Practice
How to fall asleep fast: why your body has to let go first – and how you can help it.
The more you want to fall asleep, the more awake you become. Sleep can't be forced. But you can create the conditions in which it comes by itself – and those begin in the body.
The BodyIQ editorial team · 10 October 2026 · 5 min read
You're lying in bed, the light is off, it's been a long day. And still your thoughts keep circling, your body feels awake, and the more often you look at the clock, the further away sleep seems to drift.
Almost everyone knows what it's like to struggle to fall asleep. Usually it passes. What helps on nights like these has less to do with willpower than with the state of your nervous system.
Why falling asleep begins in the body
To fall asleep, the nervous system has to switch from an activated mode to a resting mode. Pulse, breathing and muscle tension all drop. If you've been under strain all day, you often take that baseline tension to bed with you: the jaw is tight, the shoulders are pulled up, the breath sits high in the chest.
The overthinking, then, isn't the cause. It is often a sign that the body is still on alert. That's why fighting your thoughts rarely helps. What helps more is showing your body that it is allowed to let go.
What the guideline recommends
For sleep problems that persist, the German S3 guideline on insomnia in adults (updated 2025) recommends CBT-I (cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia) as the first-line treatment. It includes learning about sleep, regular sleep times, relaxation techniques and a deliberately limited window of time in bed. You can try some of these elements for yourself.
Five tips that really help
- A fixed time to get up. Get up at the same time every day, weekends included. This stabilises your sleep rhythm more than a fixed bedtime does.
- Keep the bed for sleep. If you work, scroll or lie awake for long stretches in bed, your bed becomes linked with being awake. If you can't fall asleep, get up, go to another room and only come back when you're tired.
- Dim the lights in the evening. Low light during the last hour before sleep signals to your body that the day is ending.
- Don't look at the clock. Every glance at the clock starts the calculation of how little sleep is left – and wakes your nervous system up.
- Relax your body first. A calm movement or breathing exercise in bed helps your body switch into resting mode. This one, for example:
The lesson: becoming heavy – 6 minutes
The lesson
Becoming heavy
6 minLying in bed- Step 1
Lie as you are
45 secLie down the way you like to fall asleep. Notice which parts of you touch the mattress and which don't. Don't change anything.
- Step 2
Give your weight away
90 secSlowly move your attention upwards from your heels: calves, pelvis, back, shoulders, the back of your head. Let each area sink a tiny bit more heavily into the mattress.
- Step 3
Move your feet
60 secVery slowly curl your toes a little and let them lengthen again. Five times, as slowly as you can. Then simply let them rest.
- Step 4
Soften your face
60 secLet your teeth part slightly, your tongue loosen, your eyes soften behind your eyelids. Notice whether your forehead wants to smooth out.
- Step 5
A long out-breath
75 secBreathe in calmly through your nose and breathe out a little longer. Don't count – just let the out-breath grow a little longer. When thoughts come, return to the out-breath.
- Step 6
Do nothing more
30 secStop practising. Stay lying there and let your breath run by itself.
If you're still awake after the lesson, that's fine. Don't force yourself to repeat it. Better to get up for a short while and come back when you feel tired.
Frequently asked questions
How can I fall asleep fast?
Most likely by stopping trying. Dim lighting, a calm body exercise in bed and a lengthened out-breath can all help. If it doesn't work, get up and only come back when you're tired, rather than lying awake for a long time.
Why can't I fall asleep even though I'm tired?
Being tired and being at rest aren't the same thing. Your body can be exhausted while your nervous system is still in activated mode. Then it first needs signals of safety: slow breathing, relaxed muscles, fewer stimuli.
What should I do if I wake up at night and can't get back to sleep?
Avoid looking at the clock or your phone. Try a calm breathing or movement exercise. If you're still awake after what feels like a quarter of an hour, get up, do something quiet in dim light and go back to bed when you start to feel tired.
When should I see a doctor about sleep problems?
When they happen on several nights a week over a period of weeks and are wearing you down during the day. Then it's worth getting checked. The most effective treatment is CBT-I. In Germany it is also available as a prescribable digital health app.
Sources
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Schlafforschung und Schlafmedizin (DGSM). S3-Leitlinie Insomnie bei Erwachsenen, AWMF-Register 063-003, Version 2.0, 2025. register.awmf.org
- Laborde S, Allen MS, Borges U, et al. Effects of voluntary slow breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability: A systematic review and a meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews. 2022. fis.dshs-koeln.de
This article offers orientation and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. Feldenkrais is movement education.
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