Adeel ul-haq, a sleep expert, has shared his secrets to a good night’s sleep, including the one technique he uses to fall asleep in less than two minutes
It’s estimated that nearly one in five people in the UK don’t get enough sleep. This can impact physical and mental health. However, sleep expert Adeel ul-haq claims to have a night-time routine that allows him to fall asleep within two minutes.
He says using it can see you enjoy up to 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Adeel has shared several secrets to achieving a good night’s sleep.
And it includes his own method for drifting off in roughly 100 seconds, reports Surrey Live. You need to look at a number of things to improve your sleep – find out more below.
Exercise and diet
Adeel said: “I always try to exercise for an hour a day. This can be anything from walking to going to the gym. It doesn’t have to be complicated. As long as I get to move around, it helps me feel more tired when it comes to bedtime.
“However, I never exercise rigorously after 6pm as studies have shown this can have a negative effect on your sleep. For me, exercising early in the morning allows me to go about my daily routine and feel tired when I jump into bed and I can fall asleep in less than two minutes.
“The food you put into your body can help with your sleep too. I notice any time I don’t eat well, maybe a takeaway late in the evening or on the weekend, then my sleep suffers.
“Spicy foods before bedtime can increase the chance of heartburn and indigestion, foods such as red peppers can increase your core temperature making it difficult to fall asleep. If you do like spicy foods, I wouldn’t recommend eating them more than 3 hours before your bedtime. Instead, aim to eat foods such as almonds, turkey, kiwi, salmon, mackerel and white rice throughout the day can give you vital nutrients needed for sleep.”
Getting ready
Adeel told BunkBeds.co.uk: “Having a regular routine is one of the best ways of falling asleep every night. If you can train your body to fall asleep at the same time and wake up at the same time then your sleep will improve. I do this by setting two alarms every day. The first to wake me up, the second to when I start my nighttime routine.
“When the second alarm sounds, I will begin my sleep routine where I will have a warm bath around 2 hours before bedtime. This allows my body time to cool down, which tells my body it’s time for sleep.”
Creating the perfect environment
Adeel said: “All electronic devices are banned from my bedroom, as blue light can interfere with melatonin production which disrupts our sleep. I did try using blue light glasses in the past, but I have the best sleep when I don’t use my phone before bed.
“I ensure my bedroom is dark, and set the thermostat to 16.5°C as a slightly cooler room is easier to fall asleep in. You may want to find the temperature that works best for you – I’d recommend anywhere from 16-18°C.”
Dropping off within 2 minutes
For many of us, nodding off can be the most difficult aspect of securing a proper night’s rest. Racing thoughts frequently lead to anxieties that make it hard to unwind, which is crucial for sleep.
To tackle this challenge, Adeel employs the military sleep method. “If I don’t fall asleep quickly then my mind starts to wander and it can keep me up for hours, so I use the military sleep technique to get to sleep quickly.
“The technique involves deep breathing, muscle relaxation and visualisation and it’s one of the best ways that I have found to fall asleep quickly.
“All you need to do is lie flat on your back, close your eyes and breathe slowly. Next, visualise your body and go from head to toe relaxing individual body parts.
“Try to picture yourself sinking into your bed, while taking deep but slow breaths. If you don’t get it right away, don’t panic, keep practising and you will find yourself nodding off in no time at all.”