11 Tricks to Sleep in Minutes (Proven by Internet Users)

And so you turned off the light, carefully closed the curtains, put your cell phone aside, drank some chamomile tea, ventilated the room, but sleep doesn’t come? So it’s time to try unusual methods. Users from Reddit, Pikabu and The Question, in their discussion forums, offered different innovative ideas on how to fall asleep quickly. And, most importantly, all this is proven thanks to your personal experience.

O incredible.club believes that it is not good for anyone to toss and turn in bed without being able to sleep. Against this, you can and should do something. We have already tried some of these methods and we are quick to share them with you.

You need to imagine that there is a monster in the room and convincingly pretend, like an actor, that it is already asleep:

It’s a trick that always works for me: Imagine a psychopath has entered your home, attacking only those who stay awake. You need to pretend that you are asleep and then he will leave. Adjust your breathing, relax your facial muscles and try not to move too much.

A special type of psychotherapy, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, allows you to relieve stress through special eye exercises. The same “tired eyes principle” can be used to fall asleep quickly:

After lying down comfortably, blink as fast as you can for 1 minute (I don’t usually keep track of the time, I just count to 60). This will take effort, and usually after 45 seconds it becomes too complicated to continue. Immediately after that, I usually fall asleep. I read a long time ago about the method of special forces members (I don’t know if it’s true or not), about how they fell asleep as quickly as possible under extreme conditions. And they did it in a very simple way: they lay down without moving, closed their eyes and moved them as if they wanted to look at what was behind them, but until they reached a comfortable level (each one has their own).

Do you have a favorite movie or cartoon that you literally know by heart? Great, then you can turn to them against insomnia. And if you don’t have it, you can compose a story and “perform” in it. Two main rules: don’t obsess about what you’ve lived, or what’s to come, don’t analyze or reflect, just let your imagination evolve freely.

My preferred way is to play one of my favorite movies in my head from beginning to end. As detailed as I can reconstruct it in my memory. It’s amazing how much you actually remember him when you’re lying silently in the dark, thinking about each scene. Nothing relieves stress more after a day at work. It helps me relax, but at the same time it allows me to “watch a movie” before I fall asleep and not feel guilty about being “swammed” by the TV again. I’ve had this since I was a teenager. I “had” a spaceship with drones. “Signed a contract” for the extraction of minerals, or “needed” fighting machines. Once “I loaded myself” with rescue ships, warships and “entrusted myself” with an expedition. By the way, I never successfully completed the contract because I fell asleep in the next 5-10 minutes after the story started. That being the case, I’ve never been a successful space wolf.

Do you know why you should ventilate the room before going to bed? It’s much easier to fall asleep when it’s cold. During sleep, the body temperature drops slightly, so a slight cooling becomes a signal that it’s time to rest.

Remove the blanket so that your body feels cool. You can open the window or turn on the air conditioning a little. Keep it that way until you get cold (no exaggeration). Sometimes I even imagine how I go somewhere and feel cold, making myself feel warm as quickly as possible. So, you cover yourself up and, while you warm up, you fall asleep. A simplified version: leave at least one foot outside the blanket.

There are many variations on counting sheep. For example, a countdown with visualization is very effective. It is better to start each time with a different number, so as not to compete with yourself, until the number you can reach. If the “simple” numbers bother you, you can give them some familiar form or relate them to some action (for example, breathing).

An excellent technique is to visualize a countdown: imagine the numbers as if they were written, for example, on a blackboard. It is better to choose them in such a way that there is still a lot left to advance considerably (for example, from 7905). When I can’t sleep for a long time, I imagine the Windows 7 shutdown screen and the message “Installing updates, please do not turn off the computer”, while counting the download percentage. I didn’t get to 100 once. I want to introduce you to a proven way to fall asleep quickly that my grandfather taught me. You lie down on your right side and start counting your exhalations: inhale and… exhale (one, two, and so on). Count to 25 in this way. Then, you place yourself upside down and count to 50. Then you turn to your left side and count to 75 (although it is unlikely that you will get there). When I tried this method, I remember falling asleep on the second act, on the exhalation of the number 25. And the second time, on the third exhalation.

White noise is a uniform “whisper” that hides all other sounds and distracts from other sound interference. It could be the sound of a waterfall, dry leaves, or radio interference, as well as some household appliances. By the way, a similar technique is used in the treatment of tinnitus, also called tinnitus.

I leave the fan on. I don’t drive it for myself, I simply turn it on to listen to the constant roar of the engine.

Breathing control relaxes and slows the heart rate. We have already written about the method related to holding the breath. It can and should be customized: choose a comfortable interval and, if necessary, reduce the waiting time to 3-5 seconds.

The best breathing technique I tested was the “4/7/8”. Inhale 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, exhale and wait another 8 seconds before inhaling again. All through the nose. Repeat. When I simply tried to “breathe deeply through my nose,” I would quickly become hyperventilated and light-headed from too much oxygen, and would respond by speeding up my breathing and feeling like I couldn’t inhale with a full lung.

Many people know that bright light inhibits the synthesis of the sleep hormone melatonin. The blue spectrum has the greatest negative effect on the possibility of falling asleep. It is produced by the largest number of LED and energy-saving light bulbs, night lights, electronic alarm clocks and cell phone screens, even with minimal brightness. So that when night comes you want to go to sleep, scientists advise providing softer lighting with incandescent lamps or using lenses with yellow (or amber) crystals. For those who find it too difficult to put their cell phone down at night, there are apps that adjust the screen’s color temperature depending on the time of day.

The application will calmly remind you that it’s time to sleep. It works like a timer: as soon as the screen turns yellow, it’s time to turn everything off. Apparently, I already reflected: I immediately get sleepy and I already don’t feel like reading for a long time with feedback from the screen

ASMR are weird videos where people speak in low voices, gesture, make things sound, tap on different surfaces, draw with a deliberately loud sound, use visual triggers: lit candle, light taps with hands, flicks with brushes, and, of course, sometimes a whole relaxing scene takes place with the viewer developing the lead role. It works for millions of people: it causes a feeling of relaxation, security and sometimes a pleasant shiver.

ASMR is pure magic. As a general rule, I still want to stay awake longer to keep watching and relax, but instead I fall asleep almost instantly.

This technique, based on the stimulus control method, was recommended by a clinical psychologist who treats insomnia.

If you don’t fall asleep within 15 minutes, get up and go to another room. Do something (some manual work, read, put together a puzzle). As soon as you feel tired, go back to bed and try to sleep. If you do not succeed in 15 minutes, resume your occupation again. Repeat as many times as needed. In the end, your brain will admit defeat and you will fall asleep.

In my childhood, I read somewhere that Mark Twain, in order to fall asleep quickly, lay down on the edge of his bed. When I was a kid, this method worked for me. Now, for some reason, no, but the story might be useful for someone else.

When I can’t sleep at night, I imagine it’s already 6:30 am and the alarm goes off to get up to go to work. I close my eyes and presto: instant sleep effect.

What techniques do you use to get to sleep faster?