How to make yourself tired and fall asleep easily

Occasionally, you might find yourself struggling to fall asleep. Despite tossing and turning, fluffing your pillow, and trying various methods, nothing seems to help, and your worries about sleep make it even harder to drift off. Fortunately, your situation is not without hope. To make yourself tired and fall asleep more easily, you need to relax your mind and body. Additionally, certain foods and drinks can aid in improving your sleep. Relaxing your mind, loosening your body, eating well, and exercising correctly will signal to your body to stop thinking and stop its activities, allowing you to rest.

Establish a bedtime routine. Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule helps your body recognize when it is time to sleep. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning. Additionally, teach your body the signals that indicate it's time to relax and sleep.

• One effective method is to darken your surroundings. A dimly lit room tells your body it’s time to sleep. For example, avoid bright lights in the evening, especially in the bedroom, and instead, dim or turn off all lights.
• Create a comfortable environment in your bedroom. Use cozy blankets and pillows to make your sleeping area inviting. Also, ensure the room temperature is ideal. Gently pat your pillow, adjust the bed linens, and turn on the fan if needed.
• Engage in activities that help you unwind. Consider taking a warm bath if it’s soothing, or enjoy a cup of warm tea, such as chamomile, which is known to promote better sleep, or try inhaling essential oils for a calming effect.

Read a book. If reading books makes you feel sleepy in class, the same strategy can work for you at home in the evening. This is also an effective tactic if you tend to have a lot on your mind throughout the day – reading can help release the tension caused by stressful thoughts.

• Choose easy or relaxing content. Avoid reading the newspaper or horror novels, as they may cause stress. Instead, opt for a light book or a long, easy-going novel.

Turn off the lights. Once you're in bed, make sure your surroundings are dark. This is one of the key factors for a good night's sleep. Light not only suppresses the “dark hormone” – melatonin, but it also stimulates the hypothalamus in your brain, raising body temperature and producing cortisol, both of which keep you awake.

• Even if you can sleep with the lights on, the quality of your sleep will not be deep. If you live in a city, share a room with a night owl, or always sleep with a nightlight, consider using a sleep mask to help you sleep better. Alternatively, try a low-light nightlight.

Keep electronic devices out of the bedroom. Televisions, phones, and computers often distract us and keep our minds active. In fact, you should avoid using electronic devices before bed, as the special type of light they emit (blue light) can reduce the quality of your sleep.

• One study found that two hours of exposure to the light from an iPad or other tablets in the evening decreased melatonin levels by 22%. Try changing your habits if you're someone who frequently uses smartphones or tablets.
• Avoid browsing the internet if you're having trouble sleeping. The bright screens of computers, phones, and tablets will keep you awake and reduce melatonin levels, making it even harder to fall asleep.
• Set a time to stop using electronics each evening, such as 30 minutes before bed.
• You can also install software, apps, or adjust settings on some devices to reduce the amount of blue light emitted at bedtime. Your screen will turn yellow or slightly red, which will be more comfortable for your eyes and will not inhibit melatonin production.

Listen to ambient noise. Ambient noise, or white noise, is a type of background sound with a low frequency that is played consistently, often masking other noises. You may enjoy white noise like soft music, "tropical rainforest sounds," or a rotating fan. The goal is to create soothing sounds at a low frequency.

• You can find free white noise sources online. If you prefer using your phone, there are also apps available that generate ambient noise. These sound sources will help you sleep better by calming external sounds.

Relax your mind. If you’re someone who gets irritated easily, try to let go of the stressful thoughts from your day, work, or school. Avoid replaying problems or arguments in your mind. If you find yourself doing this, try listening to music as suggested above and focus your mind on those sounds, slowly drifting into sleep.

• Stopping worrisome thoughts can be difficult. Instead, allow your mind to wander. For example, try the basic "counting sheep" method. You could also try thinking in images rather than words.

Don't wait until you can't sleep. Studies show that lying in bed awake can actually make insomnia worse because your brain starts associating the bed with being alert. If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something, like reading. Then, when you feel tired, go back to bed.

• Another option is to try changing your location. If you're uncomfortable in bed, move to the sofa and try to sleep there. Sometimes, a change in environment can help.

Exercise regularly. Physical activity during the day is an effective way to make it easier to sleep at night. In fact, exercise seems directly linked to sleep quality. Research suggests that physical activity helps release stored energy, which can improve sleep. Remember to avoid exercising within three hours of bedtime, as the temporary stimulating effect may interfere with sleep.

Go to the bathroom. It's important to use the bathroom before going to bed. This helps clean out your digestive system, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Also, avoid drinking too much water in the hours leading up to bedtime as it might wake you up in the middle of the night. Try not to drink water after 8 p.m.

Create a comfortable environment. Make sure your body is as comfortable as possible when sleeping. If your clothes are tight, consider loosening them or removing them. This includes items like hair ties, socks, bras, or anything else that might restrict circulation. Additionally, ensure you have enough pillows and blankets to stay cozy.

Adjust your sleeping position. If you pay attention to your sleeping posture, you might notice that you tend to sleep in a poor position or one that puts strain on your body. Keep your back straight and make sure your neck isn't too high or too low. If your bed is too firm or too soft, consider adding a foam mattress topper or using a U-shaped pillow to make yourself more comfortable.

Choose sleep-inducing foods. These foods, which contain high levels of the amino acid tryptophan, can make it easier to fall asleep. Examples include cheese, chicken, soy products, eggs, tofu, fish, milk, turkey, nuts, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds. Opt for these types of foods, especially at dinner.

• For tryptophan to work more effectively, choose foods that are high in complex carbohydrates but low or moderate in protein. Carbs help increase tryptophan levels in the brain, while protein has the opposite effect.
• Plan “sleep-friendly meals” that combine carbohydrates and tryptophan. You could try Western-style meals such as pasta with Parmesan cheese, hummus with whole wheat pita bread, peanut butter on toast, sesame seeds sprinkled on a tuna salad served with whole wheat crackers, or baked potatoes with cottage cheese.

Eat smaller meals. Limit the amount of food you consume in the late afternoon and evening, as this can negatively affect the quality of your sleep. For example, smaller meals generally promote a better night’s rest, while large, fatty meals force your digestive system to work harder, causing discomfort and indigestion, which can wake you up.

• Some people find that strongly seasoned foods (such as chili and garlic) can disturb sleep, particularly those with acid reflux. If you suffer from this, it's best to avoid these foods.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks can disrupt your sleep habits. Caffeine stays in your body for up to 8 hours after consumption, so having a cup of coffee in the afternoon or evening can keep you alert until late at night. It's best to avoid caffeine in the late afternoon and evening.

• Alcohol can also interfere with your sleep. While it might make you feel sleepy initially, it actually reduces the quality of your sleep. You’ll tend to sleep less deeply and have less restorative REM sleep. So, if you think a drink or two might help you fall asleep, it will likely leave you feeling fatigued and unrested instead.

Drinking warm beverages can help you relax. Many people swear by drinking a cup of herbal tea or warm milk before bed, and studies have shown that this practice can be effective. Milk and dairy products are rich in tryptophan, which stimulates the brain to produce sleep-inducing substances like serotonin and melatonin.

• Chamomile tea has long been known as a remedy for insomnia. In fact, recent studies have shown that chamomile can reduce anxiety and improve sleep when tested on animals. If you don't have chamomile tea, you can try other caffeine-free herbal teas, such as lemon, ginger, and raspberry with ginger.

Consult a doctor about using sleeping pills. Medication should be a last resort. Sleeping pills are not a magical solution. Many types of sleeping pills can become habit-forming when used frequently, meaning you could develop a dependency without achieving deep or restorative sleep. Additionally, they can have side effects like fatigue, headaches, memory issues, and sleepwalking.

• Only use sleeping pills as a last option. If you become dependent on them, it will only make it harder for you to get quality sleep.

• If you've been struggling with inconsistent sleep patterns for a while, it's important to see a doctor as soon as possible. This could be a sign of a serious condition that requires immediate treatment. Don’t ignore these symptoms.
• Do not take sleeping pills if you need to operate machinery, including riding a motorcycle, driving a car, operating agricultural equipment, or industrial machines.