The lights are off, the alarm is set, and then it starts: your thoughts begin an evening show of their own. That one conversation from this afternoon, tomorrow's groceries, something odd you said in 2019. The harder you try to sleep, the more awake you become. The good news: falling asleep faster is rarely a matter of trying harder in bed, but of what you do in the hour before. And that hour can be trained.
The short answer
Falling asleep faster starts an hour before you lie down: with fixed, calm habits you give your mind the signal that the day is done. The 7 habits that do the most: a fixed bedtime, dimming the lights, a screen break, a warm shower, reading a few pages, putting tomorrow's worries on paper and a cool, comfortable bedroom of around 16 to 18 degrees.
Why do you fall asleep easily one night and not the next?
Falling asleep is not a switch but a landing. Your body needs a run-up to shift from active to calm, and that run-up is disturbed by anything stimulating: bright light, work email, a gripping series, a heated group chat. On evenings when you drift off quickly, that run-up was usually there by itself: a quiet evening, a steady rhythm.
That is why sleep tips that only start once you are already in bed often work so poorly. By then the landing is already under way; the only question is whether it will be soft or bumpy.
Which evening habits help you fall asleep faster?
- Fixed times. Go to bed around the same time and get up around the same time; your body will start to cooperate on its own.
- Dim the lights around the house in the last hour; bright light tells your mind it is still daytime.
- Screen break. Put your phone away at least half an hour before sleep, preferably outside the bedroom.
- A warm shower. As you cool down afterwards, your body naturally becomes sleepy.
- Read a few pages. Paper, not a screen: reading is the calmest exit from the day.
- Park your worries. Take two minutes to write down what needs to happen tomorrow; that way your mind does not have to hold on to it.
- A cool bedroom. Around 16 to 18 degrees is the easiest temperature to sleep at; more fresh tips can be found in the guide on sleeping cool.
Make your bed the easiest place in the house
There is one more quiet factor that determines how quickly you drift off: how you lie. If you still have to spend five minutes shifting, turning and rebuilding pillows once you are in bed, you wake yourself up again. A well-adjusted bed and a pillow that gives the right support straight away turn lying down itself into a sleep signal.
For side sleepers that mainly means: a pillow at the right height, so your head lies well from the first moment and stays that way. SidePillow has three fixed heights for exactly that; with the height test you know within a minute which one suits you. How to set up the rest of your bed is covered in the guide to adjusting your bed.
Conclusion
Falling asleep faster is not something you sort out at 23:45 with your eyes squeezed shut, but in the hour before: dimming the lights, putting screens away, clearing your head, and a bedroom and bed that invite sleep rather than work against it.
Pick two or three of the 7 habits that suit you and keep them up for a week. Chances are the landing will already feel noticeably softer, and the evening show of your thoughts will be cancelled more and more often for lack of an audience.
Want to lie well straight away when the lights go out?
Take the height test to find the SidePillow height that lets you lie well straight away when the lights go out.
Frequently asked questions
How can I fall asleep faster?
Mainly by making the hour before sleep calm: dim the lights, put screens away, read for a bit and keep your bedroom cool. Falling asleep is a landing you begin before you are in bed.
Why do I lie awake for so long when I am tired?
Being tired is not the same as being sleepy. If your mind is still full of stimulation from screens, work or bright light, it stays active while your body wants to rest. A calm run-up usually solves that.
Does reading before bed really help?
For many people, yes. Reading on paper gives your mind one calm activity and replaces scrolling, which stimulates instead. A few pages are often enough.
What is a good temperature for sleeping?
The widely used rule of thumb is 16 to 18 degrees. Most people find it easier to sleep cool than warm; fresh air before bed helps too.
Photography: cottonbro studio, SHVETS production, www.kaboompics.com via Pexels.
Do you sleep on your side?
Honest sleep advice for side sleepers, no more than one email a week. Your 5% welcome code appears as soon as you sign up.
