20+ Tricks for Better Sleep You’ll Want to Try Tonight

If you feel cold when you sleep, no matter how heavy your duvet or comforter is, try layering instead. You may use less heavy duvets than your usual one, but if you have 2 of them, air gets trapped between the layers, keeping you warmer.

The opposite works, too, for whenever you feel too hot, the layering fails you even with lightweight sheets. Opt for only one comforter to stay cooler! Another trick to sleep easily, even during the hottest night, is to sleep under a wet blanket. Insert your own joke here. Of course, make sure you only use this tip when you’re overheated.

One thing that should never be wet when you go to sleep is your hair. Not only can it cause hair damage and extra tangling, it can also weaken your immune system and even cause dandruff (ugh).

In Guatemala, they have worry dolls to help them sleep. Whenever they’re worried about something, they share their problems with a doll and put that doll under their pillow. According to legend, these dolls carry all the troubles away and help people sleep more soundly. If you put one under your pillow, the next morning you may wake up totally unburdened.

If you tend to doze off a bit after a hearty lunch, China might be the place for you. There, people are allowed to have a nap at work, which makes it part of the corporate culture.

In Indonesia, they practice a type of sleep called “fear sleep.” This is where people have learned to nod off in seconds to avoid stress and anxiety. Falling asleep instantly combats fear and leads to calm. This might be why they say Bali’s one of the happiest places in the world.

At nighttime, light is super uncomfortable, but in fact, you do need it to sleep well. If you don’t have enough sunlight during the day, it will be harder to fall asleep later, and your sleep quality might be poor. A study revealed that 2 hours of light exposure a day increased the amount of sleep by 2 hours.

Try to avoid blue light a few hours before you go to sleep. Most electronic devices, such as TVs, laptops, and smartphones, emit it. Blue light tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, so you don’t sleep well. If you can’t fall asleep without scrolling your feed, you might want to download an app that blocks blue light or check your settings.

To be productive and to not miss anything, Leonardo da Vinci used the Uberman sleep cycle schedule. He would only sleep for 20 minutes, but he would do this every 4 hours. They say it was a secret to his productivity.

One famous athlete confessed that to be productive, they created a mountain environment by decreasing the amount of oxygen available. This way, their body was forced to work harder and produce more red blood cells. It may seem extreme, but this trick helped this athlete increase their endurance and show better results.

The mountain environment idea is a bit extreme, but you should be concerned about your room’s noise level. External noise, which is often traffic noise, may cause long-term poor sleep. One study showed that over half of participants started getting better sleep as soon as noise and light levels decreased.

The bedroom temperature is essential, too. 70F is comfortable for most people. If it’s too hot in the bedroom, it may be hard to fall asleep, and the sleep quality is likely to be relatively poor.

One more great mind, Nikola Tesla, wasn’t much into sleeping, just like Da Vinci. He stuck to the same Uberman sleep cycle and never slept more than a couple of hours a day. He once claimed to have been working for 84 hours in a row!

Some people split their day into two parts. It helps them get more things done in 24 hours. For example, some former presidents had 2 “shifts” in a day: they would wake up at around 7 am work until 2 pm, and have an afternoon nap. At 4 pm, they would typically start the second “shift,” working until the morning.

Some people need rituals to fall asleep even as adults. It can be whatever you feel comfortable with: a couple of pages in a book, some relaxing music, or a glass of warm milk.

Surprisingly, tinfoil may dramatically improve the quality of your sleep. Some people simply use dark shades, but you can try wrapping tinfoil around your windows. It will reflect the unwanted light and, if the summer heat is unbearable, keep the heat away, too.

Some people claim white noise helps them fall asleep faster and sleep better. It’s odd that a combination of audible frequencies might help you sleep, but it works wonders for some!

If you’re munching a piece of gum, it can increase your productivity by about 10%. If chewing gum is a part of your daily habits, it might boost your cognitive abilities. It can also lower stress hormones, keep you awake, and build up those masticating muscles.

Basically, most berries contain antioxidants that help increase motor skills and work wonders for your memory. Still, the darker the berries are, the more antioxidants they contain. Blueberries are a great choice.

The best sleep you can get is at night, duh, but if you can’t help falling asleep in the daytime, make sure to set an alarm for no more than 20 minutes. Another way to overcome daytime sleepiness is to take a short walk. A glass of icy water can remove drowsiness, too.

In case you need a nap during the day, make sure you take it no later than 5 pm. Otherwise, you may find it difficult to fall asleep at night.

If back pain won’t let you sleep on your side, a pillow can come to your rescue. Put it between your legs to align your hips. It can ease the pain and help reduce stress in your lower back. It works for knee pain, too, if you sleep on your back — just tuck the pillow under your knees to ease any discomfort.

Now, watch out for caffeine! It can keep you energetic and disturb your sleep. Remember it’s not only coffee that contains it. Even chocolate has some small amounts of caffeine, but it can be enough to affect your sleep.

It’s better to avoid food for at least one hour before you go to sleep. Hearty meals can be too heavy for your digestive system in the evening. If possible, food in the evening should be light. Maybe a snack of milk or cheese.

In fact, a study showed that eating breakfast for dinner was really helpful for those who want to fall asleep faster. Bananas, eggs, toasts are packed with potassium, protein, and carbs, respectively. All these elements can aid relaxation and sleep.

Try not to drink anything at least 2 hours before bedtime if you’re tired of waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. Sometimes it can be really challenging to fall asleep again.

Cats and dogs are cuddly, but sorry, my fluffy friends — beds are for humans only! Hey, explain that to my dog, Riley! Pets can bring dander, fleas, a loooot of fur, pollen, and other allergens. A vet or trainer might help you teach your pet to sleep in their own bed.

If you find it almost impossible to fall asleep, you just might not be tired. If you fail to fall asleep after 20 minutes, try getting up and doing something relaxing. Listening to nice calming music will do!