Five tips to help you fall asleep sooner

A good night’s sleep is as important as eating well and exercising when it comes to our health – it allows our bodies and brains to recover from the effects of the day.

‘Sleep is your life-support system – Mother Nature’s best effort yet at immortality,’ says neuroscientist and author of Why We Sleep, Matthew Walker.

‘Is there any process in your body that isn’t wonderfully enhanced when you get sleep, or demonstrably impaired when you don’t get enough? The answer seems to be no.’

Sleeping pills act as a sedative – they may help you fall asleep, but it is not a natural, restorative sleep, and they don’t address the underlying causes of insomnia.

Instead, ask your doctor about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I).

This helps you identify thoughts and behaviours that could be causing your sleep problems, and replaces them with healthy habits to promote good sleep.

Here are a few simple tips that can help you fall asleep sooner;

1. Stick to a routine

‘Our bodies are designed to revolve around regularity,’ says Matthew. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Even if you have one bad night’s sleep, power through until bedtime, rather than napping in the day.

2. Say no to alcohol

While a few glasses of wine might make you fall asleep, it restricts REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, and can cause you to wake up frequently throughout the night.

3. Reduce screen time

The blue light from your phone or tablet can reduce the production of melatonin, a hormone responsible for the sleep-wake cycle. Turn your devices to ‘night mode’, which switches off the blue light. Or put them away at least one hour before bed.

4. Write things down

If you are kept awake because tomorrow’s to-do list is running through your mind, try keeping a pen and notepad by your bed to jot down any thoughts and anxieties before you go to sleep. Writing worries down helps you to get an objective view on them, so you don’t have to ruminate on them all night.

5. If you can’t sleep, get up…

‘Our brains quickly learn that bed is a place you are awake rather than asleep,’ says Matthew. ‘Go to a different room, read or meditate in dim light until you feel sleepy.’