How To Fall Asleep And Have A Better Rest

By Christophina Ansumana October 15, 2020

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It might seem natural, but figuring out how to fall asleep can sound easier than it feels in practice, and young people especially can struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep, and getting enough sleep.


The National Sleep Foundation recommends teens get between 8 and 10 hours of slumber per night. However, sleep deprivation among young adults is on the rise. A 2015 study examined young adults’ sleeping patterns over the course of two decades and found that marginalised young adults, particularly girls, those from working-class and poor backgrounds, those living in urban areas, and people of colour, experience less sleep.

But it doesn't just mean you'll feel tired. Sleep deprivation can have a significant impact on not only your schoolwork, but also your physical, mental, and emotional health.

Many have even advocated for school/office work days to start later in the day so young adults can sleep in. In the meantime, we have the power to create healthier habits to improve the quality of our sleep as well as better regulate our body’s biological clock. To help you develop better sleep hygiene, Teen Vogue talked to two experts about smart bedtime routines.

Get in touch with your sense of smell

Experimenting with fresh scents can help you unwind. Essential oils may have the power to turn your bedroom into a relaxing, soothing space.

“Essential oils, particularly Lavender, promote relaxation and sleep,” Barbara Nosal, PhD, chief clinical officer at Newport Academy, tells Teen Vogue. “Put a few drops in a diffuser; rub a few drops on your hands, wrist, or temples; or place lavender sachets under your pillow."

There are also aromatic mists, that can be sprayed into the air. Essential-oil diffusers, particularly those with timers, can be useful to fall asleep to. However, avoid candles and incense. A lit candle or incense stick can be a fire hazard if you fall asleep while it’s still burning.

Reduce screen time Blue time, or artificial blue wavelength lighting emitted by electronic devices, can keep you awake and therefore disrupt your sleep. To avoid exposure to blue light, Dr. Bobbi Hopkins, medical director of the Sleep Center at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, recommends unplugging phones, tablets, and other screens altogether an hour or two before sleep. "Multiple studies have shown difficulty going to sleep or reduced sleep duration if a person is using electronics," Hopkins says. "All phones, tablets, video games, and TVs should be eliminated at least one hour prior to bed." Rather than looking at your phone or watching TV, Hopkins suggests replacing this time with preparing for the next day.

“I suggest to use this time to prepare breakfast, clothes, and things for work for the next day so you can spend that time in the morning sleeping,” she says.

 

Keep a strict schedule Our bodies adapt to schedules. If we’re up late one night, we’re likely to stay up until that time the following night. “Delayed sleep phase syndrome [is when] the brain finds it easier to stay up all night and sleep all day due to a shift in their circadian rhythm [or] biological clock," explains Hopkins. “This can sometimes get out of hand where the human body stays up way too late and can’t wake up to go to work or sleeps in the office. The human body will then fall in habit and take a long nap in the afternoon, worsening their ability to fall asleep the next night.” Fortunately, we can take this situation into our own hands and gradually go to bed earlier. Establishing a strict schedule of going to sleep at a certain time and waking up at a certain time can help develop a more regular routine.

Add some sound Certain sounds could help you when you're trying to fall asleep. Water sounds, in particular, have been shown to help sleeping. According to Live Science, this kind of white noise could help mask other noises that might interrupt your sleep. "Having a masking form of noise can also help block other sounds you don't have control over, whether someone is flushing a toilet in another part of the house or there are taxis or traffic outside — whatever the acoustic insult is," Orfeu Buxton, an associate professor of bio-behavioral health at Pennsylvania State University, told Live Science.

Some products have these nature sounds installed; otherwise, you can find apps, playlists, and videos online of ocean waves, birds chirping, and lively thunderstorms.