How to Fall Asleep Naturally [VIDEO]

Not a fan of taking sleeping pills because you’re afraid you won’t wake up in the morning? Me too. Here are a few ways to fall asleep the natural way. 

I get very keyed up during the day and sometimes I have a difficult time falling asleep at night. I gave up caffeinated coffee and have switched to decaf and that helped a lot, but there are a few other things we can do to help us fall asleep naturally.

 Bubbles...Take Me Away

One of my favorites (if you can find the time) is to take a nice hot bubble bath. Sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus says your body’s core temperature will rise in the bath and when it begins to fall after you get out, that signals your brain to make the sleep hormone melatonin. Using a lightly scented bubble bath like one with lavendar and vanilla aromatherapy can really speed things up. The bubbles also act as an insulator to keep the water hotter longer.

Noisy Sleep Environment

If outside noise like street traffic, snoring or a TV going in another room is keeping you awake, try a white noise machine. They’re like $20 bucks and have a variety of different noises to block out whatever noise is keeping you awake. Ocean waves, a gentle thunderstorm, a waterfall and a heartbeat are just a few “calming” sounds to help you drift off to dreamland. I know when I lived in apartments, there were people coming and going at all times of the day and night, so I needed something to block out the noise as best I could. I just went with my floor fan that sounds like a jet engine, but that low din was just what I needed.

Lullabye...And Goodnight

Lullabyes aren’t just for babies. Listening to gentle music before sleep can help you drift off a little quicker. I’m a fan of classical music to help get relaxed. There are several pieces in the 60 to 80 beats per minute area that are fantastic to listen to while you wind down. There was a study done by the Journal of Advanced Nursing that says older adults who reported sleep problems were asked to listen to relaxing music before they went to bed and over a third of them reported drastic improvement in relaxation after listening to 45 minutes of music before bed.

Is This The Most Relaxing Song of All Time?

If all else fails, melatonin is an herbal supplement that’s used to regulate your circadian rhythms – aka your sleep/wake cycle. For more information on that, click HERE.

Do You Have Any Sure-Fire Tricks to Help You Fall Asleep?