By Hannah Baxter Wellness 15.08.2024

"I've Always Been a Troubled Sleeper – These 5 Tricks Made It Easier"

Whether at home or on the road, this is my vetted plan to catch some zzz’s.

After trying (and failing) to fall asleep quickly, Brooklyn-based beauty editor and creator of bi-monthly Substack Anxiety Beer Hannah Baxter shares the proven strategies that help her drift off with ease.

For someone who enjoys sleeping as much as I do, I’ve always had difficulty drifting off to dreamland. Sure, once I get there I can snooze for ten hours like I’m a teenager again, but sleep eludes me more often than I care to admit. Racing mind? Check. Endless to-do list? Check. Sensitive to sounds? Absolutely.

It’s also a cruel twist of fate that everyone in my family is a highly accomplished sleeper, able to doze off in a matter of minutes. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve watched a movie with my sister, mom, dad, or boyfriend, glanced over, and they’re conked out within the first 10 minutes, volume on high, while I’m still wide awake until the credits roll. How is it so easy for them and so hard for me to get a little shut eye? Plus, when you travel as much as I do for work – I have an album on my phone dedicated to beautiful hotel beds – confronting jet lag and an entirely new sleeping arrangement can make the process even more stressful, and therefore much less conducive to falling asleep easily.

So, what’s a troubled sleeper left to do when you’re exhausted and ready for bed, but worried that a change of scenery and disruption to your routine could leave you tossing and turning for hours? Or if you’re like me and just generally struggle to fall asleep quickly? To start, don’t panic – there are plenty of steps to take to help ease the process. It’s all about honing in on a consistent wind down regimen (and replicating that wherever you rest your head at night) whether that’s certain products or just adjusting the space to facilitate a restorative night’s sleep.

Keep reading for five of my certified fitful sleeper and traveler-tested tips to bid your restlessness “goodnight” and drift into a peaceful slumber.

1. Turn the room temperature way down

There’s nothing cosier than curling up in a fluffy down comforter with only your face bare to a slightly chilly room. It’s one of my favourite activities. You’re not imagining that you fall asleep easier when the temperature is lower either – there’s plenty of research to support the fact that the best temp for efficient and restful sleep is around 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius). Of course depending on the season or where I’m traveling to, the weather might be closer to a blistering heat wave (as it is in NYC right now) which is definitely not the best environment for dozing off. I always make sure to check the air conditioning before crawling into bed and set it for a few degrees cooler. I also position a fan next to the bed or throw open a window if the temperature drops overnight to have a relaxing breeze while I slumber.

2. Avoid your phone in bed

Not only does your cell phone stimulate your brain and make it harder to turn off those racing thoughts, the blue light it emits can disrupt your body's production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep. Staring at it up until I want to fall asleep is disastrous for anyone who takes longer to settle in for the night. Take it from me, once I’m ready to get into bed, I set my alarm and then turn it upside down so I’m not tempted to scroll. Or better yet, I use a proper alarm clock and leave my phone in another room until the morning when I’m travelling since hotel alarm clocks are usually quite fancy. I still want a bit of nighttime entertainment to wind down so I reach for a book to read for 30 minutes before bed. It’s relaxing and a perfect way to disconnect from the digital world when I’ve been in front of a computer and my phone for most of the workday.

3. Develop a bedtime routine

Routine and consistency are the best methods to signal to your body that it’s time to fall asleep. For me, that looks like a 7-step skincare routine, reading in bed, and applying a hand mask and lip balm. No matter where I am in the world for the night, once I begin this process I know that it’s time to calm my thoughts and get into the sleepy time zone. This is particularly helpful when I’m travelling and my environment is different, which can admittedly hamper my ability to drift off to sleep. Even if I have to abbreviate parts of my routine (I typically shorten my product regimen for a hotel stay), I try my best to keep the steps uniform so my brain and body register what’s about to happen.

4. Create a pillow nest

I am on a constant quest to find the best fluffy pillows for my bed, which is why I so thoroughly enjoy sleeping in a hotel – the down pillow situation is always top notch. I tend to get a little creative with my pillow arrangement and create a “U” shape so my head and neck are supported no matter which direction I turn. That’s led me to upgrade my at-home pillow collection to longer, fluffier options from some of my favourite hotel brands. And when I’m travelling solo, I go all out and call the concierge for a few extra pillows. Then I line them up on each side of my body for head-to-toe comfort! It helps me feel extra snuggled and secure for some of the best sleep of my life.

5. Embrace a sound machine

Although the phone isn’t necessarily welcome in the bedroom, not all technology is bad when it comes to falling asleep. For fitful sleepers, a sound machine can help to drown out any unwelcome sounds while also preventing your mind from wandering too much as you drift off. I converted to a rainfall soundtrack a few years ago and never looked back. While a standalone machine is useful for my home bedroom, there are plenty of travel-friendly apps that can create realistic waves, thunderstorms, or good old fashioned white noise, all of which can help me fall asleep more easily. I turn on the track and place my phone screen down so the light isn’t shining throughout the night. Then I’m drifting off to sleep in no time.