You are tired, you finally get under the covers… but you simply cannot fall asleep. You change position, check the time, flip your pillow and start thinking about everything you need to do the next day.
The harder you try to fall asleep, the further away sleep seems to get.
Occasionally having trouble falling asleep is common. Stress, irregular schedules, light, screens, caffeine or simply an environment that is not conducive to rest can all delay sleep.
There is, of course, no technique that can make you fall asleep instantly every time. However, certain habits can help create conditions that are more favourable to sleep.
Here are 10 tips to help you fall asleep faster, starting with what you can change before you even get into bed.
1. Keep Your Sleep Schedule as Regular as Possible
Our bodies are regulated in part by the circadian rhythm, an internal clock that helps control the natural cycle between wakefulness and sleep.
When your bedtime and, especially, your wake-up time constantly change, it can be more difficult to maintain regular sleep patterns.
Whenever possible, try to go to bed and wake up at relatively consistent times, even when your schedule changes.
The goal is not to watch the clock down to the minute, but rather to avoid constantly disrupting your usual rhythm.
2. Create a Real Transition Between Day and Night
Going straight from a busy day to “I need to sleep now” is not always easy.
A calm bedtime routine can create a transition and gradually signal that the day is coming to an end.
It can be very simple: take a shower, put on comfortable clothes, prepare your bedroom, read a few pages of a book or listen to something relaxing.
Consistency matters more than having an elaborate routine. The idea is simply to gradually associate certain habits with the period leading up to sleep.
3. Avoid Turning Your Bed Into a Second Sofa
Watching a series, working, answering emails, scrolling through social media or eating in bed: without really noticing, it is easy to spend a large part of the evening there.
However, if you regularly have difficulty falling asleep, it can be useful to reserve your bed for sleep as much as possible.
This can help strengthen the association between getting into bed and going to sleep, rather than between your bed and a wide range of stimulating activities.
4. Put Your Phone Away Before Bed
The problem with using your phone in the evening is not limited to the light from the screen.
One video leads to another, a message invites a reply, and a few minutes on social media can easily turn into much longer than expected.
The content itself can also keep your mind engaged or trigger emotions that are not particularly helpful when you are trying to wind down.
If you tend to lose track of time on your phone in bed, try setting a point in the evening when you put it away and keep it out of immediate reach.
We have also dedicated a full article to this question: is it really bad to sleep with your phone next to your bed?
5. Pay Attention to Caffeine Later in the Day
Coffee, tea, energy drinks and some soft drinks can contain caffeine, a stimulant whose effects can last for several hours.
Sensitivity varies considerably from one person to another: having a coffee later in the day will not necessarily affect everyone in the same way.
However, if you regularly struggle to fall asleep, it may be worth paying attention to when you have your last caffeinated drink and whether its timing seems to affect your nights.
6. Prepare a Bedroom That Encourages Sleep
We often think about our evening routine, but less about the environment in which we are actually trying to sleep.
A bedroom that is too bright, noisy or uncomfortable can make it harder to fall asleep. By contrast, a calm, dark environment with a temperature that feels comfortable to you can help create better conditions for the night.
The comfort of your bed also matters. A pillow suited to your preferences, a duvet that meets your needs and bed linen that feels comfortable can all contribute to a more pleasant sleep environment.
You can explore our Carré Blanc bed linen and our guide to choosing your bedding according to your sleeping habits and preferences.
What If You Are Already in Bed and Still Cannot Fall Asleep?
This is often when the frustrating cycle begins: checking the time, calculating how many hours are left before the alarm goes off, trying even harder to sleep… and feeling increasingly awake.
What Should You Do When You Cannot Fall Asleep Once You Are in Bed?
The bedroom is quiet, your phone is put away, the lights are off… but you are still wide awake.
This is often when falling asleep becomes a real concern. You check the time, calculate how many hours of sleep you have left and start trying even harder to make yourself fall asleep.
The problem? The more pressure you put on yourself to sleep, the more focused you may become on the fact that you are still awake.
Here are the rest of our tips for creating better conditions for sleep when you are already in bed.
7. Stop Checking the Time
It is 11:48 pm. Then 12:17 am. Then 12:42 am… and every time you look at the clock, the calculation starts again: “If I fall asleep now, I still have six hours left.”
This habit can increase the frustration and worry associated with not being able to sleep.
If you tend to check the time during the night, try positioning your alarm clock or phone so that you cannot constantly see the display.
You do not need to know exactly how many minutes you have been trying to fall asleep.
8. Use Your Breathing to Help You Slow Down
When you are trying to sleep but your mind is still very active, focusing on your breathing can give your attention something simple to return to.
You do not need to follow a complicated method or count every second precisely.
Simply get comfortable, breathe slowly and naturally, and try gently lengthening your exhalation without forcing it.
The aim is not to treat breathing as a technique that will automatically make you fall asleep within seconds, but rather as a way to shift your attention away from racing thoughts and encourage a calmer state.
9. Gradually Relax Your Body
You can be lying down while still holding a surprising amount of tension without even realising it: a clenched jaw, raised shoulders, tight hands or tense legs.
One simple technique is to gradually bring your attention to different areas of your body.
Start with your face and jaw, then move to your shoulders, arms, hands, abdomen and finally your legs. At each stage, simply notice any tension and allow that area to relax.
This approach, similar to progressive muscle relaxation, can help shift your attention towards physical sensations rather than remaining focused on the idea that you “have to sleep”.
10. If Sleep Really Is Not Coming, Do Not Stay in Bed Fighting It
It may sound counterintuitive, but sometimes the best way to approach sleep is to temporarily get out of bed.
If you feel that you have been awake for a while and your frustration is increasing, get up and move to another quiet place.
Choose a low-stimulation activity, such as reading a few pages under soft lighting. When you begin to feel sleepy again, return to bed.
The idea is not to start a second evening, switch on all your screens or begin a stimulating activity. It is simply to avoid gradually associating your bed with spending long periods awake and frustrated.
Create a soothing atmosphere with home fragrances
Your evening ritual is also shaped by the atmosphere you create in your bedroom. Soft lighting, comfortable bed linen and a delicate fragrance can help create a gentle transition from day to night. A scented candle or fragrance diffuser can bring a warmer, more relaxing feel to the room, depending on your preferences. At Carré Blanc, we have created a selection of home fragrances designed to complement your interior and turn your evening routine into a peaceful moment. Remember to extinguish any candle before going to sleep.
What About the Famous Two-Minute Sleep Technique?
Social media is full of methods that promise to make you fall asleep within seconds or minutes: specific breathing patterns, the so-called “military method”, visualisation and various relaxation techniques.
Some of these practices may help certain people relax. However, no method can guarantee that you will fall asleep in exactly two minutes.
Sleep is not a switch that can simply be turned on. If a breathing or relaxation technique helps you unwind, it can certainly become part of your bedtime routine. It is simply better not to turn it into another timed challenge.
What Can You Do When Your Thoughts Will Not Stop?
“I must not forget that tomorrow.” “Why did I say that earlier?” “I absolutely need to remember to send that email.”
For many people, thoughts seem to become louder precisely when everything else becomes quiet.
One simple approach is to write down tasks or concerns you do not want to forget before going to bed. Putting them on paper means you no longer need to keep rehearsing them mentally while trying to sleep.
Once you are in bed, instead of actively trying to “think about nothing” — which can be particularly difficult — gently bring your attention back to your breathing, physical sensations or a calm mental image.
Can Your Pillow Make It Harder to Fall Asleep?
A pillow alone cannot cause or solve difficulties with falling asleep. However, physical discomfort can make bedtime less comfortable.
Height, firmness, filling and sleeping position are all factors to consider when choosing a pillow that suits your preferences.
Someone who sleeps on their side will not necessarily have the same needs as someone who sleeps on their back or stomach.
Explore our selection of Carré Blanc pillows and our guide to choosing your bedding to better understand the different comfort criteria.
Can Feeling Too Hot Make It Harder to Sleep?
Temperature is one of the factors that can influence how comfortable you feel when trying to fall asleep.
If you regularly feel too warm under your duvet, it may be worth considering not only the temperature of your bedroom but also the warmth of your duvet and the characteristics of your bed linen.
Cotton percale, cotton sateen, cotton gauze, linen and washed cotton do not all provide the same feel or sleeping experience.
Your choice should above all reflect your preferences and the way you sleep. Explore our Carré Blanc bed linen to discover the different materials available.
What If These Tips Are Not Enough?
An occasional bad night is not the same as persistent sleep difficulties.
If you regularly have significant difficulty falling asleep, spend long periods awake on several nights, or your sleep problems have an important impact on your daytime life, it may be helpful to speak to a healthcare professional.
Healthy sleep habits can help create better conditions for rest, but they are not a substitute for appropriate care when an ongoing sleep disorder is present.
But How Long Should It Normally Take to Fall Asleep?
Should you worry if you do not fall asleep immediately? Is it normal to wake up during the night? And how can you tell the difference between simply going through a period of poor sleep and experiencing insomnia?
How Long Should It Normally Take to Fall Asleep?
It is easy to assume that a good night's sleep should begin almost as soon as your head touches the pillow. However, not falling asleep immediately is perfectly normal.
The transition from wakefulness to sleep naturally takes some time and can vary from one night to another. Stress, tiredness, your schedule, your environment and the events of the day can all influence how easily you fall asleep.
Rather than timing yourself every night, it is more useful to look at the bigger picture: do you regularly struggle to fall asleep? Does it happen repeatedly? Does it affect how you feel or function during the day?
Is It Normal to Wake Up During the Night?
Yes. A night's sleep is not necessarily one long, uninterrupted period that only ends when you wake up in the morning.
Brief awakenings can occur during the night and are not necessarily a problem, particularly if they are short and you fall back asleep easily.
However, frequent or prolonged awakenings that regularly affect the quality of your sleep or your daytime functioning deserve more attention.
Difficulty Sleeping or Insomnia: What Is the Difference?
Having a difficult night from time to time does not necessarily mean that you have insomnia.
Insomnia involves persistent difficulties with sleep. These can include trouble falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep or waking earlier than intended, together with effects on daytime functioning.
Context, frequency, duration and daytime consequences are therefore important. A healthcare professional can properly assess your individual situation and consider whether there may be other contributing factors.
If your sleep difficulties become regular, persist over time or significantly affect your daily life, it is better to speak to a healthcare professional rather than continually trying new tips found online.
Should You Go to Bed Earlier When You Cannot Sleep?
Not necessarily.
After several poor nights, it can be tempting to go to bed much earlier in an attempt to “catch up”. But going to bed when you are not yet sleepy can also mean spending more time awake in bed.
It is generally more useful to maintain relatively consistent sleep and wake times and pay attention to signs of sleepiness rather than trying to force yourself to sleep.
Can You Catch Up After a Bad Night's Sleep?
After a short night's sleep, it is normal to feel more tired the following day.
However, our need for sleep does not work like a simple counter that can immediately be reset by sleeping much longer the following night.
After an occasional bad night, focus on gradually returning to your usual routine rather than completely changing your sleep schedule.
Can Napping Make It Harder to Sleep at Night?
Not necessarily. A nap can be useful when you are temporarily short on sleep, but its timing and duration may affect how easily some people fall asleep later that evening.
If you notice that you find it more difficult to fall asleep after a long or late nap, this may be something worth adjusting.
As with many aspects of sleep, individual needs and responses can vary.
Is Comfortable Bedding Enough to Help You Sleep Better?
A comfortable bed cannot treat insomnia. However, the comfort of your sleep environment is one of the factors you can adjust.
A pillow that suits your preferences, a duvet that does not leave you feeling too hot or too cold, and bed linen with a feel you enjoy can all contribute to making bedtime more comfortable.
At Carré Blanc, you can explore our pillows, duvets and bed linen to create a sleep environment that suits your preferences.
What Bedtime Routine Can Help You Fall Asleep More Easily?
You do not need an elaborate hour-long routine with ten different steps.
A bedtime routine can remain very simple:
- gradually reduce stimulating activities towards the end of the evening;
- limit the time you spend on your phone around bedtime;
- prepare a calm and comfortable bedroom;
- keep your sleep schedule relatively consistent;
- choose a relaxing activity before bed;
- go to bed when you feel sleepy rather than trying to force sleep.
The most important thing is to find a realistic routine that you can follow consistently, rather than creating a perfect ritual that you abandon after a few days.
FAQ: How to Fall Asleep Faster
How Can You Fall Asleep Faster When You Cannot Sleep?
Try not to put pressure on yourself to fall asleep. Calm breathing, gradually relaxing your body and choosing a low-stimulation activity if you have been awake for a while can help create conditions that are more favourable to sleep.
Is There a Technique to Fall Asleep in Two Minutes?
There are many relaxation methods presented as ways to fall asleep within minutes, but none can guarantee that you will fall asleep within a specific amount of time. Some techniques may nevertheless help certain people relax.
Why Am I Tired but Unable to Sleep?
Feeling tired does not always mean that sleep will come immediately. Stress, racing thoughts, irregular schedules, caffeine, your environment and certain evening habits can all influence how easily you fall asleep.
What Can I Do When My Brain Will Not Stop Thinking at Night?
Writing down tasks or concerns that you do not want to forget before going to bed can be useful. Once in bed, you can also gently redirect your attention towards your breathing or physical sensations rather than actively trying to eliminate every thought.
Should I Stay in Bed If I Cannot Fall Asleep?
If you feel that you have been awake for a while and are becoming increasingly frustrated, it may be helpful to temporarily leave the bed, do something calm under soft lighting and return when you begin to feel sleepy again.
Is It Bad to Look at Your Phone Before Bed?
Using your phone can delay bedtime and keep your attention engaged through messages, videos, social media and other content. If you struggle to fall asleep, reducing phone use around bedtime may be worth trying.
What Is the Best Sleeping Position for Falling Asleep?
There is no single ideal sleeping position for everyone. Comfort depends on factors such as your body, personal preferences and bedding. The main goal is to find a position in which you can relax comfortably.
When Should You Speak to a Healthcare Professional About Sleep Problems?
If difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep become regular, persist over time or significantly affect your daytime life, it is advisable to speak to a healthcare professional.
Do Not Try to Force Sleep
When you desperately want to sleep, every minute spent awake can become another source of frustration. But sleep cannot simply be commanded.
Instead, focus on gradually creating conditions that support sleep: relatively consistent hours, less stimulation before bed, a comfortable bedroom and a routine that helps create a transition between your day and your night.
And because comfort is also part of your bedtime environment, explore our guide to choosing your bedding and our Carré Blanc bed linen collection to create a bed that suits your preferences.
