Listen To A Podcast.

This is going to sound a bit odd, but sometimes listening to podcasts help me fall asleep.

Yes, it is a struggle getting your headphones or earbuds situated just the right way and more often than not, I wake up tangled in the cord, but listening to a podcast helps put my mind to sleep.

Before I fall asleep, my mind has the tendency to wander and think about anything from stuff happening in my life to the wording of a sentence I previously wrote, so having something to focus on keeps my mind in one place and, eventually, allows it to fall asleep.

I listen to a variety of podcasts in my day to day life, but when it comes to putting me to sleep, I listen to any Planet Money episode from NPR. I had to listen to a couple of episodes for one of my classes back in high school and since then, I have been hooked.

Don't Take A Shower Right Before You Sleep

I love to shower at night and I know this contradicts the tip I just gave, but hear me out.

Just because you shower at night doesn't mean you have to shower right before you sleep.

Taking a shower typically wakes me up, which is not practical if you are trying to sleep.

So, I try to take a shower one to two hours before I go to sleep. This way, I won't have the shower's effect of waking me up negatively impact me while I'm trying to fall asleep.

Try To Go To Bed At The Same Time Every Night

When your sleep cycle is disrupted, your body could have trouble falling asleep when you want it to.

To combat this, I try to go to bed at the same time every night.

There will obviously be nights when you can't keep to your typical bedtime routine, but try to keep it consistent to the best of your ability. Your body will thank you.

​Drink Water Before Going To Sleep

I don't really know why this works, but for some reason, drinking a bottle of water before getting in bed helps me fall asleep.

If you're prone to muscle cramps or anything of the sort, drinking water before bed will allow you to stay hydrated and stay asleep so you aren't woken up by those terrible charley horses.

Make Yourself Do Some Work

If you're not going to sleep, you might as well try to be productive and get some stuff done.

It's funny because either you'll get tired from working, or you'll make yourself fall asleep to avoid doing any more.

Just try reading a chapter from your textbook.

Works every time.