How To Fall Asleep Fast! Sleep Solutions For Every Type Of Person

Want to go to sleep without fiddling endlessly scrolling through social media? All we want is to get to bed, so we teamed up with sleeping expert, Alison Cullen, who gave us all her tips and tricks on how to fall asleep fast depending on whether you're a lark or a night owl. Here are the ultimate sleeping solutions you need to know...

Want to fall asleep at the drop of a hat but not sure how? Envious of people who DON'T have to count sheep at night? No more ladies.

There are lots of things you can do to help you fall asleep fast, but lets face it, there are also A LOT of things you shouldn't do that can definitely affect how you fall asleep each night too - you may not even realise it!

To set things straight, we got together with A. Vogel's nutritional therapist and sleeping expert, Alison Cullen to tell us everything we need to know on how to fall asleep fast and soundly. All you have to do is find which person best describes you below and we'll tell you the rest!

The manic mum

After a long day fighting through endless tasks at work, you return to endless stacks of family duties at home. You stay up until everyone else is in bed so that you can finally have some hush, and potter about on your own without anyone making demands on you. Your bedtime is therefore pretty late!

Why is this a problem?

Putting your sleep first is probably the last thing you want to do but it should be pretty high up on your list of priorities.

Alison says, "It's best to sleep through the hours between 11pm and 2-3am if possible. Pushing your bedtime back will reduce the effectiveness of your sleep, even if you stay in bed to make up on hours in the morning.

"You may ‘manage’ on this sleep quota, but it WILL gradually catch up with you – you’ll feel physically drained and more likely to experience aches and pains; emotionally less stable; and mentally less focused." All and all you're just giving yourself a really hard time!

Try this

"Start nudging everyone else’s bedtimes back so that you're free sooner. Bar off half an hour earlier on in the evening for your ‘time out"’, says Alison.

Why not allocate family duties to everyone else in the house and help find time for a little zen? Retire to the bedroom to recharge and make a pact with yourself that you’ll be asleep by 11pm for a week. When you realise how much better you feel, you’ll be motivated to keep up this new schedule, trust!

The restless princess

You retire to bed early, you fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, but your chances of staying that way are ZERO because your child (or pet) wakes you up several times in the night.

Why is this a problem?

Getting interrupted sleep each night CAN take a toll on your body. Whether you've got your hands full with the kids or the pet cat or dog won't stop moving about, it can be a lot more disruptive than you think.

Alison says, "Constant interruptions programme you to expect them, so you start sleeping more lightly, with one ear open, preventing you from reaching the deeper, more restorative stages of sleep where your body carries out physical repairs and refreshes your brain by filtering the day’s events."

Some people may not want to accept that their loved ones may be the reason for their restless night's but once you know what the problem is there are ways to help...

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Sometimes it can be hard to keep your pet out of the bedroom especially if you hear them crying (sob.)

But there are ways to help them cope. Alison says, "Firmly place your pet at some distance from the bedroom at night. Animal Separation Essence will help settle them down to the new regime.

"If it’s a child, Night Essence or Child Essence may help to soothe them into a better sleep pattern so that they stop interrupting yours. Avoid giving your children chocolate, anything sugary, or fizzy drinks in the evening". The best way to lure a child to sleep each night is to follow a routine. Warm lavender scented bubble baths just before bed is a great way to get them to know it's time for bed.

If you're having trouble sleeping smooth on ThisWorks Deep Sleep Body Therapy which works to moisturise the skin and calm the mind. Put it on after a warm shower or bath and drift into a deep, deep sleep.

The grublette

You have your main meal in the evening, often tucking into snacks later on as well, going to bed on a full stomach. You sleep erratically and often wake up feeling very hot or even sweating.

Why is this a problem?

"Your digestive system struggles to work its way effectively through a large quantity of food whilst your body is also trying to implement rest and restoration processes. Neither gets the full treatment and you end up tired, windy, and with an unsettled stomach," says Alison. And nobody likes to feel grotty and unrested come 7am, right?

You're simply over working your digestive system and not allowing your body to fully replenish itself. Here's how to send yourself into a deep slumber.

Try this

Move your mealtime to allow at least two (preferably three) hours between the end of eating and the start of sleeping.

Ban all snacks during the evening too, "if you're bored, occupy your hands with something creative such as colouring or suduko rather than sweeties. Research has shown that we're less able to control portions when watching television or listening to music, so you're giving your diet a helping hand by not exposing yourself to a large dollop of calories before bed," says Alison.

Often people confuse dehydration with hunger too, so make sure you're drinking lots throughout the day and if you're not a water person, sip on some calming herbal tea such as chamomile. We love Pukka's Love blend infused with vanilla, chamomile and lavender to help soothe your stomach and send you straight to sleep.

Alison adds, "Night time sweating will be less likely if your body isn't trying to metabolise high energy foods (e.g. sugar) without being able to burn them through physical exercise". To help sooth digestion, use Digestisan drops before your evening meal or take up a probiotic everyday such as Bio-Kult.

The evening indulger

You need a glass of wine (or two), an expresso, or a bar of chocolate (or two...) in the evening to reward yourself for getting through the stresses of the day. After all, alcohol helps you sleep, doesn’t it? You may want to reconsider...

Why is this a problem?

It's a total myth! "You may fall asleep readily but your body will work harder to obtain restorative sleep if using alcohol or recreational drugs.

"You’ll therefore wake up tired and find it harder to get through the day, resulting in a greater urge for a glass of wine or a treat of choice in the evening... You may also wake up with an aching lower back, due to your kidneys objecting to dehydration". Bottom line? Treats aren't as rewarding as you think they are...

Try this

By giving your body the time to restore itself you will absolutely be AMAZED by how great you feel come morning time.

"Ten minutes of brisk exercise (such as, walking round the block, using a mini stepper, jumping on a mini rebounder, rope skipping, dancing to your favourite tunes) may not be what you feel like when you get in, but it will help you wind down and burn off the adrenalin from the day far more effectively than alcohol, caffeine or chocolate," says Alison.

Instead of binging on junk to wind down why not not try something different such as, an acupressure mat. This one from Cult Beauty can help with all sorts of sleeping woes. Lie down on the mat after a long day and take a 20 minute chill break. The mat is believed to help with everything from stress, insomnia, aches and pains and can even help reduce cellulite. Yes, please!

The social media geek

You’re glued to your gadgets all evening and find it hard to put them down before bed. Once in bed you can’t switch off and find it hard to stop yourself from peeking onto Facebook or BBC 'one more time' before you finally let yourself go.

Why is this a problem?

It's so difficult nowadays to part from our gadgets - they practically run our lives! But by taking back control and restricting the time you use them, it could make for a much better night's sleep and get you there quicker!

Alison says, "Whether it’s gaming on an Xbox, friends on Facebook, or shopping on your phone, your adrenalin levels are raised and your body is primed for action rather than ready to fall into peaceful sleep.

"Also, the blue light emitted from electronic gadgets interferes with the sleeping process so having your phone by your bed as an alarm clock may keep you out of a good, refreshing sleep."

Try this

"Make a pact with yourself that you’ll be in bed without any electronic company by a certain time each evening.
BUT, promise yourself a treat at the end of the week as compensation," says Alison. Then see how much better you feel by the end of it! Doubt you'll have to bargain with yourself after that.

Allow yourself half an hour between switching off the gadgets and getting into bed, to give your mind time to move into sleep mode. "Try a daylight alarm clock, which simulates light slowly leaving the room for about 20 minutes before sleep and filters it gradually back in before you wake up – it's a very low stress way to enter the day, as you wake up naturally," says Alison. We recommend the Lumie Bodyclock IRIS 500 which also features aromatherapy to help lure you into a deep restful sleep.

The worrywart

You find it hard to stop the ‘hamster wheel’ of stressful thoughts going round and round when you go to bed. You may also wake up in the night with a jump or with palpitations. The less sleep you get, the more of an issue it becomes, with a tendency to watch the clock marking off another half hour of NO sleep.

Why is this a problem?

Stress is getting the best of you!

Alison says, "Stress is a great disrupter of good sleep, making it harder to get over the threshold from a wakeful state to slumber. Your brain needs sleep to filter the events of the day just gone and ready itself for the day to come."

Without sufficient filtering time, you wake the next day with poorer concentration and memory and greater irritability, causing increased stress - a particularly rude vicious circle. Lets sort it...

Try this

It’s really important for you to have ‘wind down’ time before bed. When you have a warm relaxing bath or half an hour with a book, it CAN help you immensely!

If your mind is racing with thoughts, write a list of ‘To Do's' for the next day and then leave them for the morning. I personally like to jump into bed and feel how good it is to be there and just tune out from the world.

Alison says, "Have a cup of herbal tea and definitely don’t watch the News or anything action-packed." Instead why not listen to some peaceful music, light a lavender scented candle such as this one from the Neom Organics' Perfect Night's Sleep Programme or have a warm, steamy shower using Neom's sleep inducing Bath and Shower Oil for a better night's sleep and a happier awakening.

The pill popper

You're taking sleep medication, which puts you to sleep without any trouble but leaves you feeling unrefreshed and groggy the next morning, despite having slept! Ugh, life.

Why is this a problem?

Getting sleep without actually feeling refreshed? You can't be happy waking up feeling like that!

Alison says, "The dream stage of sleep – REM sleep – is very important for filtering the day’s events and ensuring emotional stability. Sleep medication puts you into deep sleep and leaves you there, missing out on the REM stage. The ongoing effect can be mood swings and emotional sensitivity". Here's how to change it...

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Alison recommends talking to your doctor about changing to a natural sleep remedy whilst looking at your reasons for taking up the medication in the first place.

She says, "Working on those issues whilst taking a natural remedy may help you to move away from the medication and get your dream sleep back into your night."

Natural sleep aids such as, Dormeasan Sleep (taken 30 minutes before bed), are licensed and the technical details can be downloaded for your doctor to check over and consider. Once you move away from medications and more towards natural ways of getting to sleep fast you'll find that you're much calmer when it comes to getting to bed and feeling more content when waking up.