5 Things: Make Yourself Fall Asleep Fast Tonight

Counting sheep, 11:7 breathing or just giving up and chain-watching Netflix until your eyes shut…
How do you fall asleep?

We all know how crucial sleep is – It’s key to so many of our body’s responses and systems. A restful night allows our brains to reflect on the day’s events, whilst being in the state of sleep also repairs our bodies. As a self-confessed wellbeing warrior, I should probably rank a decent night of sleep up there with the almighty baobab powder, chia seeds and vitamin-packed sheet masks. But getting to sleep is easier said than done. How do you fall asleep fast?!

Personally, sleep can be a tricky subject.
I can drift off and stay zonked-out perfectly! If I’ve slept well, you can bet I’ll proudly see myself as a morning person: Feeling smug, showing off my bag-free eyes and hopping around with a spring in my step.
HOWEVER… Other times, my mind is busily tackling tomorrow’s endless tasks. It dwells on the things I should have said yesterday. It often doesn’t spend quite enough time here: In the present.
Is it just me or do you also waste precious sleeping time busily over-thinking something? I hear ya.

Generally, the busier my day is, the harder it will be for me to fall asleep later on.
So, I set FitBit reminders. I head up to bed early-ish (famous last words, right?!). I make a conscious effort of trying to unwind. Easier said than done.

I have some super sleep-inducing tips that I also work into my pre-sleep regime when I need to fall asleep soundly and, more importantly… fall asleep fast!

So, if you want to drift off quickly into a reallllly lust-worthy night of slumber, keep reading.

A top-quality eyemask

Supercharge your beauty sleep and fall asleep fast wearing a luxurious eye mask.
It sounds like a silly thing to invest in but it’s well worth buying (and remembering to use!) a soft, delicate eye mask when sleeping.
Not only will it block out any pesky light from peeking in and disturbing you mid-sleep, some are also packed with only the best silk for super magical purposes…
Certain special silk eye masks (such as Slip) boast anti-ageing properties which experts say will work towards preventing skin creases and wrinkles forming! Sign me up.

If you’re after a mask which looks GREAT too, be sure to check out these ones I designed especially for Amara Living… Humble brag 😏

A DODOW

This thing will put lavender pillow mist out of business given the chance!
Bold statement, I know, but I’m sticking by it.

Founded by 4 French guys, Dodow are changing the game for insomniacs everywhere.

When you tap the Dodow device to turn it on, a soothing halo of blue light is projected onto your ceiling.
Sync your breathing up with the oscillating light – Basically breathe in rhythm with the light!
This will bring your rate down to an optimal 6 breaths a minute which retunes your autonomous nervous system. If you’re a fellow yoga-lover, you’ll notice this is pretty similar to Pranayama yogic breathing techniques.
So why do you need a device to help you when you can just do this without? The visual aid of the soothing light is almost like watching a pendulum; it helps keep your focus on your breathing.

Your mind will naturally decrease the flow of all the distracting thoughts flying around in your busy mind. In turn, this mellows your worries, stressors and brain activity.
Breathing at this rate along with the light means your body’s responses are gradually retrained and insomnia is eased. It allows you to effortlessly fall asleep – I have one and I swear by this little magic machine!
With settings of a surprisingly successful 8 minutes or a more generous 20 minutes, the blue light near promises you a peaceful drift off. You can read more FAQs about Dodow here. If you do give it a whirl, Dodow offer a 100% money back guarantee – Worth giving a go eh!

OLD-FASHIONED PEN & PAPER

Keep a notepad next to the bed. Jot down all your life-changing ideas and plans to take over the world as they float into your head. We all know they will have miraculously left your brain by the time your head hits that pillow… Fun fact, some of my best ideas actually come to me juuust before I drift off!

You may recognise these snaps – I posted them over on my Instagram. I’d love it if you followed me on there!

 

HEADSPACE

*Sorry to sound like a Mumsnet forum member but* try to limit your screen time before bed.
The Sleep section of the Headspace app has a beautifully tranquil design and theme which won’t hurt your sleepy eyes.

I actually treated myself to a new year present of a year of Headscape.
Silly thing to invest in? Absolutely not.
I’ve recently been using their Sleepcasts every night. Lasting around 45 minutes, it’s rare I’ll still be awake after about 15 minutes when listening to one of these!
The podcast-esque tracks have an adjustable scale so you can get the right balance between hearing the scene narrator’s soft voice and the soundtrack of your surroundings.
You start off a Sleepcast with a moment of stillness and meditation. Bonus fact? The Sleepcast tracks actually change slightly each time you listen to them.

My personal fave is ‘Cat Marina’. The intro line: “Perfect if you like boats… oh and cats!” – Need I say more?

CAMOMILE TEA

Don’t panic BUT (cue panic!) camomile is often thought of as a mild tranquilliser.
Known for its sleep-inducing and calming effects, try softly brewing a cup of camomile tea for up to 10 minutes. Sip half hour before bed and see how you feel. If you’re hesitant to take sleeping tablets, give this herbal remedy a whirl for a few weeks first. You might also find it helps with alleviating anxiety too – That’s potentially thanks to the natural compound it contains called Apigenin!

It’s all well and good me sharing my little magical tricks and tools for getting a decent night sleep… But I find drifting off can totally depend on whether you’re in a peaceful state to begin with. Not to mention being in surroundings that are conducive to sleep.
So many things contribute to how well we sleep (or rather, don’t sleep!). If you can nail these bits foremost and try out some of my 5 Things mentioned above, you should be on the right path.

I hope you’ll soon be heading down the fluffy cloud-lined, lavender-scented avenue of a more restful night. Destination: High-quality sleep!

Trying to become a morning person? You’ll be thankful you read this.

Suffering with allergies when you’re trying to sleep? Fear no more!

Given up on sleep and need something nice to read? I’ve got you.

How do you feel your quality of sleep is? What normally works for you? Are you going to make some changes to your routine? Do keep me posted on how you get on!