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Sleep is a biological necessity for every human being, so it shouldn’t be difficult. However, for some people, falling asleep is a challenge, no matter how tired they are.

Experts offer some advice for good sleep hygiene that lays the foundation for falling asleep. These include maintaining a regular sleep schedule, a consistent bedtime routine, dimming lights, avoiding screens late at night, getting early sunlight, and basic health habits like exercise, eating well, and not smoking.

That’s all well and good, but what if you’re actually lying in bed, the lights are off, and you just can’t fall asleep because your body is buzzing or your mind is racing?

Here are a few simple tricks that can help you get to sleep better. Some tricks are physical, others are mental, so what sounds helpful depends on what’s keeping you from falling asleep. As with most things, different things work for different people, so it’s worth experimenting with a few of them. But here are a few tricks that people on Reddit swear by for falling asleep quickly.

Listen to boring bedtime stories

“There’s a podcast on Spotify called ‘Not Much Happens: Bedtime Stories to Help You Sleep’. Each episode is about half an hour long, but the narrator tells the story twice, and at a slower pace the second time. I’m really curious how she tells the story slower, but I never made it to the second half. Sometimes I try to concentrate and promise myself that I’ll remember the story when I wake up the next morning. But I can’t remember anything. Not much happens, so it’s extremely boring and my brain shuts down pretty quickly.”

“There’s also an episode called ‘I Can’t Sleep’ where the host reads random articles from the internet, mostly Wikipedia pages. His voice is incredibly soothing and I rarely make it past the first 15 minutes of an episode.”

“‘Sleep with Me’ podcast by Scooter. Same concept as all the others. But wow! There are a lot of sleep podcasts!!”

Invent your own bedtime story

“When I was younger, I suffered from severe insomnia and the only thing that seemed to help me was to imagine a story. I would decide on the setting, the premise, the characters and start making it all up. Basically, I would start the dream process. Within minutes, I would fall asleep.”

“This has been my trick for years… I’m not even that creative, I’ve probably restarted the same 3 or 4 stories hundreds of times but never got anywhere close to the end.”

“I scrolled and scrolled because I knew I’d find something like this. I make up crazy stuff. Sea levels rise 100 feet and I’ve built a bunker and have to rescue people I know. Lead singer of a killer band. Quarterback of a team. I invented a machine that does your daily grooming while you sleep. Just weird shit. Usually out in a few minutes.”

Create an alphabetical list

“I try to think of 5 names with each letter. I usually fall asleep on K or L.”

“I do this with animals: aardvarks, antelopes, etc. I usually fall asleep at B or C.”

“I also choose a category. Countries, cities, street names, etc. and go through the alphabet.”

“It’s foolproof for me. I’ve never managed to go through the whole alphabet.”

Imagine you are on a boat or in a hammock

“The boating technique. A military friend told me about it when he was stationed in Mali. Imagine sitting in a small boat on a stream that flows through a forest, with the treetops above you and the sun shining through, or floating on a lake under a starry sky. Let yourself drift.”

“I figured out the boat thing myself when I was a kid, except it was a raft on very gentle waves. And the Scooby Gang hung out with me.”

“Sometimes I imagine myself lying in a hammock in the rainforest with different animals snuggling around me and on top of me. I love animals, so this is supposed to relax me and make me feel safe. I use a weighted blanket and try to imagine different animals draped over my legs to justify the weight of the blanket.”

“Imagine yourself hanging in a hammock between two palm trees on a beach at night, focusing on the waves and electricity enveloping your body from each palm.”

Breathe – but very, very slowly

“Breathe. Slow, conscious breathing. Count the same amount as you breathe in and out. And try to relax your muscles with each exhalation. I just do it over and over again. It usually works.”

“I wanted to tell you this. Breathing exercises changed my life <3. I started doing them after I lost my dad and couldn't sleep because of depression. I read about them and was like, uh, what nonsense, but I tried them and then... I woke up the next morning?! I've been doing them for 7 years now. Even my boyfriend asks, how the hell can you pass out in 10 minutes?! Inhale... Exhale... Think of nothing but the breaths, feel the oxygen level in your blood increasing, think of your veins running up and down your whole body. How your muscles relax in bed... the pillow is so soft... inhale... exhale."

“My trick is similar: I breathe in as deeply as possible, then hold my breath for as long as possible and then breathe out as slowly as possible. I never needed more than three repetitions to fall asleep. The heart rate slows down and the brain calms down pretty quickly.”

“I breathe super slowly to a count of 10 and then force my left arm to relax and not move from that point on, as if I had turned it off. Then I do the same with my right arm, then left leg, and right and left. Then I do the upper body and finally try to turn my head off. I’ve heard Marines use a similar technique to fall asleep.”

More specifically, the 4-7-8 breathing technique

“When I really need to sleep, I use the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds. It usually works like a charm.”

“I swear by the 4-7-8 breathing technique. Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and breathe out for 8 seconds. Works wonderfully! 😴”

“I breathe in a 4:7:8 rhythm: inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale for 8 seconds. Count at a rate that is comfortable for you. From what I understand, it is the ratio that matters, not the duration. This breathing pattern affects the oxygen levels in your brain in a way that puts you in the parasympathetic activation state (sometimes called ‘rest and digest mode’).”

Tensing and relaxing the muscles (also called “progressive relaxation”)

“Progressive relaxation. Tuck your toes, breathe in for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 5 seconds, then relax as you breathe out. Then your calves, then your thighs, your butt, your core, etc.”

“Focus on one muscle group. Be it feet, calves, thighs, and just work your way up. Tighten your muscles as hard as you can, get the adrenaline pumping. And after a while, relax. Slowly work your way up to your head and face. You can feel the waves of calm flowing over each section as they relax.”

“My father taught me something similar. While lying down, imagine creating a wave with your body by gently imagining that you are applying pressure to your sleeping position, starting with your head, then your shoulders, then your back, then your legs, and finally your feet. I sleep on my side, so I go to the head, shoulders, hips, knees, and then your feet.”

Hopefully trying out some of these tricks will help you figure out what helps you fall asleep easier and faster. Sweet dreams, everyone!