11 Sleep Hacks To Steal From TikTok

Remember in ye olde days when folks would tie a string around their finger to remember something important? When you're trying to sleep and your eyes bug open because there's that one thing you've forgotten and need to remember in the morning, this TikTok suggests avoiding your phone (it'll just keep you up). Instead, visualize putting your urgent thought into a pillow and tossing the pillow overboard off your bed. In the morning when you see your pillow, you'll know that you'd been trying to remember something. You can have your sleepy cake and eat it, too.

I don't know about you, but there's something extra snuggly and relaxing about sleeping in a slightly chilly room. Lower your bedroom's temp to help you fall asleep faster, since your body will interpret the coolness of night as a reminder to rest (just like in the wild).

Chamomile tea can help you fall asleep, so put some water on the boil before heading to bed. The ritual combined with the tea itself can calm your body down and ease your transition into resting mode. This TikTok suggests brewing some chamomile a half-hour or an hour before bedtime to signal to your body and mind that it's time to wind down.

You don't have to be on your yoga mat to focus on your breath. Try counting your breaths instead of sheep. This TikTok recommends inhaling for a count of four, holding your breath for a count of seven, and exhaling slowly for a count of eight. This 4-7-8 breathing method can relax your nervous system to help you let go of some anxiety and sleep better.

Try snacking on a banana a little while before you go to bed, this TikTok suggests. Bananas are packed with magnesium, which can help your mind relax, and the potassium in bananas helps relax your muscles. All that soothing energy is a good combination for getting some zzs.

There are no fancy poses required to use yoga to help you fall asleep. To calm your nervous system down and increase your circulation to help you get closer to sleep, set up your yoga mat near the wall. Scoot your butt as close to the wall as you can, letting your legs straighten on the wall with your feet up toward the ceiling. Stay here and breathe deeply for at least a minute, then snuggle up in bed.

If you've been dealing with insomnia for a little while, you probably know that putting pressure on yourself to sleep can make you that much more anxious about falling asleep for the night. If that's you, try tricking your brain into letting you rest. Tell yourself you're just taking a nap, this TikTok suggests. You'll be putting less pressure on yourself to get your eight hours, and the whole process might start to feel luxurious rather than a chore to dread.

Anxiety is one of the biggest barriers to a good night's rest. If you've got that one show that you can quote in your literal sleep, putting it on at bedtime may help soothe your anxiousness. This TikTok suggests that when you're listening or passively watching something that you're super accustomed to, your mind will slip into that calm familiar space that can help you sleep.

Science says that the digital eye strain and exhaustion that you get from seven hundred Zoom calls and four thousand emails every day isn't actually from your device's blue light (it's more about how little you blink). But if you're not ready to part with your phone an hour or two before bed to stop blue light from interfering with your body's melatonin production, you might opt to slip on some blue-light glasses late at night to remind your body that it's sleep time.

Whether you use an app, an old notebook, or a voice-to-text memo, try journaling before you go to bed, this TikTok suggests. Just let your thoughts out. They can be random and somewhat nonsensical — process your day and emotions however you need to so you can get it all out of your mind and body before sleeping.

Start your snooze time off right by plugging your phone in outside your room. (Yes, that means cutting off your #ForYou page time.) When you start to toss and turn, it's all too easy to start scrolling "just until you get tired"... and then it's three in the morning. This TikTok suggests reading a calming book or listening to soothing music instead of scrolling to make your eyes and brain tired.