Sleep Quickly: 8 Hacks to Wind Down, Stop Thinking, and Start Sleeping Easily

Do you have trouble falling because you can’t stop thinking? I’m a very light sleeper. For a long time, I’ve had trouble sleeping, primarily because my brain won’t switch off when I get into bed. But recently, something’s changed. My routine. I want to share with you 8 hacks that I believe have made a big difference in my ability to sleep easily, and even sleep the moment I hit the pillow. I’m also including a bonus hack at the end which was not mentioned in the video. Let’s go.

See the video version below.

One

Your bed is a sacred place and should be used for only two things: sleeping and sex. If you hang out on it, doing other activities like checking your messages on your phone, using your laptop, reading, and so on, your brain will associate your bed as a space for doing things. Not resting. You need to psychologically reprogram your brain to associate bed with sleep (and sex). I have a bachelor apartment, and I know that it can be difficult at first to avoid using the bed as space to do things. But I’ve got used to reading in my chair and using my laptop on my little table. Make the decision to isolate your bed for exclusive functions.

 Two

Have a consistent sleep routine. Within 24 hours of a healthy day, one third is spent sleeping, and two thirds are spent awake. When we are awake beyond 16 hours, our bodies begin to act like they are drunk because they are beginning to shut down. Since I began working evening shifts, I began going to bed later. I need at least three hours to wind down after work, and as a result, I usually wake around 9am and fall asleep around 1am. I’ve found that doing this consistently (including the weekends) gives me a proper amount of sleep, and my body clock has become predictable. My body is always tired approaching midnight, particularly when I’ve had an active day, and it wakes up naturally after 9am without an alarm. I’ve set my body clock using a consistent routine, and I respect it.

Three

Avoid sugar for 2-3 hours before sleep time. A couple of months ago, I ate some sweets about an hour before bed, and as a result, it took ages to get to sleep that night. I was cursing that candy while I lay awake. Usually, I’m more conscious about not drinking tea or coffee past 6 or 7pm, but I’ve noticed that desserts, chocolate, and anything high in sugar can also delay my sleep.

Four

Eat 2-3 hours before bed. Usually, health experts say leave at least 3 hours for digestion otherwise your body will be digesting rather than renewing itself in the early stages of your sleep. But, having a conversation with my fit boyfriend Max who works out often, I discovered that some of us need to eat a little closer to bed time. Max explained that hunger at bedtime prevents him from sleeping. Thus, experiment, but note that your body won’t be rejuvenating while your digesting. Alternately, eat a light snack one or two hours before bed.

Five

Avoid blue light half hour before sleep time. I close my laptop and put down my tablet 30 minutes before I plan to be in bed. The reason for this is that blue light which acts like sunshine received by the human eye sends signals to the brain that it’s daytime and time to wake up. Primal humans slept at nightfall and woke with the rise of the sun. Although some of us now have some whacky body clocks thanks to our jobs and very efficient artificial lighting, note that blue light from your devices has a powerful impact on your brain to keep awake. If I had to choose the most important hack to implement immediately, I’d say this is the most critical one. 

Six

Do something to mentally wind down. I like to play some background jazz very softly, light a candle or incense, and write reflections on my day in my paper journal about an hour before bedtime. This helps me to disengage from social media and other people, and to bring awareness to myself and my life. I’d like to try meditation before bed, which I’ve heard can be a very effective way to reconnect with yourself, and is especially useful to do at the end of your day.

Seven

Read something light. I almost always read a novel or biography before bed. I sit in my chair and read something that is not mentally stimulating, as it helps me get away from my thoughts and into another world for 20 to 30 minutes. Usually, how long I read depends on how long my eyes can stay open. Be careful about what material you are choosing for bed time reading as you don’t want the material to energise you or require active thought processing. I’m currently reading Kurt Vonnegut’s, Armageddon in Retrospect. It’s great.

Eight

Give gratitude. While lying in bed, I think about the people and things in my life that I’m grateful for. I think of the people who I care about and add value to my life. I think about all the things that make my life easier. My private space. My kitchen. My skills that I use to help others. My job which helps financially support me. While I think of how blessed I am for even the little things, I fall asleep, happy and grateful, and in a wonderful mental state. This hack speeds up the process of falling asleep because I’m being self-aware by focusing on a particular topic, rather allowing my brain to choose what to endlessly think about.

BONUS

Avoid alcohol before bed. This may come as a surprise to some, but I’ve recently discovered that alcohol in fact does not help me sleep. I toss and turn before sleeping, and sometimes, I wake in the middle of the night and have trouble falling asleep again. This doesn’t happen on weeknights when I avoid alcohol completely. Test it. Start noticing whether alcohol affects your sleep.

Thanks for reading. These are hacks that work for me personally. If you have any other suggestions you’d like to add, or wish to elaborate on anything I’ve mentioned here, please reply in the comments below.

“Knowing is not enough. We must apply. Willing is not enough. We must do. –Bruce Lee

 

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Other articles by Tasha:

Improve Your Relationship: One Simple Strategy

How I Wrote, Published and Marketed My First Book

Preparing For Photoshoots: A Guide For Amateur Modeling

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