How To Get To Sleep In 5 Minutes (8 Effective Ways)

Sleeping is one of our natural ways to renew our body and mind. With the fast-paced world and the interventions from smartphones, it’s becoming more and more difficult for many people to sleep. This is why we need to know the 8 effective ways to get to sleep in 5 minutes.

Many studies show that the average amount of time that a person should fall asleep is about 10 to 20 minutes. If you are able to sleep 10 to 15 minutes once you lay down, that would mean that your sleep latency is good and it will lead to a night of more efficient sleep.

However, if you are unable to sleep within 20 minutes from your head hitting the pillow, it may lead to more difficulty in sleeping and lesser efficiency.

Getting to sleep in 5 minutes sounds difficult especially if you have trouble sleeping. Some of the things that you can do are by shutting down all the lights, removing all smartphones and devices, having a firm mattress, meditating, and more.

In this article, we will discuss the reasons why you can’t sleep and the ways how you can get to sleep in 5 minutes.

Reasons Why You Can’t Get to Sleep

If you’re one of the people who’s having a hard time falling asleep as soon as you hit your bed, then these could be some of the reasons for it.

1. Irregular sleeping patterns.

When you take unscheduled afternoon naps, do all-nighters, and do lazy lie-ins, there’s a good chance that you will have a hard time sleeping at night. An irregular sleep routine can ruin your body clock. 

2. Struggling to relax.

If you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or overstretched, your body will have a hard time shutting off which can lead to difficulty in sleeping. 

3. Stressing out your time of sleep.

One of the many reasons why people experience difficulty in sleeping is because they tend to watch the clock and overthink why they are having a hard time sleeping which then leads to more tossing and turning in the bed. 

4. Having a bedtime drink.

Two of the worst drinks to take before you sleep are alcohol and caffeine. If you drink alcohol or caffeine before you sleep and you notice that it can interfere with your sleep rather than make you feel relaxed, then maybe it’s about time to stop taking these drinks and you may see new results. 

5. Checking your sleep environment.

You may not notice it, but your sleep environment can impact your will to sleep. You may notice that your bedroom is too hot, your mattress is uncomfortable, the light isn’t dim enough, or your room is a mess. 

8 Ways to Get to Sleep in 5 Minutes

If you’ve been struggling to sleep quickly for a long time, you may think that sleeping in 5 minutes is an impossible task. There are 8 proven and tested ways for you to sleep as fast as 5 minutes.

1. Create a dark and comfortable environment

One of the best ways to start your 5-minute sleep journey is by dimming or turning off your lights and creating a somewhat cold room.

Scientists suggest that, following what cavemen did years ago by sleeping in total darkness and cold temperatures, can make you fall asleep faster. 

Having artificial lights in your room when you’re about to sleep can tamper with the quality of your sleep and disrupt your biological clocks.

Using eye masks, blackout shades, and getting rid of any electronics can help you sleep faster. Start to dim out your lights 30 minutes before the time that you want to sleep.

2. Getting the right firmness of your mattress

There’s no “one size fits all” when it comes to mattresses. Different people have different body mechanics, sleeping positions, activity levels, and other factors that determine the right firmness of the mattress for you to sleep faster and more efficiently.

If you want to experience the best night’s rest, make sure to get the right mattress for your body and sleeping type.

There are 5 different types of mattresses according to Amerisleep. AS5 is the softest mattress that’s ideal for people who sleep on their side or combo sleepers that prefer to sleep with more pressure on their shoulders and hips.

Whereas AS1 is the firmest mattress that’s ideal for back and stomach sleepers.

3. Meditate

Meditating helps you create an effective breathing pattern that affects your muscle tension, regulates your heart rate, provides motivation, and autonomic nervous system that helps you relax. Here’s a quick method that you can do:

• While inhaling and exhaling, place the tip of your tongue against the ridge which is behind your upper teeth throughout the exercise.
• Via your mouth, exhale completely like blowing out a candle.
• Close your mouth and inhale through your nose up to the count of four (4).
• Hold your breath for seven (7) counts.
• Do step 2 by exhaling completely like blowing out a candle.

4. Practice a bedtime ritual

Practicing certain activities before going to sleep can help you sleep faster when done repeatedly.

Some of the things that you can do are by reading a book, taking a warm bath, doing some breathing exercises for 10-30 minutes, listening to soft music, or massaging your head with oil.

Some people also eat bedtime snacks like almonds, bananas, warm milk, and chamomile tea for them to sleep easier.

5. Avoiding unscheduled nap times

Late day naps, especially after 3 PM and longer than 30 minutes, can make it more difficult for you to sleep at night.

Doing late evening exercises can also cause difficulty in sleeping. For you to sleep faster, make sure to do regular physical exercise activities and avoid sleeping in the afternoon.

6. Stick to a sleeping schedule

Another way for you to sleep in 5 minutes is by deciding on the best sleeping and wake-up time for you and sticking to it. Consistency in doing both of these things is one of the key factors for you to succeed in this goal.

7. Do not use your bed for other activities

One of the mistakes of other people is doing activities on their bed other than sleeping and having sex. Make sure that you do not eat on your bed, exercise, work on your laptop or even read so that your body will learn to associate bed with rest and sleep.

8. Sleep when you’re feeling sleepy

When it’s close to your bedtime schedule and you’re already feeling sleepy, make sure that you follow what your body is telling you to do is sleep. Once you avoid doing so, your body will delay its sleep onset and you’ll have a hard time sleeping later the night.

Conclusion

Struggling to sleep is normal, but what’s not normal is experiencing this every night for a long time. If you want to change your habit of not sleeping as soon as you lay down, you can do the 8 ways we’ve mentioned above.

Not only will you experience sleeping fast, but you will also notice that your sleep is more sound and you’ll feel efficient by the morning.