How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

How to Fall Asleep

Sleepytime Aromas

How To:

Use scents like lavender or vanilla as a bedtime cue.

"By smelling vanilla essential oils any time I got sleepy, even before a nap, I trained my brain to get sleepy after smelling vanilla."

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Keep It Cool

How To:

Keep the bedroom cool for a more restful, uninterrupted sleep.

"The ideal temperature for sleep is between 65-68°F, according to the Sleep Foundation."

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Cool It on the Caffeine

How To:

Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evening.

"I set an alarm when it was time to go caffeine-free and bought myself a delicious peach herbal tea to make it better."

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Fall Asleep to White Noise

How To:

Sleep with a white noise machine or YouTube videos to drown out sudden noises.

"I live near a freeway, so I have a whole playlist of white noise and ambient sound YouTube videos, like this."

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Don't Sleep-Pressure Yourself

How To:

Focus on relaxing your body rather than stressing about falling asleep.

"Focusing on the fact I wasn't asleep was actually stressing me out :( so my insomnia decreased when I focused on relaxing"

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Earplugs are Your New BFF

How To:

Wear earplugs to block out noise that might disturb your sleep.

"I tried the earplugs they hand out at concerts for a cheap way to quiet things down, and they worked great."

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Try Herbal Remedies

How To:

Consider chamomile tea or lavender essential oil.

"Because I sip chamomile right before bed, it now triggers my body to get even sleepier."

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Screens Down Before Bed

How To:

Avoid screens for at least an hour before sleeping.

"I actually have locks on my favorite apps after 10 pm to stop temptation."

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Drink a Warm Beverage

How To:

Drink warm milk or herbal tea to soothe your body for sleep.

"I babied myself with a little glass of warm oat milk, and it was the highlight of my night lol."

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Meditate Your Way to Sleep

How To:

Follow a guided sleep meditation to help your mind relax.

"I saved a bunch of sleep meditations on Insight Timer, a free meditation app, so I could try different types."

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Try "Non-Sleep Deep Rest"

How To:

Practice "Non-Sleep Deep Rest" (NSDR) or yoga nidra to relax before bed.

"I learned about NSDR from Dr. Huberman, a neuroscientist, and I now fall asleep in 15 minutes; it was an hour before."

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Keep the Light Out

How To:

Make sure the room is dark, using blackout curtains or an eye mask.

"I made sure to get an eye mask that covers at the bridge of my nose so there is absolutely NO light getting in there."

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Low-key Flexibility

How To:

No need to leave bed to do some gentle stretches.

"No lie: there are YouTube videos on stretching from bed, which is low effort and so relaxing once I'm done."

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Get Bedtime Stories

How To:

Find sleep stories online to help lull you to sleep.

"I love the Calm app or YouTube for sleep stories that are meant to be boring to trigger sleepiness."

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Let Nature Lull You to Sleep

How To:

Listen to calming sounds or white noise to relax.

"Something about a babbling brook brings me back to my childhood camping trips, which were so relaxing."

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Tune Out with a Mental Vacation

How To:

Visualize a peaceful, calming place to quiet your thoughts.

"I literally made up a place in my mind to visualize; my perfect beach includes sand that doesn't stick to me, haha."

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Keep a Zzz Diary

How To:

Track your sleep patterns and how you feel each day.

"I kind of gamified my sleep by using an app to see if I could get better and better sleep each night."

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Keep Naptime Quick

How To:

Keep naps short and earlier in the day.

"Reducing my depression naps was really tough, but I used the Alarmy app to help get me out of bed.

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Relax Your Way to Shut-Eye

How To:

Try repeating the sound "voo" for a whole out breath before bed to relax the nervous system.

"It felt weird at first, but singing 'vooooooo' as low as I could for 5 minutes was completely soothing."

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Weigh Yourself Down

How To:

A weighted blanket can create a sense of calm and security.

"Studies have shown that weighted blankets are proven to reduce insomnia, and I buy them for everyone for their birthdays."

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Create a Wind-Down Routine

How To:

Develop a highly simplified routine that signals to your body it’s time to sleep.

"My sleep ritual is simple: brushing my teeth, washing my face, and reading a calming book of poetry."

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Cue the Night Lights

How To:

Dim the lights or turn them off and use night lights an hour before bed.

"I never thought I'd use night lights after age 12, but I swear by them to get me in the bedtime mindset."

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Calm Your Brain With Music

How To:

Listen to soft, calming music to relax your mind before bed.

"'Weightless' by Marconi Union is proven to reduce anxiety by 65%, so I listen to that every night before bed."

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Movement Videos

Movement for Feeling Stuck in Current Patterns

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Movement for When You Don't Want to Move

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Movement for When Joy is Hard to Feel

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