Falling Asleep Quickly: 6 Tips

Close your eyes and… zZZZzzzz: lie down, pull up the covers, and don’t wake up again until your alarm rings. What a lovely theory. In reality, however, it usually remains nothing more than a dream. In practice, there’s still the carousel of thoughts, tossing and turning 17 times, being too hot, too cold, and having to quickly nip to the bathroom.

Sleep well, those who don’t even notice they’re sleeping badly.                         - Publilius Syrus

Are there so-called "life hacks" that help you fall asleep faster? If you search for them, you’ll find plenty. For example, several short videos about the “Military Sleep Method”. [1] [1] Instagram: "Military Sleep Method"   The technique is said to be THE trick for relaxing quickly. US soldiers use it and are said to fall asleep in just two minutes. Clickbait? Or can it really work?

Sleep techniques with history

Yes and no. The “Military Sleep Method” can actually help you fall asleep faster. At least it has a powerful calming effect when the method is used regularly. This is because the three fundamentals of the viral evening routine are also the foundations of all meditation and mindfulness exercises:

• release all tension in the body
• breathe consciously
• clear your mind of (too many) thoughts

So no one has reinvented the wheel here; they’ve simply fitted it with new, faster tyres. These relaxation techniques have existed since at least the beginnings of Hinduism. According to legend, the historical Buddha later attained enlightenment by doing exactly this. [2] [2] Meditation depth: Pinon, Harald (2020): History of Meditation

So you don’t have to adopt some crude military technique to fall asleep faster; you can simply use time-tested methods that people have been using to find rest for thousands of years. In this post, you’ll find some practical examples and tips to help you drift off into the world of dreams in no time.

Important: If you have chronic sleep problems that severely restrict your daily life, it is advisable to visit a sleep lab or see a doctor. The following mindfulness exercises are intended as inspiration for useful routines or adjustments to your current habits if you want to improve your sleep because you occasionally sleep poorly or want to develop overall healthier sleep habits.

Tips for falling asleep faster

Tip 1: PRACTISE MILITARY-STYLE MINDFULNESS

The method mentioned earlier, despite its brevity, actually includes everything that can calm the body and mind and help you fall asleep quickly. Since the “Military Sleep Method” takes only about two minutes, it is also ideal for beginners in mindfulness and meditation. It is best to lie on your back and get ready to drift off. Here’s how: [3] [3] Antenne NRW (2024): Fall asleep in 2 minutes with this trick

• Relax your face: Focus on making every muscle loose and relaxed, from your forehead to your cheeks and jaw muscles.
• Relax your arms and shoulders: Lower your arms and lay them gently by your sides.
• Breathe consciously: Breathe in deeply and out slowly, focusing entirely on your breathing. This calms your chest and abdomen.
• Release tension in your lower body: Now shift your focus to your hips and legs. Imagine them becoming very heavy and sinking into the mattress. Continue to breathe consciously.
  
• Clear your mind: This is probably the most important step. Even if your body is already relaxed, your thoughts can still prevent you from falling asleep quickly. So imagine yourself lying in a canoe on a calm, beautiful lake. Don’t paddle 😉, just relax. You can also imagine yourself in a hammock in a dark room if that setting appeals to you more. The main thing is to push all other thoughts aside.  

It probably won’t work perfectly right after the first or second attempt. The same rule applies here: consistency is key! Many habits or initial successes only emerge after about six weeks. [4] [4] Study "How long does it take to change habits": AOK Magazin (2022): Changing habits: Tips for new behavioural patterns 

The Military Sleep Method looks very promising in this regard; there are many positive testimonials and expert opinions to back it up. No wonder, because it is based on well-established principles such as meditation and progressive muscle relaxation. The latter works as follows:  

Tip 2: RELAX YOUR MUSCLES (PROGRESSIVELY)

If you can consciously tense your muscles, you can logically also relax them. Progressive muscle relaxation reduces nerve activity, which also lowers mental tension. [5] [5] Well-being, relaxation: AOK Magazin (2020): Progressive muscle relaxation: A simple guide  This means: when you relax your body, you also relax your mind. This lays the foundation for falling asleep faster.

Dr. Edmund Jacobson also knew this, and he introduced the principle of progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) back in 1929. Unlike the previous method, relaxation here follows the tensing of individual limbs. To do this, you focus your attention very specifically on individual areas of your body one after the other. If you focus on your muscles, your thoughts cannot wander aimlessly. If you want to try PMR, the following order is recommended:

• Lie down: Get settled, lie on your back, stretch out your arms and legs, and relax a little.
• Dominant arm: First, clench the hand on your dominant arm into a fist. Then tense your biceps, lift your fist, and then tense your entire arm up to the shoulder. Hold for 5 seconds. Then suddenly release the tension, let your arm fall, and ideally don’t move it again.
• Other arm: Repeat the exercise with your other arm.
• Face: Imagine yourself biting into a lemon. Make a face, press your lips together, pull your cheeks up, and squint your eyes. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax and let go.
• Neck and throat: Pull your chin toward your chest, lifting your head slightly off the mattress. Tense your neck as hard as you can, hold again for 5 seconds, then lower your head and relax.
• Shoulders and upper back: Lift your chest. Press your shoulders firmly into the mattress. Pull your shoulder blades toward your spine, hold the tension briefly, and let go.
• Abdomen and lower back: Pull in your stomach as if you wanted to sink into the mattress beneath it. Press as hard as you can. Tense your back as well. Hold, then let go.
• Dominant leg: Pull your toes toward your body (flex your foot). Then lift your entire leg a few inches and tense the thigh muscles. After 5 seconds, lower it and relax.   
• Other leg: Repeat the exercise for your other leg.
• Whole body: Now give it your all: Build tension from head to toe, tense your entire musculature, and then sink comfortably back into your pillow after about 5 seconds.

Now your body should be completely relaxed. Through the connection between body and mind, this calmness penetrates your thoughts, making it easier to fall asleep.

Another benefit of PMR: By consciously targeting individual muscle groups, your body awareness increases over time, and it will become easier and easier for you to relax. This not only improves your sleep but also makes you more resilient in stressful situations.

Tip 3: EXERCISE 

This doesn’t mean squeezing in another set of push-ups after dinner and before bed. That would have the opposite effect and get your body going again. What is meant is: those who exercise regularly and push themselves improve their sleep quality. By now, the effect is so well researched that exercise is an integral part of many therapies for sleep problems. Active people spend longer in deep sleep and feel overall more rested. [6] [6] Effects of resistance exercise training and stretching on chronic insomnia: D’Aurea CVR, Poyares D, Passos GS, Santana MG, Youngstedt SD, Souza AA, et al. (2018): Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry  Whether exercise improves sleep depends primarily on three factors: when you exercise, what you exercise, and how intensely you exercise:

• When: Ideally in the morning. Since that is often not feasible during the week, there should be at least a few hours between your workout and bedtime. Exercise releases adrenaline and cortisol in your body, which make you more awake. Therefore: it is better not to exercise too close to bedtime.
• What: Not all types of exercise have the same positive effect on sleep quality and help you fall asleep faster. Endurance sports such as cycling, jogging, or swimming rank highest. Strength training, on the other hand, has almost no positive effect on your sleep.
• How: At least 2.5 hours of moderate exercise per week should be the goal. What you consider moderate is, of course, individual. As a rule of thumb, physical activity should challenge you a little, increase your heart rate, and make you break a sweat. But if you get out of breath to the point that you can no longer speak, the intensity is too high.

Tip 4: ESTABLISH A HEALTHY EVENING ROUTINE

Get into the habit of having evening rituals before you go to sleep. If you repeat them often enough, rituals become routines. This then signals to your body and mind: “It’s time for bed.” You will automatically become sleepy. Examples of rituals: reading, a short yoga session, or simply a cup of tea. You can find more tips for evening routines and how to incorporate them into your daily life here.

Tip 5: KEEP A SLEEP DIARY

The 6-Minute-Sleep Diary can also be a useful part of a calming evening routine. However, because it also has a major impact on improving sleep and tracking sleep quality on its own, it deserves to be mentioned separately here. [7] [7] "Evaluating User Compliance in Mobile Health Apps: Insights from a 90-Day Study Using a Digital Sleep Diary": Kristbergsdottir, Hlín, Lisa Schmitz, Erna Sif Arnardottir, and Anna Sigridur Islind. (2023): Diagnostics 13, no. 18: 2883  The principle is simple and doesn’t take much time: get it out of your head – and into the diary. Simply write down the thought loops, worries, and to-dos that would otherwise keep you awake and prevent you from falling asleep quickly before going to bed. This clears your mind for the night and brings your tasks back into focus the next morning. Regular writing also helps you become more confident and identify the stressors that cause insomnia.

The sleep diary, which contains not only the practical part for your sleep tracking and your thoughts but also a wealth of theoretical knowledge on the topic, is available here:

Tip(s) 6: FOLLOW THE BASIC CHECKLIST

Here you’ll find the absolute sleep basics, which are easy to implement and can make a big difference. You don’t have to develop new habits over a long period first to actively improve your sleep; usually, it’s enough to change small things.  

• Completely darken the bedroom
• Use the bed (almost always 😉) only for sleeping
• Keep the bedroom cool (16° to 19°)
• No screens at least 1 hour before bedtime
• No meals at least 2 hours before bedtime
• No caffeine at least 6 hours before bedtime
• Fill out the sleep diary

Do you have any other tips to add to the list? If so: please share them in the comments!   

And if you really want to develop great new habits that help you sleep better, our eBook can help you with that. It offers plenty of examples of what a healthy evening routine can look like and tips for successful implementation! 

Fall asleep quickly with routines

If you've read this far, you have probably already noticed: there is no single life hack or miracle cure to fall asleep in no time. However, you can change your habits so that you will notice an improvement in your sleep quality after some time. Routines and positive habits help in all aspects of life – also with specific goals like "falling asleep quickly". You won't be pulled out of your comfort zone if you simply make certain good habits part of your new comfort zone.  

Sources:

[1] Instagram: "Military Sleep Method"

[2] Meditation depth: Pinon, Harald (2020): History of Meditation

[3] Antenne NRW (2024): Fall asleep in 2 minutes with this trick

[4] Study "How long does it take to change habits": AOK Magazine (2022): Changing habits: Tips for new behavioural patterns

[5] Well-being, relaxation: AOK Magazine (2020): Progressive muscle relaxation: A simple guide

[6] Effects of resistance exercise training and stretching on chronic insomnia: D’Aurea CVR, Poyares D, Passos GS, Santana MG, Youngstedt SD, Souza AA, et al. (2018): Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry

[7] "Evaluating User Compliance in Mobile Health Apps: Insights from a 90-Day Study Using a Digital Sleep Diary": Kristbergsdottir, Hlín, Lisa Schmitz, Erna Sif Arnardottir, and Anna Sigridur Islind. (2023): Diagnostics 13, no. 18: 2883