My Sleeping Technique To Fall Asleep Faster

I used to dread bedtime. I'd crawl under the covers exhausted yet wide awake, my mind racing with worries and random thoughts. Midnight would pass, then 2 A.M., and I’d still be tossing and turning, pleading with my brain to please shut off so I could finally sleep. Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. In fact, a report by the American Psychological Association found that nearly two-thirds of Americans aren’t sleeping as well as they want to​. I was definitely one of them.

I tried everything I could think of to conquer my insomnia. I stocked my nightstand with lavender sprays and chamomile tea. I experimented with melatonin gummies, counting sheep, guided meditations, and even bizarre tricks like wearing socks to bed or hanging blackout curtains. Yet, night after night, I found myself staring at the ceiling in frustration. 

The harder I tried to force myself to sleep, the more elusive sleep became. It turns out I was making a classic mistake: overthinking the act of sleeping. As productivity coach Darius Foroux wisely noted, “sleep is something we can’t force”​. The more we fret and fuss about it, the harder it gets to drift off. And boy, did I learn that the hard way.

The More I Tried, the Harder It Got

During that period, I devoured every article and video about “hacks” for better sleep. There’s no shortage of advice out there – entire books and countless studies have been dedicated to improving sleep​. I transformed my bedroom into a mini-sleep laboratory: optimizing the temperature, banning blue light, practicing breathing exercises... You name it, I attempted it. 

Yet my overloaded mind was working against me. Every new tip just gave me one more thing to worry about at night (“Is the thermostat set just right? Did I do my 4-7-8 breathing correctly?”). In my desperation to fix my sleep, I had made bedtime an anxiety-inducing checklist.

One late night, as I scrolled through articles on my phone (yes, I know—major sleep no-no), I stumbled upon an intriguing piece on Medium by Darius Foroux titled “My Fail-Proof Sleeping Technique to Fall Asleep Faster.” The title felt like a lifeline. Fail-proof? Falling asleep faster was exactly what I needed. Skeptical but curious, I started reading. Instead of an elaborate multi-step regimen, Darius’s approach was shockingly simple. He suggested that we stop overcomplicating sleep and focus on just one essential thing that makes all the difference​.

This immediately struck a chord. I realized I had been doing the opposite: juggling ten different “essential” bedtime rituals and overanalyzing each one. According to Darius, those rituals (like special supplements or strict pre-sleep routines) might help, but they're “not the determining factor” for good sleep​. The determining factor, he argued, comes long before you ever crawl into bed. I sat up (ironically, even more awake now) and kept reading, excited to learn what that one thing could be.

One Thing That Changed Everything

Darius posed a powerful question: “What’s one essential thing about sleep that makes all the other things less important?”​ In other words, if we had to strip away all the noise and choose a single factor to improve our sleep, what would it be? His philosophy was to seek that one big domino that, when knocked over, makes the rest fall into place.

He gave a relatable example from his own life. As an avid runner, he used to obsess over doing everything perfectly – running faster, running longer, tweaking his technique, trying special diets and training programs. Not surprisingly, he got stuck and didn't see much improvement​. All those competing goals were wearing him out. So, he tried a different approach: simplifying down to one focus. In his case, he chose consistency – just running a moderate amount 2–3 times a week, every week​. No fancy training plan, no complex metrics. Just consistent practice. The result? He actually became faster and stronger over time by focusing on less.

This story hit home for me. It made me reflect on how I was approaching my sleep problem. I was like past Darius, frantically juggling many tactics and seeing no progress. What if I, too, threw out the laundry list of sleep hacks and honed in on one key thing? Maybe I could find a way to simplify my strategy and finally see results.

According to Darius, that one key thing for better sleep is startlingly straightforward: Have a good day, and the night will take care of itself. In his words, a “good day’s work” is his strategy for falling asleep within 15 minutes of hitting the pillow​. At first, I did a double-take. Wait, the secret to a good night’s sleep is... how I spend my day? This wasn’t the magic pill or quick fix I might have hoped for, but as I let the idea sink in, it started to make profound sense.

Think about it: on days when you’ve been truly active, engaged, and productive, don’t you just collapse into bed and conk out? Versus days when you’ve been bored or sedentary, and your brain still buzzes at 2 A.M. because it hasn’t had enough stimulation or accomplishment? I know I’ve experienced that. Darius’s article was essentially reminding me of a truth I had overlooked: a tired body and a content mind fall asleep easily. And to get those, you need to live your day fully.

A Good Day’s Work – My Fail-Proof Sleep Technique

Armed with this insight, I decided to transform my approach to sleep from a nighttime focus to a whole-day mission. Instead of asking, “What can I do at 10 P.M. to sleep better?”, I started asking, “What can I do at 10 A.M. (and throughout the day) so that come bedtime, sleep will happen naturally?”

The answer boiled down to one core principle: earn your sleep. By the time you climb into bed, you want to feel that pleasant wave of tiredness that comes from a day well spent. Here’s how I went about it:

Give 100% to Your Daily Work: Whether it was office projects, studying, or even errands, I committed to being fully engaged with whatever I did each day. Darius described how as a writer he’ll sit at his desk for hours, laser-focused on making real progress – no chitchat, no social media, no clowning around​. I took this to heart.

I started minimizing distractions (goodbye endless scrolling and random YouTube rabbit holes during work hours) and set clear goals for my day. If I was working on a report, I poured my energy into it. If I was cleaning the apartment, I turned up the music and made it a mini-workout. By fully engaging in my tasks, I found that I not only got more done (nice bonus!) but also felt more mentally satisfied and pleasantly fatigued by evening.

Move Your Body Every Day: Physical activity became non-negotiable. I’m not a gym rat, but Darius’s advice isn’t about punishing yourself with extreme workouts – it’s about any form of movement that gets your blood flowing daily​. I started small: a 20-minute walk at lunchtime, some light stretching or a quick bike ride after work. 

On more energetic days, I’d hit the gym or go for a swim. Even tackling household chores counted (you’d be surprised how cleaning the garage can wear you out!). The key was to avoid spending the entire day glued to a chair. By night, my body earned that delightful heaviness in the limbs signaling it’s time to rest. As Darius puts it, when you’re “on your feet all day long, you will be tired by the evening”​ and he’s right. After a day of even moderate exercise and movement, my body welcomed sleep instead of resisting it.

Stay Mentally Engaged (Do Things You Enjoy): One thing I noticed was that if I spent my day doing dreary, soul-sucking tasks, I might be physically tired at night but still mentally restless or unfulfilled. So I made it a point to inject something I enjoyed into each day. Sometimes that was working on a personal hobby (like practicing guitar for 30 minutes) or calling a friend to chat and laugh. Sometimes it was as simple as reading a chapter of a great book or cooking a new recipe for dinner. These little moments of joy and interest kept my mind engaged in a healthy way. By bedtime, I wasn’t dreading the next day or stewing in boredom – I had a sense of contentment that made it easier to unwind.

After implementing these changes, I remember one particular night where the difference became clear. That day, I had fully immersed myself in preparing a big presentation at work. It was challenging and required intense focus, but by late afternoon I felt proud of what I’d accomplished. I treated myself to a relaxing jog in the park after work, had a hearty dinner, and even spent an hour playing a fun board game with my family. By 10:30 P.M., my eyes were heavy.

As I lay down, I felt calm and ready for sleep – no racing thoughts, no residual energy. I simply drifted off. In fact, I fell asleep so fast that I didn’t even remember falling asleep at all (you know that feeling when your alarm surprises you because it seems like you just closed your eyes?). It was the best night’s sleep I’d had in ages, and all I did was live my day in a way that naturally paved the path for good sleep.

From then on, whenever someone asked me, “Do you have any tips for falling asleep faster?” I would smile and share this revelation: it’s not so much about what you do right before bed, but what you do from the moment you get up. A good day’s work leads to a good night’s sleep. It sounds almost too simple to be true, but this was the fail-proof technique that finally worked for me. By being active and engaged throughout the day, I was effectively setting the stage for my body and mind to power down at night, without struggle.

Fixing My Day (and Life) to Fix My Sleep

While adopting this “earn your sleep” philosophy, I encountered an unexpected but important truth: if you hate your daily life, it’s really hard to sleep well at night. Darius put it bluntly: “None of these things work if you’re miserable at work, or if you don’t enjoy your lifestyle.” In fact, “if you dislike your life so much that you’re not engaged throughout the day, you don’t get tired in the evening”​. Ouch. That one hit me in the gut.

At first, I thought, do I really have to address my overall lifestyle just to sleep better? But the more I thought about it, the more it rang true. Think of those days when you’re bored, unmotivated, or aimless – maybe you spent 8 hours half-working, half-scrolling social media, or you had nothing meaningful to do so you just binge-watched TV all day. Personally, I’ve been there, especially during a period when I was stuck in a job I didn’t like. I’d drag through the day, feeling blah and unfulfilled. By evening I was technically tired, yet when I tried to sleep, my brain would rebel. 

I’d feel oddly wired, as if my mind was making up for the lack of stimulation by wandering into worries and overthinking. It’s a strange state: your body feels fatigued but your mind is restless. Darius described it perfectly – when we live without aim or engagement, the mind “just wanders and takes you to dark places”​. In my case, lying in the dark, I’d often spiral into negative thoughts, replaying disappointments or fearing future uncertainties. No wonder I couldn’t sleep! I had unintentionally created the perfect breeding ground for insomnia: a dissatisfied day leading to a racing mind at night.

So, I took this as a sign that improving my sleep meant improving my day, in a holistic sense. It wasn’t just about doing more work or exercise; it was also about finding a sense of purpose and enjoyment in my routine. I started by identifying one thing each day to look forward to. If work was dull, I’d make plans after work that excited me, like attending a fun class or working on a personal project. 

If I felt aimless, I’d set a small goal – for example, during one week I challenged myself to cook a new recipe each night, which gave me a creative goal to pursue. These little aims gave my day structure and meaning. As human beings, we need to aim for something to feel alive​. Even people who seem like they’re doing nothing have something they’re aiming for (even if that aim is just to relax and do nothing deliberately!).

Once I started actively shaping my days to be more engaging, two big things happened. First, I was happier. I began to genuinely enjoy my life more when I filled my time with activities and goals that mattered to me. And second, my nights got easier. I noticed that on days when I had a clear purpose or at least a sense of accomplishment, I’d fall asleep peacefully, with a slight smile even. On the contrary, on days when I felt useless or lost, the old insomnia monster would creep back. The pattern was undeniable: happy day = restful night, troubled day = troubled sleep.

If you’re reading this and struggling with sleep, you might consider this question: Is there something about my days that’s keeping me up at night? It could be as straightforward as not expending enough energy (mental or physical) or as deep as not finding meaning in what you do. In my case, it was a mix of both. The good news is that these are things you can change. It might mean shaking up your routine, picking up a new hobby, setting a fitness goal, or even reevaluating a job or relationship that’s draining you. 

These are lifestyle changes, and they can sound intimidating, but start small. Even a tiny change – like taking a short walk every afternoon, or journaling about a goal you want to pursue – can inject that bit of engagement and purpose into your day that helps quiet your mind at night.

Making Sleep an Afterthought

After a few weeks of practicing this fail-proof technique, I noticed something profound: I had stopped worrying about sleep so much. It sounds paradoxical, but by shifting my focus to having fulfilling days, I naturally began to let go of the nighttime anxiety. Sleep became, as Darius put it, an “afterthought”​. Instead of lying in bed thinking “Why can’t I sleep? I need to sleep NOW!”, I’d slip into bed already half-dreaming, because I was genuinely tired and ready. I’d close my eyes and drift off within minutes – sometimes within seconds.

It’s hard to overstate how magical this felt. For someone who spent years treating sleep like an agonizing nightly battle, to have it become the easiest, most natural thing… it was life-changing. I started to trust my body again. I knew that if I took care of living my day to the fullest, my body would take care of the night. No more overthinking, no elaborate sleep hacks. Just a simple lifestyle shift.

To be clear, I still maintain some basic good sleep hygiene habits (I won’t pretend I never dim the lights or avoid late-night caffeine), but I consider those as supportive roles. The star of the show is truly what happens during the day. Whenever I stick to the principle of engaging deeply in work, moving my body, and finding joy or purpose, I reliably fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. 

On the rare off-day when I slip back into old patterns (hello lazy Sunday of doing absolutely nothing but scrolling my phone), I feel the difference at night – and it reminds me to return to these core principles the next day.

In the end, the biggest takeaway I learned from this journey is beautifully simple: a good night’s sleep starts the moment you wake up. By focusing on that one big thing – living your day fully – you set in motion a chain of events that makes falling asleep almost automatic. I used to think of sleep as something I had to fight for or induce with tricks. Now I think of it as something that happens to me when I’ve earned it with a healthy, active, and meaningful day.

So if you’re tired of being tired, consider this fail-proof technique for yourself. Spend your daytime hours in a way you can be proud of – work hard, play hard, learn, move, connect, do something that matters to you. Then, when night comes, allow yourself to let go. With your body pleasantly weary and your mind content, you might find that you nod off easier than you ever expected. 

In my case, I went from insomniac to someone who can gladly say: “Sleep? Oh, I don’t even worry about that anymore.” After all, “the moment sleep becomes an afterthought in your life, you know you’re sleeping well”​. Sweet dreams!