts come to you, try to recognize them and move beyond these images. Visualization can be a little difficult – if you find it difficult to imagine relaxing images, repeat to yourself a simple phrase like “don’t think”.
Peaceful music
A noisy environment makes it difficult to achieve restful sleep quickly. You may find that listening to soothing music not only reduces any unnecessary and disturbing sounds, but also helps you relax and block out outside noise.
Prepare a playlist that matches your ideal 15-20 minute sleep latency window and listen to it every night to create a routine for yourself. If you find music too distracting, some people also claim the sleep benefits of white noise.
