4 Tips to Fall Asleep Faster and Stay Asleep Longer

There is nothing worse than not being able to fall asleep at the end of a long day. But by making a few changes to your daily routine, you can fall asleep faster and sleep longer.

Here are 4 habits to consider if you struggle to fall and stay asleep:

1 — Create a consistent sleep schedule: Your body naturally wants to get up when the sun rises and go to bed when the sun sets. But for most people, this is unrealistic. We have commitments after the sun goes down that force us to stay awake. Assuming you can’t go to bed immediately after the sun goes down, go to bed at the same time every night.

2 — Stop trying to “make up sleep”: Sleeping in to make up lost sleep does less for your body than you think it does. Over the short term, it might make you feel good. But over the long term, it’s better to prioritize consistent sleep and wake times.

3 — Create a morning routine: A thoughtful morning routine does wonders for your sleep. Here are two habits to consider for your morning routine: 1) Getting 10 to 30 minutes of early-morning sun exposure and 2) Delaying caffeine 90 minutes after waking. These habits help your body manage cortisol production, the hormone that acts as a natural wake-up signal for your body.

4 — Avoid caffeine after 12 PM: There’s nothing better than a late afternoon coffee to get you through the rest of the day. The problem is it can really mess with your sleep. According to the FDA, the half-life of caffeine is between four and six hours. In other words, 6 hours after drinking a caffeinated beverage, half of the caffeine you consumed is still in your body.

If you struggle to fall asleep at night, try these 4 tips to fall asleep faster and sleep longer.