10 Proven Tips on How to Sleep Fast in 2 Minutes or 5 Minutes

Eating, sleeping, going to the toilet are all daily necessities that we cannot live without. And not being able to perform any one of them is truly a pain in the ass. But don’t worry, I’m not here to tell you 10 ways to shit better—I’ll leave that one to your doctor. Instead here are 10 Proven Tips on How to Sleep Fast in 2 Minutes or 5 Minutes, because Singaporeans are sadly one of the most sleep-deprived nations in the world.

Even with the pandemic, a global study found that it has affected the ability of 57% of Singaporeans to sleep well. Many were kept up at night by worries and stress of the current situation, their sleeping environment or their mobile devices.

So, dear reader, if you’re reading this at night, trying the 10 methods below are going to be rather counterintuitive.

But who am I to stop you?

So without further ado, here are 10 proven tips on how to sleep fast in 2 minutes or 5 minutes!

10 Proven Tips on How to Sleep Fast in 2 Minutes or 5 Minutes

Now, before we start, if you’d prefer to watch a video (to help you fall asleep because some people claim that our videos are that boring) instead, watch this to the end then:

Lowering The Temperature Of Your Room

This is a no-brainer. With how hot it has become lately, many of us are going to turn the aircon on at night to help ourselves cool down, if not sleep better.

But did you know that there is an optimal temperature to help you fall asleep?

According to some sleep researchers, the ideal temperature is anywhere from 15 degrees Celsius to 22 degrees Celsius for adults.

This is because cooler rooms help stimulate the production of melatonin, which encourages sleep!

Of course, the “correct” temperature is just a gauge and Singaporeans should probably set it to a comfortable level so as to not freeze to death at night.

Try Sleep Acupressure

Another thing you can try is some simple acupressure, which involves triggering specific pressure points that help you relax and quieten your mind.

Some points are:

• Windpool; the groove at the back of your head, usually where the hairline ends
• Spirit Gate; located on the crease of your inner wrist below your pinkie finger
• Inner Frontier Gate; just below the inner wrist, between the two tendons
• The Three Yin Intersection; on your inner leg just above the ankle
• Tai Chong; where the big toe and the next toe connect

Other spots include An Mian, the area behind your ear and Yin Tang, located between your eyebrows.

All you have to do is to apply consistent pressure to the spot using your fingers and rub in a circular motion for 2 to 3 minutes!

Different points have varying effects ranging from reducing insomnia to relaxing tensions and headaches.

So these will also come in useful if your boss is yelling at you.

Military Sleep Method

Apparently, this trick was successful in helping the US military fall asleep in 2 minutes even to background noises like gunshots!

Perhaps we’ll be able to combat the Koel bird’s cries with this.

First, get in a sitting position and relax all your muscles in your face, including your jaw. Next, relax your shoulders and arms, letting gravity pull them to the ground.

Breathe in and out as you do this, relaxing your chest and then your legs, all the way to your feet.

Then spend the next ten seconds clearing your mind as your body remains completely relaxed.

Afterwards, picture one of these scenarios: you’re lying in a canoe on a calm lake with nothing but a clear blue sky above you, or in a black velvet hammock in a pitch-black room.

Once you’re done, just crawl back into bed and fall into dreamland!

According to the army’s findings, it worked for 96% of people who had tried the technique for six weeks. So if you’re not in a rush to conk yourself out, why not try this tried-and-tested method?

Daydreaming

Another method you could try is something I’m sure we’re all familiar with. That’s right, daydreaming!

Remember all the boring times in school where they tried to teach you differentiation and you ended up halfway in space? If it gave you a peaceful and happy feeling, you might just be able to utilise your daydreaming, or rather night dreaming, powers to fall asleep!

Research has shown that many people have trouble falling asleep simply because they think about unwanted, stressful thoughts at night, just as many Singaporeans did in that survey.

One way to combat this is to practice visualisation or imagery when you get in bed!

Simply think of a calm scene in your mind or visualise yourself doing something positive to rid of any negative thoughts. Let it ease your mind and before you know it, you’ll be asleep.

Get A Weighted Blanket

Speaking of calming yourself down, if you’re an insomniac with anxiety, a weighted blanket might be helpful in relaxing yourself even further.

Just think about how babies usually calm down when they’re swaddled in a blanket! Though we might have grown up, the same soothing feeling applies.

The pressure from the weighted blanket may trigger your nervous response system to lower your heart rate and breathing when you’re anxious, lulling you to sleep. It also stimulates the release of serotonin in your brain and oxytocin in your body, aiding with sleep.

But before you go and open Shopee, make sure the blanket weighs no more than 10% of your body weight. You wouldn’t want to get squashed and suffocated by the weight and heat, would you?

Unless you want to sleep forever, that is.

Try Not To Fall Asleep

If nothing works, maybe doing the opposite is the answer! I mean, things don’t always go the way we plan.

Ahem, travel bubbles ahem…

But anyway, the principle of paradoxical intention basically involves you telling yourself to stay awake, instead of thinking about going to sleep.

Simple!

One study even found that doing so actually reduced anxiety and the effort needed to fall asleep.

If staring into the dark makes your mind go wild with imagination, you could also put a meditative podcast, an audiobook or even some calming noises!

Put On White Noise/ASMR

Falling asleep in the afternoon heat, to the sound of the whirring fans and vehicles driving by is the best kind of naps. And if you find that the background noise is what lulls you to sleep, then maybe white noise could help your woes!

These sounds help to mask any inconsistent loud noises in your sleeping environment and allow you to relax, drifting off to sleep!

White noise helps create a blanket of sound to prevent any interruption to your sleep and is also effective for those who do not like to sleep in a completely silent environment.

As for ASMR, which stands for autonomous sensory meridian response, it can provide a tingling sensation that helps people relieve their stress, eventually falling asleep! ASMR has also been found to reduce pain and improve one’s mood!

Listen To Ed Sheeran Songs

If white noise doesn’t help, you could also try listening to calming music to fall asleep.

And who cares about classical music; you should play “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran to help you get your 8 hours of restful sleep.

Yes, we’re not kidding! Spotify actually said that his song was the most frequently added song to sleep playlists created by users.

Apart from the English singer’s popular tune, if you want to choose some songs to fall asleep to, look for those with 60 to 80 beats per minute (BPM). This is because such songs follow the resting heart rate, allowing you to relax and fall asleep while listening to them.

Using this website, it seems that Akon’s “Smack That” remix is perfectly set at 60 BPM. Not the best for sleeping, I suppose?

Aromatherapy

Especially useful during Singapore’s haze season, aromatherapy can also be an effective way for you to not only sleep faster but to get a higher quality of sleep.

As the name suggests, it involves the use of essential oils to help you relax!

All you need to do is to get a diffuser, pick a few scents that are to your liking and you’re basically ready to go!

If you’re having trouble choosing what’s good for you, some popular scents include lavender, damask rose, peppermint, as well as lemon and orange blends.

Load Up On Carbs At Night

The last way is something I’m sure all of us have been doing from young, which is to eat carbs at night.

Studies have shown that eating starchy foods at least four hours before bed helps to raise the blood sugar in our body, allowing sleep to come faster! So don’t be afraid to chow down that portion of rice during dinner time.

Of course, moderation is key, so don’t go crazy with consuming carbs too close to bedtime, if not you might be able to sleep well but would have to face Type 2 Diabetes instead.

In addition, eating spicy foods before bed can cause indigestion and stomach pains, which obviously means you’ll spend your time sleeping in the toilet instead.

And that’s not very fun when you need to get up early.

Hopefully, these few tips and tricks will allow you to get a more peaceful, uninterrupted night’s rest.

Featured Image: releon8211 / Shutterstock.com