Fall Asleep Techniques

Techniques for Falling Asleep Faster: A Comprehensive Guide

It’s been a long day and your pillow is waiting to give you the much-needed escape you’ve been craving for hours. But suddenly, you find yourself alert and can’t seem to doze off.  For many people, falling and staying asleep is an uphill battle. Life throws occasional curveballs our way—work stress, excitement, jet lag, that last cup of coffee—keeping us up when we want to drift off. So, what is considered normal? Most healthy people fall asleep within 15-20 minutes of hitting the sack. But sometimes, stress, poor sleep habits, or underlying sleep disorders get in the way, leaving us tossing and turning.

While sleep itself may be biological, how we fall asleep can be learned. And the good news is there is always room for improvement. We’ve explored a range of techniques to help you relax and fall asleep faster. Consider this your ultimate cheat sheet to train your mind and body in the art of falling asleep.

Establishing Healthy Sleep Habits

Before delving into specific techniques, it’s essential to establish healthy sleep hygiene. 

The foundation for a restful night begins with prioritizing dependable habits and creating a consistent sleep routine. This involves going to bed and waking up at the same time every day to regulate your body’s internal clock. Additionally, create a comfortable sleep environment that is dark, quiet, and conducive to relaxation. Implementing healthy daytime practices like soaking up natural sunlight, engaging in physical activity, and limiting caffeine intake can also contribute to better sleep at night. However, if you’re already taking these steps and still find yourself spending 45 minutes or more trying to doze off night after night, it might be time to try a new technique to help your body relax and fall asleep.

Relaxation and Breathing Techniques

Many sleep techniques rely on physical relaxation and breathing exercises. These practices put us into a “sleep-ready state” by physically lowering our heart rate and blood pressure. On top of that, they lengthen and deepen our breaths – mimicking that of sleep breathing. And this physical response triggers feelings of safety and wellbeing to our mental and emotional health. Who knew that some concentration and deep breaths could do so much?

The 4-7-8 Breathing Method

One effective technique for promoting relaxation and falling asleep faster is the 

4-7-8 breathing method. To practice this technique, follow these steps:

  1. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position and place the tip of your tongue against the roof of your mouth, just behind your front teeth.
  2. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whooshing sound.
  3. Close your mouth and inhale through your nose to a mental count of four.
  4. Hold your breath for a count of seven.
  5. Exhale forcefully through your mouth, making a whooshing sound, to a count of eight.
  6. Repeat this cycle three more times.

The 4-7-8 breathing method helps promote relaxation by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the body’s relaxation response) and slowing down the heart rate. It can be beneficial for individuals who experience anxiety or racing thoughts before sleep.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique that involves systematically tensing and relaxing different muscle groups in the body. By intentionally tensing and then releasing the tension, you can promote overall relaxation. Here’s how to practice PMR:

  1. Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down.
  2. Starting at your toes, tense the muscles for a few seconds, then release and relax them completely.
  3. Move up through each muscle group, including your legs, abdomen, arms, and face, repeating the process of tensing and relaxing.
  4. Focus on the sensation of relaxation spreading throughout your body.

Progressive muscle relaxation works by helping you become more aware of muscle tension and teaching you to release that tension. It is particularly helpful for individuals who experience physical tension or anxiety before sleep.

The Military Method

The Military Method is a technique developed for the U.S. military to help soldiers and pilots fall asleep quickly in any condition. It’s also known as 120-second sleep technique because those who master the practice are able to fall asleep within two minutes. However, it can take time to become an expert. But the results are remarkable. After 6 weeks of consistent practice, US Navy pilots can reportedly fall asleep in under two minutes, even after drinking coffee and while listening to machine gunfire. Follow these steps to practice the Military Method:

  1. Relax your face: Focus on your forehead, locate any tension, and gently push it away. Breathe deeply and fully relax the area before moving on. Then shift your focus to your eyes, your cheeks, your jaw, your tongue, and the muscles inside your mouth.
  2. Drop your shoulders and arms: Once your face is relaxed, continue the practice down your neck, shoulders, and arms. Let tension melt away from your neck, drop your shoulders, and let yourself sink into the bed. Imagining a warm wind gently pushing your arms down may be helpful. Focus on one arm at a time, releasing the bicep, forearm, hand, and down through each finger.
  3. Breathe deeply: Slowly inhale and let it out. As you exhale, notice how it softens your chest, stomach, and pelvis.
  4. Relax your legs, thighs, and calves: Let your legs sink into the bed. Imagine the warm wind gently releasing your thigh, calf, foot, and toes. Allow gravity to naturally ease your legs into putty.
  5. Clear your mind: Visualize a relaxing scene that feels good to you: laying on a warm sand beach while staring at the clouds, or swinging peacefully in a velvet hammock. If this doesn’t seem to work, try saying the words “don’t think” repeatedly for 10 seconds

If you get distracted or don’t fall asleep within two minutes, don’t worry.  Simply pull your mind back to visualization or reciting “don’t think”. With practice, your body will give in sooner and sooner.

The Military Method aims to promote relaxation by systematically relaxing the body and clearing the mind of racing thoughts. It can be beneficial for individuals who struggle with anxiety or racing thoughts at bedtime.

Visualization and Guided Imagery

Visualization and guided imagery involve creating mental images of calm and peaceful scenes to redirect your thoughts away from stress and promote relaxation. These techniques mimic daydreaming and require the use of your imagination. To practice visualization:

  1. Breathe Deeply: Close your eyes and take slow, deep breaths to relax your body and mind.
  2. Create a serene setting: Imagine yourself in a peaceful setting, such as an idyllic beach or a tranquil forest. You can visualize a place you’ve been or create a setting of your own.
  3. Engage your senses: As you travel into your setting, focus on the sights, sounds, smells, and even the sensation of peace and calmness. Go deeper. What colors do you see? What sounds do you hear? Is it warm of cold? What do you feel on your face, hands, and feet. The deeper you evoke your senses, the more your mind will relax and prep for sleep.
  4. Be present: Allow yourself to immerse in this mental image and feel the relaxation it brings. 

Guided meditation is similar to visualization, but rather than create your own setting, you listen to a recorded audio script with words and/or music to direct your thoughts. Guided imagery uses soothing and calming language to help listeners relax. Some find this direction to be more effective because it takes the pressure off, allowing you to create a peaceful scene and evoke all the senses. You can listen to an audio recording or playlist, download an app, or find an online video to practice guided meditation.

Visualization and guided imagery work by creating a positive mental space that promotes relaxation. This technique can benefit individuals who have an active imagination or find solace in mental imagery.

ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response)

ASMR refers to a pleasurable tingling sensation triggered by specific sounds or visual stimuli. This practice has become a popular sleep aid over the past 15 years, partially thanks to viral content on Youtube and social media. Some describe the euphoric effect of ASMR as tingling that starts in the head and neck and moves down the spine or a wave of calm that cascades down the body. This delightful massage may be triggered by ordinary audiovisual stimuli, such as:

  • Whispering
  • Tapping, scratching, or crinkling sounds
  • Slow hand movement
  • Hair brushing or personal care tasks
  • Rhythmic or repetitive tasks
  • Close personal attention

To try ASMR for sleep, all you need to do is find a video and watch it or listen to it in your cool and relaxing bedroom environment. For best results, slide on some over-the-ear headphones to drown out background noise and get the full effects.

ASMR is believed to improve mood, decrease stress, and promote deep relaxation for potential pain relief and better sleep. Early research supports the connection between ASMR and improved sleep, possibly due to its ability to trigger the release of endorphins in the brain that aid deep sleep. 

Acupressure Techniques for Sleep

Acupressure is an ancient practice that involves applying pressure to specific points on the body to promote relaxation and alleviate various conditions, including insomnia. Here are some acupressure points that may help with sleep:

  • Spirit Gate: Apply gentle pressure to the small, hollow space under your palm on the pinky side.
  • Inner Front Gate: Apply downward pressure between the tendons, three finger-widths down from the wrist crease.
  • Wind Pool: Massage the area at the base of your skull with a deep and firm pressure.

Acupressure techniques promote relaxation and aid in falling asleep by stimulating specific points associated with sleep and relaxation. They can be beneficial for individuals who prefer a holistic approach to improving sleep.

Paradoxical Intention (PI) Technique for Sleep

Paradoxical Intention sleep training flips the traditional idea of trying to fall asleep on its head. Instead of focusing on how to drift off, you purposefully try to stay awake. This cognitive therapy invites participants to embrace their fears rather than hide from them. In this case, accepting one’s insomnia is believed to reduce anxiety about falling asleep, which may allow the subject to doze off without trying. If you’ve found all other sleep practices to fail, this might be just the trick you need. To practice Paradoxical Intention:

  1. Find a comfortable position in bed and close your eyes.
  2. Repeat to yourself, “I will try to stay awake.”
  3. Embrace any thoughts or distractions that come your way without trying to resist them.
  4. Avoid actively trying to fall asleep or judging yourself for not sleeping.
  5. Observe any feelings of relaxation that arise from letting go of the pressure to sleep.

Paradoxical Intention can be particularly helpful for individuals who suffer from sleep anxiety or find themselves lying awake with racing thoughts. By adopting this light-hearted approach, you can ease the pressure on yourself and embrace the journey to dreamland with a newfound sense of calm. Give it a try, and you might be pleasantly surprised by the results. 

Remember, the path to better sleep is a personal journey. What works for one, may not work for another. So, take the time to explore and discover which techniques resonate most with you. With patience and perseverance, you can unlock the key to a more restful and rejuvenating slumber, paving the way for brighter days ahead.