When did we all start asking Google how to fall asleep?

Did you ever dream as a child that you would be Googling the question ‘How to fall asleep?’ To the non-sleep deprived, this is a ridiculous and obvious question but to adults across the UK struggling to get some quality shut-eye, the answer to this question is often elusive and much more valuable than gold. Everyone seems to be losing sleep these days. The increase of smartphone usage, the stress of demanding jobs and the state of affairs in the world today are causing our brains to go into overdrive. It’s becoming more and more difficult to “turn off”. We’ve never been more underslept. Luckily there are some scientifically proven tips and techniques out there you can put into action right away to get that coveted shut eye you’ve been dreaming about.

We could recommend a few strategies (and we will) and you can take a natural sleeping pill to get to sleep but we want to be clear that a healthy sleep strategy or routine combined with a natural sleep aid is much more effective for getting to to sleep fast Every. Single. Night.

Sleep routine + natural sleep aid = most effective combination

So, you want to fall asleep fast, right now - we get it, but it’s unlikely it’s going to happen naturally today. Sleep is like exercise - the better you get at it, the easier it will become. Just like children - adults need an effective sleep routine in order to fall asleep fast.

Sleep strategy 1: The sleep routine

By sleep routine, we mean ear-marking 30-45 minutes before bed to unwind - that could be breathing exercises, listening to a bedtime story, reading paper copy books and putting all electronics to bed. This is important ‘you’ time to adjust your body to sleep.

A big part of a sleep strategy’s effectiveness is it’s consistency - do it at the same time every night. If you go to sleep when you feel drowsy and get out of bed when you wake, you’ll be tapping in to your circadian rhythm (your internal body clock) and will fall asleep fast because your body will know it’s time to sleep.

A sleep routine is particularly effective if you suffer anxiety, night time anxiety or insomnia.

Here are some tips to enhance your sleep routine and get you to sleep faster:

1. Drink chamomile tea

Chamomile tea is an oldie...but a goodie. You can find this calming herb at most grocery or health food stores in tea or tincture form. I’m sure your grandmother gave you chamomile tea as a child. There’s just something about this herb that brings back memories, wouldn’t you say? The magic of chamomile tea lies in a compound called apigenin which gives the herb it’s anti-anxiety powers. Apigenin is a phenolic flavonoid that is linked with calming nerves and encouraging sleep. A recent study revealed that rats dosed with 300mg of chamomile at night fell asleep quicker than those who didn’t receive a dose (2). Steep a couple of bags of chamomile tea and sip slowly before bed. You’ll find that your eyes will close a little easier than before.

2. Have a hot shower or bath

Showering at night before bed can have an incredibly calming effect on the body. The application of heat relaxes the muscles and encourages the body to relax and rest. A study done on the substitution of physical warmth found that the subjects involved who tested at higher stress levels, were more drawn to having longer, hotter and more frequent baths/showers (3). It could be that their overly-stressed bodies were craving some physical warmth to calm themselves down.

3. Use lavender oil

A recent study on lavender oil and sleep found that the scent of lavender improved the mean scores of sleep quality in 15 healthy students (4). There seems to be a method to the essential oil madness that’s going around nowadays. Lavender is one of the most popular and affordable oils out there and smells like a dream. Rub some under your nose before bed or pump some through an electric oil diffuser to get the full effects.

4. Breathe

It can be hard to “breathe” when you’re in the wake of insomnia. It’s stressful laying there, unable to get to sleep and breathing or calming down is actually the last thing you wanna do in that moment. Luckily, there’s a super simple breathing technique that we’ve discovered that will help you focus and clear your mind, and no, it’s not one of those techniques that’s going to stress you out even more. Here’s how to do it: breathe in through your nostrils as deeply as you can. Release into an exhale, humming as you do. Your lips should be vibrating as you exhale. This trick engages your parasympathetic nervous system and calms both your body and mind, right down. Practice this technique everyday before bed and see how quickly it transforms your sleep.

5. Acupressure

Acupressure therapy involves putting pressure on certain points of your body that relate to ailments including insomnia. One of the most effective points for sleep is located about two and a half finger width from the heel of the hand. The next point is actually in between your shoulder blades. Place 2 tennis balls on the floor and lay on them, making sure they are both right in between your shoulder blades (5). A few minutes later, you will feel a rush of calm over take you. This one is wonderful to do right before bed.

6. Read a book and never wonder how to fall asleep fast again

Prolonged focus has a way of really clearing out your mind. Some would say that reading a hard copy book is almost like meditating. You’re focusing on one word, one page at a time. It’s incredibly soothing. Reading on a tablet or phone just isn’t the same because there is always the temptation to click on distractions that pop up. What we’re looking for here is prolonged, single-minded focus. Have a book by your bedside and commit to reading an hour a night, right before bed. You’ll find that your mind has completely forgotten about any stressful events it was milling on about and you’ll finally be able to relax.

7. Meditate and you’ll finally stop Googling “how to fall asleep quickly”

I’m sure you’ve heard all about the benefits of meditation by now. What you probably don’t know is how crucial this relaxation technique is to getting a good night’s sleep. Restlessness can be caused by racing thoughts and worries. These distressing thoughts can be heightened by other factors such as alcohol, caffeine and cortisol, it’s true...but keep in mind that meditation can help you control these out-of-control thoughts to a certain degree. Download an app like Headspace or Calm by Stephen Fry and start putting your meditation muscle into action. After 10 days or so, you’ll notice a generally calmer mind. You’ll see!

These scientifically proven strategies, paired with a sleep supplement like Neuro Rest will provide you with all you need to finally get some proper rest. Neuro Rest has been expertly formulated by doctors, biochemists and nutritionists. Neuro Rest’s formula is all-natural, safe and highly effective featuring ingredients like chamomile, magnesium and Montmorency cherries.

Sleep strategy two: take a natural supplement

Natural supplements will still aid effective sleep if you’re struggling to get shut eye but they’re much more effective if combined with a consistent sleep routine because they will help you to get back into a healthy sleep rhythm.

Natural supplements that prove effective for sleep are magnesium, tryptophan, 5HTP, Montmorency cherry and chamomile. Combined together, these have a synergistic effect and help the three stages of sleep: falling asleep faster, improved quality of sleep and that feeling of energised wakefulness the next day.

Our natural sleep aid, Neuro Rest, combines all of the above ingredients and is recommended by 98% of our customers, 97% of whom said they got to sleep faster.]

Bedtime Routine To Help You Sleep Better