11 Old-Fashioned Tricks For Falling Asleep That Actually Work

For years, people have touted the importance of getting your beauty sleep in order to stay fresh and vibrant. But it’s so much more than that — getting your full eight hours can help your whole body repair and recharge itself.

“Sleep (along with sex and exercise) increases output of the … growth hormone,” Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author of the best-selling book Fatigued to Fantastic!, tells Bustle. This hormone can help repair your tissues, and that can, in turn, keep you feeling more refreshed.

The darker you can make your room, the better. As Leslie Fischer, founder of SustainableSlumber.com tells Bustle, “The blue wavelength from our devices and fluorescent bulbs actually suppresses melatonin, a hormone that is essential to falling asleep.” So make a point of turning off your TV and putting away your phone and/or laptop before bed.

But candles (if you keep them safely away from your bed and curtains) could be a nice middle ground, if you’re looking to create a soothing atmosphere. “Candlelight has a red tone, which does not interfere with melatonin production,” says Fischer. Just make sure to blow them out before you fall asleep.

If anyone’s ever told you to get rest up before “your big game” they were totally right. “You can improve your athletic abilities by sleeping a full eight hours a night,” Keith Cushner, founder of the sleep portal Tuck.com, tells Bustle. “During the last quarter of your sleep, your brain secretes calcium into your motor cortex which actually helps improve muscle memory so assuming you’ve been training this will help with performance.”