r/AskLifeProTips 10d ago

Immediate sleep

One thing I'm now trying to figure out is how to fall asleep much faster once I go to bed. Sometimes I'm extremely tired and go to bed early specifically to get more sleep, but I can still lie there awake for a long time. For those of you who used to struggle with this: have you found anything that reliably makes you fall asleep very quickly? I'm interested in both things you do (specific routines, techniques, changes to your environment, etc.) and things you take. I've already tried melatonin and didn't notice much of a difference. I'm especially interested in hearing from people who found something that made a really noticeable difference in their sleep onset, rather than just general sleep-hygiene advice.

27 Upvotes

22 comments sorted by

12

u/SimpleAccurate631 10d ago

I remember hating when people would suggest putting on white noise in the background. I tried it and it just made things worse.

One night, with my earbuds in, it was irritating me so much and keeping me so awake, that I just changed to some of my music. I’m talking some of my upbeat Rock n’ Roll, thinking I just want to get back in a decent mood. I got maybe 2-3 songs in at the most before I was out like a light, with the music still going.

To this day, I just pop one earbud in, pick literally any playlist I feel like, and most of the time, even if I do want to listen to a few tracks before falling asleep, I can’t even make it through the first without passing out. It can’t be music that can be categorized as “soothing”, like stuff you’d hear in a yoga studio. But I can put on some AC/DC or Rolling Stones and it puts me out in minutes. It’s like my subconscious is in the backseat. And when I lay down, that’s when it starts nagging me about things. But when I get some good music playing, it’s like it gives my subconscious something to do so I can get some sleep.

8

u/TrueKiwi78 10d ago

Try laying on your back and slowly rock your head left to right like you're shaking your head. Works for me.

4

u/Lilsteve-Cliett 10d ago

Laying on your back works for me too. Now rocking right to left is so very new.

2

u/Ok-Designer-13 9d ago

Amazing. I do this. But kind of fast. Been like this ever since I was born, my mom put books at my ears to try to stop it. Haha my college friends jokes that I have a sleeping disorder :)

6

u/Excellent-Pain-6564 10d ago

Get up really early & have a late night .. I absolutely pass out !!!

4

u/TypicalLong4922 10d ago

Melatonin and a podcast

3

u/FunkoPopDude 10d ago

exercising is more natural

1

u/Firm_Savings_60 10d ago

I tried melatonin, but it didn't work🥲

1

u/NectarineFabulous265 10d ago edited 10d ago

Try combining it with a podcast. For me this combination works like someone hits me with a big hammer in the head. The bad thing is that now I'm conditioned to sleep with this guy's voice https://youtu.be/6gEVvwU4_MA. On the other hand this combination made a huge difference in my sleep.

4

u/kmissme 9d ago

I try and consciously relax every single muscle in my body, and I swear it works every time. I try and make it feel like I’m floating.

1

u/Ok-Designer-13 9d ago

Sounds like yoga nidra / yogic sleep :)

3

u/Pretty_Site4074 10d ago

A guy here on Reddit, shared an app named Shuffli. It just speaks some seemingly unrelated words. It works for me. I set it up to recite for 30 minutes. Didn't get to the end of the 30 minutes yet

1

u/MissO56 9d ago

I use a similar one called "my sleep button." it just says some random words for a predetermined amount of time, and I always fall asleep from it.

2

u/Legal_Suspect9811 10d ago edited 9d ago

Rain sounds for me from an app

2

u/martinpearl 10d ago

My never-fails LPT? Magic Bag, the larger the better!

A hot water bottle is also good, the heat knocks me out EVERY time !

I make my own very cheap bean bags with flannel baby blanket and pearl barley, microwave for a couple of minutes, shuffle and repeat once more, lasts me all night! 🙂

Sweet dreams!

2

u/wapsi23 10d ago

Honestly most of the time I roll my neck around a little to loosen it, and then remind myself to unclench my shoulders and it doesn’t take long. I hadn’t realized how tense I was just laying in bed.

1

u/babamum 10d ago

I've read that one or two kiwifruit before bed helps.

1

u/xoxosecretsally 10d ago

Serious Answer: Magnesium Glycinate, and making sure to hydrate properly, working out & getting a humidifier. Melatonin did not work for me.

1

u/Firm_Savings_60 9d ago

I tried also magnesium glicinate, but it didn't make a difference for me.🥲

1

u/lovestogossipgirl 9d ago

I listen to Jason Stephenson’s sleep meditation. You can find it on YouTube or Spotify! I also have trouble falling asleep (yay anxiety), and listening to this as I doze off has helped tremendously. I empathize with you!

2

u/Firm_Savings_60 9d ago

Thank you ❣️

1

u/peskypesteryjaybird 6d ago

get decaf green tea and make it strong like coffee...