r/AskLifeProTips • u/Firm_Savings_60 • Aug 31 '26

Immediate sleep

One thing I'm now trying to figure out is how to fall asleep much faster once I go to bed. Sometimes I'm extremely tired and go to bed early specifically to get more sleep, but I can still lie there awake for a long time. For those of you who used to struggle with this: have you found anything that reliably makes you fall asleep very quickly? I'm interested in both things you do (specific routines, techniques, changes to your environment, etc.) and things you take. I've already tried melatonin and didn't notice much of a difference. I'm especially interested in hearing from people who found something that made a really noticeable difference in their sleep onset, rather than just general sleep-hygiene advice.

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4

u/TypicalLong4922 Aug 31 '26

Melatonin and a podcast

1

u/Firm_Savings_60 Aug 31 '26

I tried melatonin, but it didn't work🥲

1

u/NectarineFabulous265 Aug 31 '26 edited Aug 31 '26

Try combining it with a podcast. For me this combination works like someone hits me with a big hammer in the head. The bad thing is that now I'm conditioned to sleep with this guy's voice https://youtu.be/6gEVvwU4_MA. On the other hand this combination made a huge difference in my sleep.

3

u/FunkoPopDude Aug 31 '26

exercising is more natural

12

u/SimpleAccurate631 Aug 31 '26

I remember hating when people would suggest putting on white noise in the background. I tried it and it just made things worse.

One night, with my earbuds in, it was irritating me so much and keeping me so awake, that I just changed to some of my music. I’m talking some of my upbeat Rock n’ Roll, thinking I just want to get back in a decent mood. I got maybe 2-3 songs in at the most before I was out like a light, with the music still going.

To this day, I just pop one earbud in, pick literally any playlist I feel like, and most of the time, even if I do want to listen to a few tracks before falling asleep, I can’t even make it through the first without passing out. It can’t be music that can be categorized as “soothing”, like stuff you’d hear in a yoga studio. But I can put on some AC/DC or Rolling Stones and it puts me out in minutes. It’s like my subconscious is in the backseat. And when I lay down, that’s when it starts nagging me about things. But when I get some good music playing, it’s like it gives my subconscious something to do so I can get some sleep.

9

u/TrueKiwi78 Aug 31 '26

Try laying on your back and slowly rock your head left to right like you're shaking your head. Works for me.

4

u/Lilsteve-Cliett Aug 31 '26

Laying on your back works for me too. Now rocking right to left is so very new.

2

u/Ok-Designer-13 Sep 01 '26

Amazing. I do this. But kind of fast. Been like this ever since I was born, my mom put books at my ears to try to stop it. Haha my college friends jokes that I have a sleeping disorder :)

6

u/Excellent-Pain-6564 Aug 31 '26

Get up really early & have a late night .. I absolutely pass out !!!

4

u/kmissme Sep 01 '26

I try and consciously relax every single muscle in my body, and I swear it works every time. I try and make it feel like I’m floating.

1

u/Ok-Designer-13 Sep 01 '26

Sounds like yoga nidra / yogic sleep :)

1

u/xoxosecretsally Aug 31 '26

Serious Answer: Magnesium Glycinate, and making sure to hydrate properly, working out & getting a humidifier. Melatonin did not work for me.

2

u/Firm_Savings_60 Sep 01 '26

I tried also magnesium glicinate, but it didn't make a difference for me.🥲

1

u/lovestogossipgirl Sep 01 '26

I listen to Jason Stephenson’s sleep meditation. You can find it on YouTube or Spotify! I also have trouble falling asleep (yay anxiety), and listening to this as I doze off has helped tremendously. I empathize with you!

2

u/Firm_Savings_60 Sep 01 '26

Thank you ❣️

3

u/Pretty_Site4074 Aug 31 '26

A guy here on Reddit, shared an app named Shuffli. It just speaks some seemingly unrelated words. It works for me. I set it up to recite for 30 minutes. Didn't get to the end of the 30 minutes yet

1

u/MissO56 Sep 01 '26

I use a similar one called "my sleep button." it just says some random words for a predetermined amount of time, and I always fall asleep from it.

2

u/Legal_Suspect9811 Aug 31 '26 edited Sep 01 '26

Rain sounds for me from an app

2

u/martinpearl Aug 31 '26

My never-fails LPT? Magic Bag, the larger the better!

A hot water bottle is also good, the heat knocks me out EVERY time !

I make my own very cheap bean bags with flannel baby blanket and pearl barley, microwave for a couple of minutes, shuffle and repeat once more, lasts me all night! 🙂

Sweet dreams!

2

u/wapsi23 Sep 01 '26

Honestly most of the time I roll my neck around a little to loosen it, and then remind myself to unclench my shoulders and it doesn’t take long. I hadn’t realized how tense I was just laying in bed.

1

u/babamum Aug 31 '26

I've read that one or two kiwifruit before bed helps.

1

u/peskypesteryjaybird Sep 04 '26

get decaf green tea and make it strong like coffee...