A white noise machine, scheduled worry time, and body scan meditation may help you fall asleep fast. In some cases, though, you may need professional support.

Ongoing stress and a disorganized environment may lead you to have a hard time falling asleep quickly.

You may find it challenging to shut off the mental noise of a busy day or the emotional distress of a troubled relationship. Environmental signals, like a room that’s too hot or cold, can also make it tough for you to fall asleep as soon as you hit the bed.

Optimal sleep hygiene and these additional tips may help you get some quality snooze time faster.

You may associate a warm bath with relaxation. And, when it comes to sleep, baths may have other potential benefits. A soak in the tub before you hit the pillow can help you fall asleep faster than if you go straight to bed.

During sleep, the body’s core temperature decreases. Lower body temperature is a sleep signal for the brain. A warm bath may speed up this cooling process and help your brain switch to rest mode, helping you fall asleep quickly.

A 2019 systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that taking a warm bath 1 to 2 hours before bed may reduce sleep onset latency (SOL) — the time it takes for you to fall asleep — by 10 minutes or more.

A white noise or broadband machine emits a sound across all audible frequencies simultaneously. Some people think it sounds like static.

White noise may help you sleep better and faster by masking other noises in the environment or helping brainwaves switch to rest mode. The exact impact and mechanism of white noise on the sleep cycle isn’t clear yet, though.

Evidence suggests that a white noise machine improves sleep quality. A small 2021 study involving 10 participants showed that the device helped them fall asleep in a noisy environment without any side effects.

You may want to try this natural way to sleep faster and see if it works for you.

Research has widely explored how exercise affects sleep, and it turns out that physical activity may be key in helping you fall asleep faster.

A 2019 systematic review of 11 studies found that exercise’s most consistent benefit was reducing the time someone takes to fall asleep.

A 2021 studyTrusted Source of a moderate exercise training program on inactive adults also indicated several positive effects of exercise on sleep quality. Additionally, researchers noted no difference between people who exercised in the morning and those who did in the evening, so choosing your own exercise schedule is fine.

In sum, introducing physical activity into your day may help you fall asleep faster at night.

Those electronics you may have to come to rely upon — smartphones, laptops, tablets, televisions, gaming screens — emit blue light. Blue light may interfere with circadian rhythms, possibly making it harder for you to fall asleep quickly.

Research on the connection between blue light and sleep is mixed. However, a 2022 systematic review found that blue light may negatively impact sleep quality and duration. Of eight studies in the review, three found blue light increased the time it takes for someone to fall asleep.

Consider switching off your screens an hour or two before bedtime. If that’s too challenging, try using your device’s brightness settings to adjust the amount of blue light it emits. Another option is to find quality blue light blocking glasses.

Spending some time putting pen to paper may help you to fall asleep faster. There’s even evidence that a specific kind of writing habit — making a to-do list — may be particularly effective.

In a 2018 studyTrusted Source, those who wrote a to-do list fell asleep faster than those who wrote about activities they’d already completed. The more specific the to-do list, the quicker participants fell asleep.

Consider taking 5 minutes before bed to write about what you need to get done — and then leave the list to review in the morning. Another option may be to use journal prompts to explore personal and professional goals or projects.

Stress can make it harder to fall asleep quickly and tougher to stay asleep. Some peopleTrusted Source may be especially vulnerable to sleep disruption due to stress, leading to significant problems in getting quality rest.

Meditation in various forms may help combat stress and make it easier to fall asleep naturally.

A 2021 study found that participants in a 4-day meditation retreat had better quality sleep immediately following the experience and still at a 40-day follow-up.

Progressive muscle relaxation and meditative movements, like yoga or tai chi, may reduce the average time it takes to fall asleep.

The body scan method may also help. Here are the steps:

  1. Lay down in a comfortable position.
  2. Close your eyes.
  3. Focus on one part of your body at a time, starting with your toes.
  4. As you focus on each part, notice how it feels and if you need to release tension.
  5. Gradually work your way up to your head.

If worries are keeping you up at night, scheduled worry time may be a technique that helps.

Scheduled worry is used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The idea is to set aside time to worry during the day and then allow your mind to release those thoughts.

To start with scheduled worry time, consider following these steps:

  1. Set aside 15-30 minutes once a day to worry. Aim for a morning or early afternoon time slot so it doesn’t interfere with sleep.
  2. Write down your worries. Don’t try to solve any of the problems; just let the worries come out.
  3. If you start to worry outside of the scheduled worry time, remind yourself you will have time again to worry and don’t need to do so right away.
  4. At the end of one week, reflect on the worries you wrote down. Reflect on any patterns you notice.

Breathing is something you do every day — but done in specific ways, it can also be an invaluable tool to fall asleep fast.

Deep breathing may help you relax, clear your mind, and get set for a night of rest.

You can incorporate deep breathing into your sleep routine in different ways. You might want to start with a simple method that focuses on slow, even breaths:

  1. Lie down on your back.
  2. Place one hand on your stomach.
  3. Breathe in slowly.
  4. Hold your breath for a second when you feel your stomach rise.
  5. Exhale slowly.
  6. Repeat.

7 quick tips for staying asleep through the night

Getting to bed quickly is one thing — but can you stay asleep throughout the night? Here are some quick tips to help you avoid waking in the middle of the night:

  • Try to avoid alcohol before bed.
  • Consider limiting your caffeine intake before bedtime.
  • Put some thought into lighter meals before bed instead of large dinners.
  • Think about a comfortable room temperature for sleep — not too hot, not too cold.
  • Look into light-blocking tools like eyeshades, blackout screens, and darkened windows.
  • Reflect upon your sleeping and waking schedule; consistency even on weekends can help with sleep.
  • Consider recreating your bedroom as a sleep-only zone, with electronics kept elsewhere.

If you often have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you may want to speak with a medical professional specializing in wake-sleep cycles.

Before your appointment, consider keeping a sleep diary that lists the time it takes you to fall asleep. Note any questions you have for your health professional, including whether you might want to consider natural sleep remedies, therapy, or if medication is necessary.

Falling asleep faster often means longer and better rest. Consider combatting stress at bedtime through deep breathing, meditation, and scheduled worry time. White noise, a warm bath, writing, regular exercise, and limiting electronics may all help you get good sleep at night.