7 Techniques to Drift Off to Deep Sleep Quickly

On some evenings, it’s hard to quickly drift off to sleep, and tossing and turning while worrying about not being able to sleep only exacerbates the situation.  

You may be familiar with the common strategies like reading or disconnecting from electronics, but what other options are available when these fail? 

1: The Military Method 

The military method usually emphasizes muscle relaxation, controlled breathing, and mental imagery more than anything. Here is how the procedure works.  

Lie down on your bed. 

Start by tensing the muscles in your face, then relax them while you breathe deeply to calm yourself. 

Continue this procedure along your body until you reach a state of relaxation. 

Empty your thoughts. Next, imagine a soothing situation such as peacefully reclining in a canoe on a tranquil lake or swaying gently in a pitch-black room. 

If this method is unsuccessful, repeat the phrase “don’t think” to yourself for 10 seconds and give it another shot. 

As you become more experienced with the military method, it becomes more effective, so keep trying even if you struggle to clear your mind at first.  

As time passes, this method will assist you in falling asleep more quickly. 

2: Try Using White Noise  

According to the creator of an Eyes open meditation app, excessive ambient noise can greatly disturb sleep. So, what is the solution to this?  

Constant background noise.  

The constant, consistent sound of white noise can drown out other noises and foster a peaceful atmosphere that is better for promoting sleep.  

You have the option to choose a different noise other than white noise.  

Other types of noise include pink noise, brown noise, blue noise, and numerous others! Discover the ideal ‘noise’ to enhance your sleep on this site. Additional calming sounds such as gentle rain or woodland birds also help establish a tranquil environment that encourages relaxation. 

3: Consume More Fiber and Lessen Caffeine Usage 

Fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains are abundant in nutrients that can benefit sleep. Fiber can aid in balancing your blood sugar levels, which consequently improves sleep.  

Research indicates that consuming diets high in fiber may result in increased duration of the restorative phases of deep sleep. 

The amount of caffeine you consume may be impacting the quality of your sleep.  

Research also indicates that consuming coffee daily can disrupt your sleep pattern, resulting in restless nights and feeling drowsy during the day.  

This could be particularly accurate if you ingest caffeine within six hours prior to going to sleep. In addition to experiencing a more peaceful and uninterrupted night of sleep, individuals who do not consume caffeine may discover that they require significantly less time to initially drift off. 

4: Eat Carbs before Sleeping 

This suggestion requires advance preparation but one research study discovered that consuming carbohydrates four hours before bedtime improved individuals’ ability to fall asleep quickly and experience a better quality of sleep. The study examined easily digestible simple carbohydrates.  

Some examples are – 

• White rice,  
• White bread,  
• Pasta,  
• Potatoes, and  
• Sugary foods.  

Surprisingly, a study in Japan revealed that only rice, not bread or noodles, was associated with sleep benefits. While attempting to reduce carbohydrate intake, it could be most advantageous for your sleep to have a portion for dinner at the very least. 

5: Meditation 

Practicing meditation can help in lowering your heart rate, directing your thoughts, and providing advantages for both the brain and body. It doesn’t need to be challenging as well. Meditation aims to quiet restless thoughts and encourage full presence in the current moment. 

However, there is no need to be concerned if you find your thoughtsdrifting during meditation. Working on yourself can have a significant benefit just by dedicating time to it. 

However, if you are not able to perform meditation, you may also use an Eyes open meditation app for this purpose. It’s easy to employ and can be highly effective in your case. 

6: Breathe Purposefully and Slowly 

Breathing rhythms influence our autonomic nervous system, overseeing heart rate, muscle tension, motivation, and various components of relaxation or arousal.  

While quick, superficial breathing can induce feelings of stress, deep, deliberate breathing can have a calming effect. 

A method to experiment with is the 4-7-8 technique created by Dr. Andrew Weil. The procedure is also quite straightforward. This is the method to follow: 

Keep the tip of your tongue touching the ridge behind your top teeth during the entire exercise, both when inhaling and exhaling. 

Breathe out fully through your mouth, creating a “whoosh” sound. 

Close your mouth and breathe in through your nose for a count of four. 

Hold your breath for seven seconds. 

Breathe out gradually through your mouth for a count of eight, creating a “whooshing” noise (pucker your lips if it seems uncomfortable). 

7: Trick Your Brain 

Have you experienced situations where your stubborn mind goes against what you’re trying to accomplish? It appears that the concept of paradoxical intention (which is akin to reverse psychology, but without any trickery) could also be beneficial for improving sleep. 

A study conducted in Scotland discovered that using paradoxical intention in a clinical setting, where individuals purposely avoid trying to fall asleep while in bed, led to decreased levels of sleep effort and anxiety for those suffering from insomnia, as opposed to taking no action.  

Similarly, another research discovered that a strong desire to drift off to sleep led to poorer quality of sleep. 

Instead of focusing on falling asleep, shift your mindset to staying awake for a few minutes. If a dim, peaceful bedroom keeps your mind active, you can also experiment with listening to an audiobook or podcast quietly, or imagine calming activities in your head, to distract from sleep. 

Can You Sleep in 3 Minutes? 

Falling asleep within three minutes is difficult for most people, but some can doze off within five minutes of getting into bed and shutting their eyes.  

For some people, it typically takes 15 to 20 minutes to drift off to sleep at night, with 30 minutes being a possibility as well. 

It is important to remember this factor when using a sleep calculator to determine your bedtime. Ensure that you give yourself enough time to relax before sleeping to reduce worries about taking too long to fall asleep.