Falling asleep quickly is a common issue that affects people of all ages across the world. Sleep experts say that about 10% of adults suffer from long-term insomnia, meaning they often have trouble falling or staying asleep. Another 20% deal with occasional insomnia.
To improve your sleep, it helps to first understand why falling asleep can be so hard. This guide looks at the reasons behind sleep troubles and shares proven solutions based on scientific research and global health advice. You’ll learn how your habits, environment, and even your diet can affect your ability to fall asleep.
Common Causes of Trouble Falling Asleep
There are many reasons why people struggle to fall asleep. These reasons can be either internal (like what’s happening inside your mind or body) or external (like your environment or daily habits).
Stress and Anxiety (Internal)
Feeling stressed or anxious is one of the top internal reasons people can’t sleep. If your mind is filled with worry or racing thoughts, your body stays in a “high alert” state. This makes it hard to relax and drift off.
It’s a common cycle: stress causes insomnia, and then not sleeping well causes even more stress and anxiety. If you’ve ever thought, “Why won’t my mind just stop at night?”, that’s a classic sign of stress-related sleep trouble.
Hormonal Imbalances (Internal)
Hormones control many body functions, including sleep. If your stress hormone (cortisol) is high at night, it can keep you awake. If your sleep hormone (melatonin) is too low or released too late, you may not feel sleepy when you should.
Melatonin levels drop as you age, which is why older adults often have trouble falling asleep. Life stages like pregnancy or menopause also cause hormonal shifts that affect sleep. In short, when your body’s chemical messengers are out of balance, falling asleep becomes harder.
Circadian Rhythm Problems (Internal)
Your body has an internal clock, called a circadian rhythm, that tells you when to feel sleepy or awake. If this clock is off (due to jet lag, night shifts, or staying up too late), falling asleep at the right time becomes difficult.
Night owls trying to sleep early or shift workers changing their sleep times often struggle because their body clock is out of sync. Some people even have a sleep disorder that prevents them from sticking to a regular sleep schedule.
Environmental Issues (External)
Your surroundings also matter. Loud noises like traffic, neighbors, or a snoring partner can keep you awake. Research shows that even a small increase in nighttime noise can raise your chances of insomnia.
Light is another issue. The blue light from phones and tablets can delay melatonin production. Bright lights at home in the evening can also confuse your brain and make it think it’s still daytime.
Temperature and comfort matter too. Rooms that are too hot or too cold disrupt sleep. Experts say a cool room—around 65 to 68°F (18 to 20°C)—is best. A bad mattress or pillow, or too much light in the room, can also be sleep blockers.
Lifestyle and Habits (External)
What you do in the hours before bed affects your ability to fall asleep. Using screens at night, drinking coffee late in the day, or smoking cigarettes are common culprits.
Caffeine stays in your system for hours and can keep your brain alert. Even drinking it six hours before bed can affect sleep. Smoking, working out intensely at night, or doing stressful things like working in bed can all make falling asleep harder.
Ways to Eliminate Sleep Barriers
Once you know what’s causing your sleep trouble, you can take steps to fix it. Instead of relying on medicine, health experts now recommend trying natural and behavioral solutions first.
Reduce Stress and Calm the Mind
If anxiety or racing thoughts keep you up, try relaxation techniques. Deep breathing, gentle yoga, and meditation can calm your mind and body.
These activities help lower your heart rate and stress hormone levels. One study showed that people who practiced mindfulness meditation fell asleep faster and felt less tired during the day.
Try a simple bedtime ritual: dim the lights, sit or lie down comfortably, and do 10–20 minutes of calming exercises. Over time, this routine can signal to your brain that it’s time to sleep.
Try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
CBT-I is a highly effective therapy that helps change negative thoughts and behaviors around sleep. It includes:
- Stimulus control: Only go to bed when sleepy, and get up if you can’t sleep.
- Sleep restriction: Reduce time in bed to build sleep pressure.
- Thought management: Replace anxious thoughts with calmer ones.
Many studies show CBT-I improves how fast people fall asleep and their overall sleep quality. If self-help isn’t enough, consider talking to a therapist trained in CBT-I.
Improve Your Sleep Environment
Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool:
- Use earplugs or a white noise machine to block noise.
- Use blackout curtains or a sleep mask to block light.
- Set your room temperature to a comfortable, cool level.
- Make sure your mattress and pillow are comfortable and supportive.
Your bedroom should feel like a peaceful retreat, not a place of distractions.
Limit Screen Time and Bright Lights at Night
Avoid screens for at least 30 minutes before bed. If you need to use them, turn on night mode or wear blue light glasses.
Instead of watching TV or scrolling on your phone, try reading a book, listening to music, or journaling in low light.
Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, and Nicotine in the Evening
Stop drinking coffee and energy drinks at least 6 hours before bed. Watch out for hidden caffeine in tea, chocolate, and soda.
Alcohol may make you sleepy at first, but it disrupts sleep later in the night. Smoking and vaping stimulate your brain and raise your heart rate, which can delay sleep.
Adjust Food and Exercise Habits
Don’t eat large or spicy meals right before bed—they can cause indigestion. Drink less fluid late at night to avoid bathroom trips.
Exercise regularly, but avoid intense workouts close to bedtime. Gentle stretches or yoga are better options in the evening.
See a Doctor if Needed
If a health issue or medicine is affecting your sleep, talk to your doctor. They can help adjust medications or suggest treatments.
Melatonin supplements may help in certain cases, like jet lag, but should be used under guidance. Sleeping pills should only be a short-term option if nothing else works.
How Daily Habits Affect Falling Asleep
The way you go about your day has a big impact on how easily you can fall asleep. Some habits can help your body relax and prepare for sleep, while others may delay it.
Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. A regular schedule helps your body know when it’s time to sleep. Changing your sleep times too often can confuse your internal clock.
Even sleeping in too long on weekends can make it harder to fall asleep on Sunday night. A consistent bedtime—even on weekends—helps your body get used to sleeping at a certain hour.
Be Careful with Screen Time at Night
Using devices like phones, tablets, or TVs before bed can hurt your sleep. The blue light from these screens tells your brain to stay awake by lowering melatonin.
What you watch or read also matters. Exciting or emotional content keeps your mind active. Try turning off screens an hour before bed and doing calming activities instead.
Watch Your Caffeine and Stimulant Use
Drinking coffee, tea, or soda in the late afternoon or evening can make it harder to sleep. Caffeine stays in your system for hours and may still affect you long after you drink it.
Even small amounts—like in chocolate—can affect light sleepers. Nicotine from smoking or vaping also acts as a stimulant. Cutting back in the evening can help you wind down.
Avoid Irregular or Late-Night Activities
Doing different things every evening (like working late some nights or going out others) sends mixed signals to your body. Try to do similar things each night to help your body recognize sleep time.
Doing stressful or active tasks late at night—like working on a project or having a deep talk—can make your brain too alert to sleep. Try creating a peaceful end-of-day routine.
Pay Attention to Cultural and Social Habits
In some cultures, eating dinner late or taking long naps during the day is normal. These habits can reduce your sleep drive at night.
If your family or friends like staying up late for games or chatting, it can be hard to feel sleepy. Recognizing these patterns helps you make small changes for better sleep.
In short, habits shape how your body prepares for rest. By making sleep-friendly habits part of your daily life, you can train your body to fall asleep more easily.
Simple Ways to Build Good Sleep Habits
Creating a routine that supports sleep—often called sleep hygiene—can help you fall asleep easier. This includes what you do before bed, your sleep environment, and how you structure your day.
Stick to a Regular Sleep and Wake Time
Choose a bedtime and wake-up time that gives you 7–9 hours of sleep, and try to follow it every day—even on weekends. This regularity helps your body know when to wind down and when to wake up.
Set a reminder to start your bedtime routine 30–60 minutes before sleep, just like you’d set an alarm to wake up. Over time, your body will get used to this rhythm.
Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine
A calm, predictable routine before bed tells your body it’s time to sleep. Do the same relaxing things each night—like taking a warm shower, dimming the lights, and reading a book.
Include gentle stretches, listening to calming music, or sipping herbal tea. Writing in a journal to release thoughts or list tomorrow’s tasks can help clear your mind.
Make Your Bedroom Sleep-Friendly
Treat your sleep space like a rest zone:
- Dim the lights an hour before bed.
- Use blackout curtains or sleep masks.
- Lower the room temperature.
- Use a white noise machine or fan to block noise.
- Only use your bed for sleep or quiet reading.
Avoid working or worrying in bed—this can train your brain to associate the bed with stress instead of sleep.
Build Healthy Daytime Habits
What you do during the day also affects how you sleep:
- Get morning sunlight to reset your body clock.
- Exercise regularly but not too close to bedtime.
- Avoid long naps, especially in the late afternoon.
- Eat balanced meals and avoid heavy food before bed.
- Cut off caffeine by mid-afternoon.
These habits create a strong foundation that helps your body and brain be ready for rest each night.
Use Tips from Behavioral Science
- Start small: Try one new habit at a time.
- Use cues: For example, brushing your teeth could start your wind-down.
- Make it enjoyable: Add music, a favorite tea, or relaxing scents.
- Track progress: Use a sleep journal or app.
Over time, consistent behavior creates lasting sleep habits. By building a reliable pattern each day and night, falling asleep becomes more natural.
Next, we’ll look at how the foods you eat—especially in the evening—can either help or hurt your chances of falling asleep easily.
Foods That Help You Fall Asleep
What you eat can play a role in how easily you fall asleep. Certain foods contain nutrients that help your body relax and produce sleep-supporting hormones like melatonin. Here are some sleep-friendly foods to consider adding to your evening routine:
Kiwifruit
Kiwis are small but mighty when it comes to helping you sleep. A study showed that eating two kiwis one hour before bed for four weeks helped people fall asleep 35% faster and sleep more soundly.
Kiwis are rich in antioxidants, serotonin (which converts to melatonin), and folate, all of which support sleep. They’re also a light, healthy snack that won’t make you feel too full at bedtime.
Tart Cherry Juice
Tart cherries, like Montmorency cherries, are one of the few natural sources of melatonin. Drinking tart cherry juice twice a day has been linked to longer sleep and better sleep quality.
This juice also contains tryptophan, which helps your body make serotonin. About 8 ounces of unsweetened tart cherry juice in the evening could support your sleep routine.
Milk and Other Dairy Products
Warm milk is a traditional sleep remedy—and for good reason. Milk contains melatonin and tryptophan, plus a protein called alpha-lactalbumin that’s high in tryptophan.
Fermented milk products may improve sleep in older adults. Yogurt and cheese also provide calcium, which helps your brain use tryptophan. Just avoid heavy or rich dairy products right before bed.
Nuts (Almonds and Walnuts)
Nuts are a great snack and contain magnesium, melatonin, and healthy fats that support sleep. Almonds are known for their high magnesium content, which helps relax the body.
Walnuts also provide melatonin and omega-3 fats, which may improve serotonin levels. A small handful of nuts before bed can be a simple, effective sleep-friendly snack.
Turkey and Other Protein-Rich Foods
Turkey is famous for making people sleepy after holiday meals. That’s because it’s high in tryptophan, which increases melatonin production.
Other good protein options include chicken, fish, eggs, and tofu. A small serving of protein in the evening can help you stay full through the night without disrupting sleep.
Herbal Teas
Herbal teas like chamomile, passionflower, and valerian root are popular for bedtime. Chamomile contains apigenin, an antioxidant that promotes calmness and better sleep.
Passionflower may increase GABA levels in the brain, which reduces nervous activity. These teas are caffeine-free and can be part of a soothing nighttime ritual.
Fatty Fish
Fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, which help regulate serotonin. One study found that people who ate salmon three times a week slept better overall.
If you don’t eat fish, consider omega-3-rich seeds like flaxseeds or chia seeds, or take a supplement. Getting some sunshine during the day also boosts vitamin D.
Complex Carbohydrates (Rice, Oats, Whole Grains)
Foods like oatmeal or rice can raise your insulin levels slightly, helping tryptophan enter the brain. One study linked white rice with longer sleep durations.
Whole grains and oats also contain melatonin and tryptophan. Try a small bowl of oatmeal or toast with nut butter before bed.
Magnesium and Calcium-Rich Foods
Leafy greens, seeds, and legumes are great sources of magnesium. Low magnesium levels are linked to poor sleep and muscle tension.
Calcium helps regulate melatonin and muscle relaxation. Dairy, sesame seeds, and fortified plant milks can help. A warm cup of “moon milk” (milk with spices like turmeric or nutmeg) is a soothing option.
Timing and Moderation
Don’t overeat before bed, and give yourself 30–60 minutes to digest. A light snack is better than going to bed hungry, but heavy meals can cause discomfort. Choose sleep-supporting snacks like kiwi, almonds, or a cup of chamomile tea.
These foods won’t knock you out instantly, but when paired with good sleep hygiene and bedtime habits, they can help make falling asleep easier.
By combining these dietary tips with lifestyle and environmental changes, you create the best conditions for restful sleep. Next time you find yourself tossing and turning, consider whether a banana, a better routine, or dimmer lighting might be the missing piece.
Sweet dreams!