How to fall asleep fast! or maybe after a while at least

If you have trouble sleeping, like many people do, then these little "tricks" may help you.

FORCE YOURSELF TO STAY AWAKE

Now, i know what you may be thinking "how the hell is that going to help me sleep?" but trust me. Its a sort of reverse psychology thing... i think.
 
A small study conducted at the University of Glasgow found that sleep-onset insomniacs who were instructed to lay in bed and try to stay awake with their eyes open fell asleep quicker than participants told to fall asleep without this “paradoxical intention” (PI). Participants in the PI group fell asleep easier and showed less sleep performance anxiety. 

HIDE YOUR CLOCK

Constantly checking the time only increases your stress, making it harder to turn down the dial on your nervous system and fall asleep. If you stare at the clock, it increases your stress and worry about not falling asleep. So hide your clocks, phones, watches blah blah... you get the idea

COOL YOUR ROOM

Did you know your internal body temperature is integral to regulating your biological body clock? When you’re falling asleep, your body temperature drops slightly, which some experts believe actually helps the process along, according to the Harvard Medical School. The National Sleep Foundation recommends a bedroom temperature of 60 to 67 degrees F for the most sleep-friendly conditions. 

USE THE 4-7-8 METHOD

Championed by best-selling author Dr. Andrew Weil—and various wellness bloggers, the “4-7-8” breathing technique is purported to help you fall asleep in under a minute. The method is said to relax you by increasing the amount of oxygen in your blood stream, slowing your heart rate, and releasing more carbon dioxide from the lungs. According to DrWeil.com, here’s how you do it:

 

1. Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep it there through the entire exercise. 

 

2. Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.

  

 3. Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four. 

 

4. Hold your breath for a count of seven. 

 

5 Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.

  

6. Repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

LISTEN TO MUSIC

Studies have shown that classical music, or any music that has a slow rhythm of 60 to 80 beats per minute, can help lull you to sleep. In a 2008 study, students aged 19 to 28 who listened to relaxing classical music for 45 minutes before bed showed significant improvement in sleep quality. Bonus: They also reported decreased symptoms of depression.

WEAR SOCKS TO BED

Researchers from a Swiss study published in the journal, Nature, observed that warm feet and hands were the best predictor of rapid sleep onset. In the study, participants placed a hot water bottle at their feet, which widened the blood vessels on the surface of the skin, thereby increasing heat loss. Shifting blood flow from your core to your extremities cools down your body, working in concert with melatonin.