How to Sleep Fast Through the Night: 15 Science-Backed Ways For Deep Sleep

Ever wondered how to sleep fast through the night? I still remember lying awake on humid Singapore nights, staring at my ceiling fan in my HDB bedroom, wondering, "Why can't I just knock out like everyone else?"

Living here in Singapore, where stress runs high, humidity clings to your skin, and electronic devices stay glued to our faces late into the night, sleepless nights became far too common for me. If you often find yourself experiencing difficulty falling asleep or trouble staying asleep, you're not alone.

After years of trial and error, countless sleepless nights, and reading up on sleep hygiene and sleep science, here's my honest, no-fluff, science-backed guide on how to fall asleep fast.

No gimmicks. No hype. Just real techniques that can help you fall asleep quicker and achieve quality sleep.

Short on time? Start with these proven techniques to promote sleep tonight:

✅ Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique

✅ Lower your bedroom temperature to 18–22°C

✅ Turn off screens and reduce artificial light at least 1 hour before bed

✅ Practice progressive muscle relaxation

✅ Use visualization or guided imagery techniques

Let's unpack the science behind each method.

Sleep latency = how long it takes you to fall asleep after lying down.

Ideally, it should take 10–20 minutes. If you're regularly taking 30 minutes or more, that's considered difficulty falling asleep, and it can affect your sleep patterns, mood, and overall health.

Research indicates that prolonged sleep latency is associated with poor nighttime sleep, lower energy levels, and impaired focus the following day.

Your body's internal clock (also known as your circadian rhythm) plays a huge role here.

Disrupting it—with irregular bedtimes, excessive exposure to artificial light, or consuming caffeine too late in the day—can make it harder to feel sleepy when you need to.

Getting adequate natural light exposure during the day helps maintain this rhythm.

Popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil, this breathing exercise slows your heart rate and calms your nervous system.

How to do it:

• Inhale for 4 seconds

• Hold for 7 seconds

• Exhale slowly for 8 seconds

✅ Deep breathing helps trigger your body's relaxation response.

Start from your toes and work your way up. Tense each muscle group for a few moments, then release.

✅ This technique reduces physical tension and helps you get into a more comfortable position for sleep.

Picture yourself lying on a peaceful beach or walking in a cool forest. It's part of creating a relaxing bedtime routine.

✅ Visualization distracts your mind from stressful thoughts, helping you fall asleep faster.

Aim for 18–22°C. This helps your core body temperature drop, signaling it's time for sleep.

Consider investing in blackout curtains to create an optimal sleep environment that blocks out both light and helps with temperature regulation.

Wear a pair of socks to keep your feet warm and promote better sleep.

✅ Cooler environments promote sleep by supporting melatonin production.

Artificial light from your phone, laptop, and TV suppresses melatonin.

✅ Exposure to blue light can delay sleep by over an hour.

Mindfulness meditation and body scans help you stay present and let go of anxious thoughts.

✅ Mindfulness reduces insomnia symptoms and improves sleep quality in randomized controlled trials.

Living near MRT tracks or busy roads? Try white noise or soft music like ocean waves or a whooshing sound to mask background noise.

✅ White noise improves sleep onset in noisy environments.

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends.

✅ Keeping a designated bedtime helps regulate your body's internal clock and supports better sleep.

Several studies have shown that lavender oil can promote sleep and relaxation.

✅ Lavender may lower heart rate and induce calmness.

Stay awake on purpose—a counterintuitive technique developed to reduce sleep anxiety. Some people also find success with the military method, a technique developed by the U.S. military to help soldiers fall asleep within two minutes.

✅ This method reduces clock watching and pre-sleep anxiety.

A few minutes of light stretching can help reduce cortisol, your stress hormone. Regular exercise during the day also improves sleep, but avoid intense physical activity close to bedtime.

✅ Stretching before bed helps with both falling asleep and staying asleep.

Consuming caffeine late in the day can affect your body's ability to wind down. That 3 PM kopi or bubble tea could be why you're having trouble sleeping.

✅ Caffeine has a half-life of 5–6 hours and can delay sleep onset.

A warm bath or warm shower helps you start relaxing by raising your body temperature temporarily, making you feel sleepy as your body cools down afterward.

✅ This method shortens sleep latency by about 10 minutes.

If your mind races at night, write down your thoughts to clear your head. Create a simple to do list for tomorrow's tasks to help your brain let go of the mental load.

✅ Journaling reduces difficulty sleeping by lowering cognitive arousal.

Magnesium may help people with sleep difficulties, especially older adults.

✅ Some small trials show magnesium improves nighttime sleep onset. Always check with your healthcare professional first.

If you've tried these lifestyle adjustments for at least 2–3 weeks with no improvement, consult a healthcare professional. The time spent implementing these changes should show some results within this timeframe.

You might be dealing with chronic insomnia, sleep apnea, or even acid reflux affecting your sleep environment and causing frequent awakenings.

Here's what finally helped me break the cycle of sleepless nights:

1. Early Dinner (Before 7 PM If Possible)

Having an early dinner supports the body's ability to rest and repair. If dinner is going to be late, I stick to something light, making sure I'm only 60-70% full to prevent acid reflux or digestion-related sleep disruptions.

In fact, I only have dinner with my family or friends for special occasions. Other than that, I don't take dinner nowadays.

2. Early Coffee (Before Noon)

I avoid caffeine after 12 pm. This one change alone reduced my trouble falling asleep. Nowadays, I no longer drink coffee or tea. I stick to drinking hydrogen water for better hydration.

3. Cold Shower (2-3 Hours Before Bed)

I take a cold or warm shower (depending on the weather) before my Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya.

4. Switch Off Electronic Devices 1–2 Hours Before Bed

I will turn off my electronic devices, such as my computer and phone, 1-2 hours before going to bed. I will leave them in the living room. This single change significantly improved my sleep environment and helped me get a better night's sleep.

5. Keep My Bedroom for Sleeping Only

I only use my room for sleeping. I avoid doing other activities in the room. This prepares my body to rest instead of thinking about other activities when I enter the room at night.

6. Avoid Stimulating Activities Before Bed

No more late-night work or gaming. Instead, I wind down with relaxing activities, such as reading or light chores, an hour before bedtime.

7. Mental Detachment Before Sleep

This is a practice that I learnt from Sadhguru.

I will sit cross-legged on my bed.

Then I will tell myself the following things:

1. I am not the body, I am not the mind, I am not the emotions, I am not my thoughts.  

2. I will touch my head and remind myself that the mind is just an accumulation of impressions. It is not me.

3. I will touch my body and remind myself that the body is just an accumulation of food that I have consumed for the past 37 years. It is not me.

4. I will remind myself that the clothes I am wearing is just an accumulation of possessions. It is not me.

5. I will remind myself that there is nothing to gain, nothing to lose in this life. I come here with nothing and I will leave with nothing. I am just a piece of life, having an experience. All the possessions I have are temporary; they are not me.

6. Then I will say I am going to die in 2 minutes, so just put everything aside and have a good rest.

7. I will unfold my legs and lie down on my pillow to rest.

8. With my eyes closed, I will give my subconscious mind a clear instruction: Subconscious mind, please heal every single cell and organ in my body so that I will wake up feeling refreshed, energized, and rejuvenated in the morning.

I know this may sound a bit unusual, especially if you're reading it for the first time. Do what works for you would be my suggestion.

8. Sticking to a Regular Sleeping Time

I generally go to bed between 9 pm and 10:30 pm, as most of the body's healing process takes place between 10 pm and 2 am, when the body is in deep sleep.

It's considered the prime time for healing to take place. Therefore, I will make it a point to prioritize sleep even if I have additional work or deadlines to meet.

I can always wake up earlier to do what needs to be done. You can never catch up on lost sleep by sleeping over the weekends.

Falling asleep fast wasn't an overnight fix (pun intended). It took a mix of daily habits, consistent breathing exercises, and attention to my sleep environment.

Pick one or two methods tonight. Even a simple technique like deep breaths or listening to soft music can help you fall asleep faster and wake up with a good night's sleep.

If you're feeling sleep deprived, remember—small steps lead to big changes in your overall well-being and long-term health.