How to fall asleep fast: Expert-backed
strategies that work

Updated August 2026 | 5 min read
Expert contributor: Professor Siobhan Banks, Director, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre at Adelaide University
Words by Alana Wulff

Key takeaways

• Slow breathing, muscle relaxation and controlling the temperature of your body and bedroom can help you fall asleep – give our breathing tool a try.
• Build a wind-down routine by dimming the lights, avoiding screens and relaxing for 30 to 60 minutes before bed.
• Eligible members can access the Sleepfit app^* and track sleep goals in the HCF Healthful app^{^}.
• If sleep problems persist, seek professional support.

Do you ever feel tired but can’t sleep? These expert-backed tips show you how to fall asleep fast and get the rest you need.

Does this sound familiar? It’s the end of a long day and you’re exhausted. You get into bed for some much-needed rest, but you just can’t sleep. Your mind keeps going over everything you did and didn’t do – what you said or perhaps wish you hadn’t. No matter how hard you try, you’re no closer to falling asleep.

From building a wind-down routine to using calming techniques like muscle relaxation and breathing exercises for sleep, there are plenty of ways to learn how to fall asleep fast.

Why a stressed mind resists sleep – the science

Even when you’re tired, falling asleep is hard if your body is still in ‘go’ mode. A busy day keeps stress hormones like cortisol elevated, your nervous system aroused and heart rate up. This works against the wind-down your brain needs for sleep.

“So much of this has to do with our super busy lives and not allowing ourselves the opportunity to relax,” explains Professor Siobhan Banks, Director of the Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre at Adelaide University.

Bright lights don’t help either. Screens emit blue light, which can suppress melatonin, the hormone that signals it’s time for sleep. The solution? Prof Banks says to calm your nervous system so the body’s natural sleep processes can take over.

“It can be really hard because you might be on email until all hours or you’re craving some time to unwind in front of the TV,” says Prof Banks. “But we need to think about protecting the time to get ready for bed.”

In-the-moment techniques to try tonight

Finding ways to fall asleep quickly is about discovering what slows your mind and body down. If you’re ever unsure what to do when you can’t sleep, try these five techniques.

4-7-8 breathing

Slow, controlled breathing calms and slows your nervous system. “Breathing techniques can be effective because the stress responses we have are due to hyper-arousal – our heart rate is elevated and our brain is racing,” explains Prof Banks.

4-7-8 breathing is just one breath-training exercise that can help you relax.

• Step 1: Exhale fully through your mouth.
• Step 2: Breathe in quietly through your nose for a count of four.
• Step 3: Hold your breath for a count of seven.
• Step 4: Breathe out slowly through your mouth for a count of eight.

Repeat three to four times.

Progressive muscle relaxation

Tense, then release each muscle group, working from your feet to your face. The deliberate ‘let go’ can help your body register it’s finally safe to relax. You can also try this alongside a guided meditation to fall asleep.

Warm shower or bath

Our core body temperature naturally starts to cool down as bedtime approaches. Taking a hot shower or bath before bed warms us up for a short time, and then our body temperature drops when we get out – sending the same signal to our brain that it’s sleep time. “A warm shower or bath before bed can increase circulation, bring blood to the surface and help cool the body because you’ve warmed your body up,” says Prof Banks.

Cool sleep environment

A cooler room can help you drift off to sleep. “We’re actually trying to get rid of heat as we fall off to sleep, and that helps trigger the sleep response,” explains Prof Banks. Warmer temperatures, on the other hand, may increase your heart rate and leave you with less sleep overall. The Sleep Health Foundation says 17 to 19°C is the optimal temperature to aim for, if you can.

Herbal teas

A warm, caffeine-free herbal tea like chamomile can be a soothing part of your wind-down routine. While there’s no clear evidence that herbal tea helps us fall asleep, these kinds of relaxing activities – especially in the hour or so before you go to bed – can help you feel sleepy and signal to your body that it’s time for rest.

How to create your wind-down routine

If you've ever wondered how to wind down before bed, Prof Banks says the key is to create a consistent routine that helps your mind and body slow down. She suggests starting a wind-down routine 30 to 60 minutes before you want to sleep.

“We hear so much about setting a really good bedtime routine for children because we can’t expect kids to just go to sleep straight away. We do all these things to help signal to them and their brain that it’s time to start getting ready for bed – we want to do that for ourselves, too.”

This may include listening to calm music, dimming the lights and swapping your phone for a book or e-reader on low brightness. Where possible, avoid bright overhead lights, ‘exciting content’ on your phone or TV, or anything that’s too psychologically engaging. You might even want to keep a pen and paper by the bed to capture any final thoughts before you try sleeping. “When you write it down, it’s out of your head,” says Prof Banks.

With the HCF Healthful app, you can log your sleep data and track the progress of your sleep goals^{^}.

What to do if you’re still struggling to sleep

If you’re regularly struggling to fall asleep, Prof Banks believes it’s worth talking to a sleep professional – perhaps a sleep psychologist or respiratory physician – or your GP. “They’re able to think about the symptoms you’re describing and help you seek the right kind of help,” she adds.

Trouble falling or staying asleep, irregular breathing or movement while you sleep, and feeling tired during the day, are common signs of a sleep disorder. Your GP or sleep specialist might recommend you undertake a sleep study to find out what might be impacting your sleep, so they can provide appropriate treatment.

HCF has partnered with GP2U to make it easier for eligible members⁺ to access telehealth services, including a standard GP consultation (up to 10 minutes) for a fee of $50. Eligible rural and remote members^# can access an annual 15-minute online GP consultation with GP2U, at no extra cost.

Eligible members can also claim towards a range of evidence-based online programs through THIS WAY UP, a mental health service developed by psychiatrists and psychologists. The programs are designed to help you understand and improve challenges like insomnia, anxiety and stress^**.

Need extra support for better sleep?

If falling asleep quickly is an ongoing challenge, building healthier sleep habits over time can make a real difference. Thanks to our partnership with Sleepfit Solutions, eligible HCF members^* can get a 12-month subscription to the Sleepfit app, designed to improve sleep and overall wellbeing.