How To Fall Asleep Faster & Stay Asleep Longer

Struggling with sleep? We’d say join the club, but honestly getting a good night's sleep is sort of what we’re all about. We want to help you get the same great sleep we do!

Too often “how-to” articles like this one turn an easy way to soak up useful information into a long list of tasks that you either must do or can’t do. We’re not really about that; we’re more into supporting you in your pursuit of knowledge. That’s why we came up with these pro tips and best practices for how to get a better night’s sleep!

There’s a good chance you’re here because you googled “how to stay asleep longer” or “how to fall asleep faster.” And if you did that, then chances are equally high that you need some help in the sleep department. We’re happy to help, but you should know that this guide on how to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer is not a cut-and-dry list of things you can and can’t do.

This article is divided into two sections where we’ll discuss three pro tips (habits you should try and limit), and three best practices (habits you should try adding to your daily routine). Spoiler alert, our number one way to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer is by sleeping on a PerformaSleep mattress!

PRO TIP #1
Try Eliminating Blue Light From Your Bedtime Routine

The general consensus in the medical community is that artificial blue light, i.e. the light found in smartphones, TVs, and fluorescent lights, negatively impacts sleep. According to The Sleep Foundation “Blue light suppresses the body’s release of melatonin…[thus] disrupting circadian rhythms.” Stopping all blue light usage a full hour before bedtime is a best practice according to the National Library of medicine. While the jury is still out on how much impact blue light plays on poor sleep quality, but the correlation is definitely there.

PRO TIP #2
Try Limiting Your Daily Caffeine Intake

It’s very possible that that mid-afternoon laté is having a negative effect on your healthy sleep habits. According to AASM Sleep Education “caffeine can delay the timing of your body clock. reduc[ing] your total sleep time [and] the amount of deep sleep that you enjoy.” While the normal half-life of caffeine is 6 hours, the truth is that caffeine affects everyone differently. If you’re a caffeine drinker try limiting your intake to 100mg per day or less and don’t have caffeine within 8 hours of bedtime.

PRO TIP #3
Cut Down On The Junk Food

Unfortunately for your tastebuds, healthy eating has a lot of benefits, and one of them is better sleep. According to a study conducted by The National Library Of Medicine “A lack of key nutrients is associated with sleep problems [and poor] diet affects hormonal pathways involved in sleep.” We’re not saying you can’t indulge in the occasional dessert or enjoy that cheat meal you look forward to all week, we’re just reminding you to generally eat healthy to provide your body with the nutrients it needs to produce the proper sleep hormones.

Best Practice #1
Participate In A Regular Exercise Routine

Let’s be real – exercise is hard for a lot of reasons. First, there’s finding the time; who has it!? Second, there’s the actual working up a sweat thing. Working out is legitimately difficult physically. It makes you sweat, it makes you hot, it makes you tired…ooooohhhh!

Working out is vital for deep, restful sleep. In fact, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine “Recent research indicates that exercise decreases sleep complaints and insomnia [and] the effects of aerobic exercise on sleep appear to be similar to those of sleeping pills.” There ya go…vigorous exercise is the key to a good night’s sleep, plain and simple.

Best Practice #2
Incorporate Stretching Into Your Nightly Routine

According to Healthline “Stretching helps to relieve muscle tension…which has been shown to help promote better sleep.” It is not just the physical act of stretching that helps promote deep, restful sleep, there are mental benefits too.

Many people use their stretching time to simultaneously pray or meditate. Including a mental reset like prayer and meditation into the harmonious meditative movement of stretching is an excellent way to quiet the mind while you quiet your body.

Best Practice # 3
Invest In A PerformaSleep Mattress

Your body is never going to get its best night's sleep until you find the best mattress for you. Remember that story The Princess And The Pea? Turns out we’re all a little more like that princess than we care to admit. Sure you can FEEL comfortable in any run-of-the-mill memory foam mattress, but there’s a difference between feeling comfortable and BEING comfortable.

PerformaSleep mattresses are 11” thick to cradle your body and promote deep, restful sleep. Plus, our mattresses are made with copper, which works to help with physical recovery during sleep.Whether you’re an athlete, a fitness enthusiast, or just trying to incorporate a little more exercise, the natural copper used in the top layer of PerformaSleep mattresses promotes a cleaner, cooler, and more rejuvenating sleep.

WRAPPING UP
This was fun, but honestly, we’re a little tired. Hopefully, this list of suggested pro tips and best practices helps make you tired for the right reasons so you can enjoy a deeper, more restful slumber. While we were happy to help you find some ways to get yourself into that sleepy sweet spot, what we’re really interested in is helping you experience the best night's sleep you’ve ever had. These tips will help, but sleeping on a PerformaSleep mattress will be a dream come true. Stop putting up with a bad night’s sleep. If you’re tired of being tired, PerformaSleep is here to help.

SOURCES: