How to fall asleep fast, according to science

Put down your phone an hour before bed

Blue light — i.e. the light that emits from our phones and other electronic devices — can trick our brains into still thinking it’s day time, and therefore slow down the production of the hormone melatonin, which promotes feelings of sleepiness. Clearly, feeling awake at the wrong time will definitely have an effect our sleep schedules. So, consider putting your phone down an hour before you sleep as part of your bedtime routine — as this’ll allow your brain and body to fully relax and wind-down in time for you hitting the hay.

Be consistent with your sleep routine

Your circadian rhythm is the name for the natural mental and behavioural cycles that humans go through every 24 hours — and a big part of this is going to sleep and waking up. Studies have found that going to bed and waking up at different times during the week can put your circadian rhythm out of whack, which makes it harder to sleep. Another study found that people who have different bed times on weekends compared to weekdays also reported poorer sleep quality than those who have the same bedtime every night of the week.

Exercise (even when you don't want to)

Exercise is one of the best ways for people looking at how to fall asleep fast - it's even scientifically proven to do so. One study found that partaking in regular exercise and physical activity can halve the amount of time it takes for you to get to sleep, and can help you get up to 41 minutes more sleep every night. Burpees, anyone?

Sleep in 90-minute cycles

The 8-hour sleep rule is in fact a myth! Instead, we should actually aim to get either 7.5, 9, or 10.5 hours of sleep a night. So, if you’re off to bed at 11pm, your ideal wake-up time the next day would be 6:30am or 8am. Everyone is different with some needing more sleep than others, so experiment until you discover which amount of time has you waking up feeling like you’ve had a really good night’s sleep.

Pay attention to what works to you, and shift your routine accordingly

In the same way we are all different heights, the amount of sleep we need also differs from person to person. In fact, scientists can now accurately measure a persons exact circadian rhythm by their saliva and fine tune their routine to maximise their daytime physical and mental performance and sleep timings.

However, figuring you can start to recognise what works best for you, and see how much sleep you need by seeing how tired you are when you wake up or try to fall asleep, or how alert and energetic you feel at certain times of the day. You can also take note of whether you are a morning or evening person and start to shift your sleep routine to be aligned with that. By putting yourself in the best position to sleep well each night, you’ll be practicing good sleep hygiene — and this is crucial for overall health and well-being.

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Get at least 1 hour of direct daylight (outside or sitting by a window) before midday

There’s a strong and undeniable link between natural light and sleep. Daylight and darkness are cues in your brain that naturally link your internal body clock (circadian rhythm) to the outside or ‘sun clock’. So the later in the day you get sunlight, the more your body clock becomes delayed.

Clearly, getting out for a a quick morning walk or having your coffee or breakfast outside is your best bet. But if you’re leaving the house before the sun has properly risen, investing in a SAD lamp could be a good alternative solution, thanks to its super bright light that mimics the sun.

Eat three regular meals evenly spread throughout the day

Sticking with regular meals throughout your day helps to support your circadian rhythm which boosts your chances of better sleep. Skipping meals in favour of then eating a bigger dinner isn’t great for sleep as it means your digestive system is working double time. Instead, look to eat smaller, more manageable meals.

Don’t psych yourself out

We never really think about our sleep until we lose it. However, studies have suggested that one of the main causes of poor sleep is actually worrying about sleep itself. When we sleep, we don’t just sleep in one single block — we now know that we sleep in cycles which transition us between REM and deep sleep. But as we transition between the cycles, we usually wake up for microseconds but then immediately fall back to sleep without any recollection of theses awakenings. However sometimes, in times of high stress, or noisy or uncomfortable environments, we end up fully waking up in the middle of the night — and can then struggle to drift off again.

However, employing relaxation techniques like deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation can help calm down our minds. By doing this, we are acknowledging that waking up is just a part of the sleep process — which helps take a lot of the stress out of the situation.

The foot rub hack that helps you nod off

If you love a quirky hack, a post shared by Viola Levy shows a super simple 'foot rub' hack inspired by the ancient art of acupressure. She wrote: "Thanks to @pointspace_ for sending me this acupressure diagram for insomnia. Normally see her for acupuncture when I can’t sleep but obviously that’s not allowed. Anyone struggling to sleep she advises the following:

• “Try rubbing the point on your foot in the “v” shape area between your big toe and second toe. (LIV-3)
• Using your thumb, don’t worry about the exact location because your thumb covers so much more surface area than a needle, but with firm (but not painful) rubs you should feel a nice ache.
• Try doing that for 15 minute about half hour before bedtime. You can do it for longer than 15 minutes but it’s quite boring to do it on yourself and your thumbs will start aching. But if you feel like it, go for it!!”

Warm milk before bed

It’s true what they say — a glass of warm milk really can help you sleep. "This really does work," says wellness expert Marie Reynolds. “Milk Peptides follow the same neurological pathways as tranquillisers. Milk peptides help with a restful sleep and also boost cognitive functions during the day.”

Change of scene

If that doesn't work for you, Katheryn Pinkham —Sleep and Insomnia Expert and Founder of the Insomnia Clinic — suggests simply getting out of your sleep environment for five minutes or so. “The best thing you can do when you can’t fall asleep is to literally leave the room. Get up and go and sit in the living room. A change of scenery and disassociating yourself with the room where you can’t fall asleep will work wonders. Head back into bed after five minutes or so and you’ll nod off.” Genius.

Lavender and moonflower

A famous herbal sleep medicine, we all know that lavender is handy for helping you nod off — but combined with moonflower, it's a sure-fire winner. As Emma South our Jo Malone London Fragrance & Lifestyle Expert, explains: “Lavender is proven to have soporific qualities and has been found not only conducive to falling asleep, but studies also suggest it may improve the quality of sleep. The Lavender & Moonflower Pillow Mist from Jo Malone makes a perfect lullaby of tranquil notes; the cool clean tones of lavender, locally sourced from Norfolk, are cushioned in the comfort of white musk and the ethereal softness of night-blooming moonflowers. The hue of these iconic blooms is also significant, violet/lavender blues are the last colours discernible at dusk and interestingly seen as the colours of ‘calm’ - the Night Collection is fittingly bottled in twilight blue glass.”

Try writing a to-do list before bed

Always find yourself running over upcoming tasks in your head before bed? A study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology in 2018 found that writing your thoughts out by hand for five minutes before bed helps signal your brain to let go of your worries and drift off to sleep.

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Ahead, more of the best products to help you get to sleep fast: