Sleep. It’s technically a daily habit that should come naturally to us. Yet somehow, it’s so hard to get it right.
One night you’re tossing and turning for hours, hoping that your mind will eventually shut down. The next, you’re asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, sleeping through your alarm and spending all day in a haze. There’s nothing worse than trying to plow through a full day at work when all you want to do is crawl under your desk and steal a nap.
Fortunately, we have plenty of advice to help you fall asleep—and fast—so that all of your hours on the pillow actually count.
Without further ado, sleep hacks for (almost!) every situation:
Getting to bed on time and creating a restful, happy place is something you can control, so why not give it a try? It’ll only take a few extra minutes (if that).
The smallest changes can sometimes create a big impact. No really, your eyes will seriously thank you for this one.
If you’ve resigned yourself to not getting all of the shut-eye your body actually needs—and are in denial about it, even while yawning—this is for you.
A few quick tips from Gretchen Rubin, noted expert on all things involving habits and happiness.
If you’re a podcast junkie and don’t yet know about this one, you’re seriously missing out. Tune in when reading to fall asleep fails you.
And if a sleep-inducing podcast doesn’t do the trick, we have plenty of other tried-and-true methods for you to try on for size.
Sometimes science is the answer to falling asleep—and no, we’re not talking about sleeping pills.
This is about as far from a gimmick as it gets: All you need is your breath and a little counting, and you’ll be off to dreamland (fingers crossed!).