Falling asleep can sometimes be tricky. We are constantly go go go, and to ask the human body to suddenly rest on command can be difficult if our brain is stimulated and telling us otherwise. There are also situations where you fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, but you are still waking up exhausted in the morning. The three steps below are a great starting point for anyone looking to improve the quality of their sleep. I tell every one of my clients that your day starts the night before! Set yourself up for a successful day by prioritizing your sleep performance. Start by incorporating the 3 easy ways to fall asleep fast into your routine.

1. Biological Clock

We all have one and when it is strong and healthy it produces melatonin to make us sleepy and cortisol to wake us up in the morning. The best way to get a strong biological clock is to go to bed and wake up at the same time every single day (even the weekends). Set a bedtime and stay within a half an hour of that time each night. With consistent practice you will start to feel drowsy and tired around that bedtime. This is your natural melatonin being released because your body knows what to expect. Waking up in the morning at the same time will have your body producing cortisol, the hormone that helps you feel alert. As I said above, with consistency you will be able to wake without an alarm clock because your body can predict when you need to feel energized. Exposure to light right when you wake up is another way to kickstart cortisol production.

2. No Technology.

At least one hour before bed all technology should be turned off. The common need to “unwind” with television and mindless scrolling actually does the opposite of that. Blue light tricks the body into thinking it is daytime and blocks the production of melatonin. Not to mention technology is very stimulating, which will keep you from getting into deep and REM sleep. This can even mean you might get 8 hours of sleep and still wake up feeling tired. When the brain is stimulated from technology you will have poor quality sleep, spending little time in REM and deep sleep.

3. Caffeine Cutoff.

Caffeine affects people differently. Some people can have a cup of coffee and fall asleep. The difference is the quality of the sleep. Caffeine tricks the body into thinking it isn’t tired and can remain in the body for up to 8 hours after consumption. So even if you can fall asleep after a cup of coffee, or feel tired 4 hours after drinking caffeine, you will have disruptive, poor quality sleep. The caffeine is still present in your system and will keep you from entering REM and deep sleep for long periods of time. Depending on the person and bedtime you should give yourself at least 8 hours between your last cup of caffeine and the time you go to sleep.

The Sleep Tracking Test.

Test out these 3 easy ways to fall asleep fast by tracking your sleep. The human body is incredible and when you wake up having low energy, it is telling you that you aren’t getting the restorative sleep that you need. When you do have a poor night of sleep, think back on your day and evening. Jot down in a journal or notebook:

• What did you eat or drink the day before (make sure to track the time as well)? 
• What did you do before bed? 
• How many hours of sleep did you get? 
• Was it restorative sleep? 
• How do you feel energy wise?
• How many hours of sleep did you get versus restorative sleep?
• What was your Resting Heart Rate after a night of drinking?

Tracking your sleep and experimenting with what works for your body and what affects a good night’s sleep is like an inside view of ALL that our bodies do while we sleep. Data is always great to have and how the body restores itself during sleep is incredible. How our society impairs proper sleep is so common, that unless you see it for yourself in your data … you most likely won’t believe it. Start tracking with your apple, garmin, whoop, oura ring, there are so many ways! I personally used whoop for years and now I have a Garmin watch. Both work great! If you don’t want a band on your wrist at night the oura ring is a great option.

Sleep is when the whole body repairs itself.

If you are feeling low energy everyday, start doing the 3 steps above and prioritizing your sleep. If you are sleep deprived or have no idea where to start, hiring a FED Coach would also be helpful. Sleep is the foundation to all health, and it will affect every part of the body. All of our hormones, cells, brain, muscle tissue, immune system, EVERYTHING relies on us sleeping and repairing each night. One night of poor sleep … no big deal, that happens! Repeatedly not prioritizing your body’s rest can lead to HUGE health issues in the future. Not to mention, who wants to feel tired each day?!

The most common daily health issues we see with lack of sleep:

Anxiety

Weight gain

Hormone imbalance

Depression

Lack of focus

Unproductive

Impatience

Weak immune system

Low energy

Future Chronic Health Conditions:

Heart Disease

Alzheimer’s Disease

Dementia

Cancer (one night of sleep deprivation reduces cancer fighting cells by 70%. No joke.)

High Blood Pressure 

Stroke

Obesity

Depression

Start Small.

At FED Coaching we are all about sustainable health. Jolting your body with crazy diets and unrealistic expectations is never our goal! Take the 3 steps above and gradually incorporate them into your routine. This can look like no technology 15 minutes before bed to start, or cutting off caffeine at 2pm instead of 4pm. Keep it realistic to what your life is now! Baby steps! Also keep in mind it takes up to 6-weeks for a biological clock and habits to develop and stick. In my experience it takes 3-6 months to really see results in your sleep practice. Stay consistent and you will see enormous changes in your health! 50 to 70 million Americans have disordered sleeping, let’s change this! All of our coaching programs include a customized sleep plan.

Learn more about adult sleep on the blog post “Sleep and how it works.”. Have a child that isn’t sleeping through the night or has a hard time falling asleep? FED offers free resources through the blog here and customizes children’s sleep programs to your child’s needs and unique family unit. Contact us today!