Not being able to fall asleep is frustrating enough, but often, that frustration and anxiety you feel when you're up all night staring at the clock makes it even harder to fall asleep.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults need at least seven hours of sleep per night, but only a third of adults actually get that much rest. You already know how grouchy you can get without enough sleep, but not getting the appropriate amount of rest also has consequences for your health in the long run. You might become less optimistic, and sleep deprivation might even lead to cardiovascular disease.
There are plenty of scientifically-backed techniques to help you fall asleep, but at the end of the day, what actually works will be different for different people. If you think you've tried everything, read on for weird things that five different people do to fall asleep at night.
"If I have a really hard time falling asleep, I'll watch a movie — but not just any movie. It has to be something that makes me cry because I find that crying makes me tired enough to fall asleep. It sounds masochistic, but it works!" — Jamie, 26
illustrated by Tristan Offit.
"I turn on my air conditioner (no matter how cold or hot it is outside) and run it to as cold a temperature as I can stand, and get in bed with a cozy duvet. I can't sleep if I'm warm and uncomfortable." — Alice, 31
illustrated by Tristan Offit.
"I put my phone in the living room and use the alarm on my Amazon Alexa. I read somewhere that looking at the time when you're trying to fall asleep is bad for you, so I basically isolate myself once I get into bed." — Christine, 21
illustrated by Tristan Offit.
"I sing myself to sleep. Seriously. The louder the song (think show tunes), the better, because it wears me out enough that I knock out." — Amber, 22
illustrated by Tristan Offit.
"I write down every single thing that I did that day, and everything I'm worried about happening the next day. I have a tendency to overthink, and I find that it helps me wind down and get all of that out of the way so that I'm not thinking about it when I'm trying to fall asleep." — Jan, 27
illustrated by Tristan Offit.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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