How to Fall Asleep Faster

The short version

Trouble falling asleep, waking in the night or waking too early is very common. For most people the first step is small changes to routine, light and timing, not a product. [1] If problems last for months or hurt your daytime life, there are well-tested treatments, and it is worth seeing a clinician. [2]

On this site, evidence is labeled in plain terms: established recommendation (backed by a major guideline or health agency), promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence, and preclinical (animal or lab only). Everything in the first list below is an established recommendation from health agencies.

Habits that health agencies recommend

• Keep regular times. Going to bed and getting up at similar times each day, even on days off, helps your body know when to sleep. [1] The US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute suggests limiting the difference between weeknights and weekends to about an hour. [3]
• Wind down. Try to avoid phones, tablets and computers for an hour before bed, and use the time for something calming such as reading or listening to music. [1]
• Watch caffeine, nicotine and alcohol. Caffeine effects can last up to 8 hours. [3] Alcohol can make it easier to fall asleep but tends to make sleep lighter, so you are more likely to wake in the night. [4] See Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and sleep.
• Make the bedroom quiet, dark and cool. [3] See Sleep hygiene: routines, light and bedroom.
• Be active in the day. Regular activity can help sleep; if exercise close to bedtime keeps you awake, move it earlier. [1]
• Do not force sleep. If you are still awake after around 20 minutes, get up, sit somewhere comfortable and do something quiet, then go back to bed when you feel sleepy. [1]
• Park your worries. Writing a to-do list for the next day before bed can help clear your mind. [1]

Staying asleep and getting back to sleep

Waking up often during the night is the most common insomnia symptom and affects mostly older adults. Waking too early and not getting back to sleep is also common. [5] The same habits apply. Common contributors include noise, a room that is too hot or cold, stress, and alcohol or caffeine. [2]

If you wake repeatedly with gasping or loud snoring, or your legs feel uncomfortable at night, the cause may be a separate condition. See Sleep apnea and Restless legs syndrome.

Waking feeling rested

Experts recommend 7 to 9 hours a night for adults. [6] Some people who feel tired in the day have a true sleep disorder, while others are not allowing enough time for sleep. [7] Keeping a sleep diary for a week or two can show which it might be. [8] To understand what is happening during the night, see How sleep works.

Sleep aids from the pharmacy

Pharmacy sleep products may contain valerian or lavender, or an antihistamine. They cannot cure insomnia, may help you sleep better for 1 to 2 weeks, should not be taken for longer, and can cause drowsiness. [2] See Natural sleep aids compared and Medicine interactions before combining products.

Where to go next

• Lasting trouble: Insomnia and CBT-I.
• Supplements: Melatonin and Magnesium.
• Calming techniques: Relaxation, breathing and mindfulness for sleep.
• Daytime sleepiness: Narcolepsy and hypersomnia.
• Body-clock problems: Delayed sleep, shift work and jet lag.
• Night behaviors: Parasomnias, Sleep paralysis and Teeth grinding.
• Life stages: Sleep at different life stages.
• Evidence: Sleep research and evidence.

When to get help

See a doctor if changing your habits has not helped, you have had trouble sleeping for months, or it is making daily life hard to cope with. [2] Do not drive when you feel sleepy. [2] See Sleep safety and when to get help.