5 Expert Sleep Hacks to Drift Off Easily and Wake Sharper Every Day, from the Military Method to Snerdling

If you're searching for a smart sleep hack to help you finally doze off, you are not alone.

An estimated 50 to 70* million adults in the US are struggling every night to achieve restorative rest, with more people than ever turning to expert tricks to get to sleep faster, and stay snoozing soundly for the entire night.

As the resident Sleep Editor at Homes & Gardens, I've spoken to experts in the field and delved into the five best professional hacks to help you sleep better and wake up feeling refreshed.

These Are the Best Sleep Hacks to Try at Home

1. The Military Sleep Method

The Military Sleep Method is famed as being a super simple technique to help you drift off in less than two minutes. In a nutshell, it's a meditative technique that helps your body relax.

The technique gets its name from its origins in the US Army, and it was first introduced in a 1981 book by Lloyd 'Bud' Winter, titled Relax and Win: Championship Performance, which is available on Amazon.

In the book, the author explains that, as sleep is so important for those in the Army, the technique was integrated into US soldiers' routines to help them get their full eight hours a night, so they could ensure they were fully alert while they trained and worked.

Dave Gibson, sleep therapist and founder of The Sleep Site, explains, 'The Military Sleep method was created by the United States Navy Pre-Flight School to help pilots fall asleep in two minutes or less. The main focus is to relax each body part in sequence, from your face to your toes.

'Then, once your body is relaxed, you clear your mind by thinking of a relaxing scene, such as being in a boat on a lake.'

The technique is very similar to a system called Progressive Muscle Relaxation or PMR. Dave adds, 'It involves tensing your muscles on your in-breath, squeezing your muscles as you hold your breath, and then relaxing your muscles as you breathe out. You’d aim to breathe out longer than you breathe in to help relax your nervous system and start from the feet up.'

Here's how to try it for yourself:

1. Breathe: Breathe gently in through your nose and out through your mouth.
2. Relax your face: Let your jaw ease, and release any tension in your lips, eyebrows, and forehead.
3. Relax your upper body: Next, concentrate on relaxing your whole upper body, freeing any tension.
4. Relax each leg.
5. Clear your mind: Try to empty your mind of any stress and thoughts, instead envisioning calming scenarios.
6. Keep breathing.

Like most things, don't be frustrated if this technique doesn't work instantly for you – you may need a little practice, or to make some tweaks to suit you.

For example, you may find it helps to breathe out longer than you breathe in, to help slow your heart rate and fully relax the nervous system, or that organizing your cluttered bedroom for better sleep makes an impactful difference.

Head of Solved, Punteha van Terheyden, has suffered difficulty sleeping for years due to multiple chronic, painful health conditions. She says, 'I've tried this before, and it really does work.

'If you find it hard at first, try playing a 10-minute YouTube body-scanning audio. It helps you understand how to release the tension in each area, and I've found it to be a game-changer on the hardest nights.'

Using Sleep Headphones, available at Amazon, will level up this experience as the ear pieces as built in for comfort. Alternatively, just play the audio from your phone or a speaker – my favorite is the Ultimate Ears Boom 4, also available at Amazon. It's a little pricey, but I've had mine for over eight years, and it's still going strong.

2. The 478 Sleep Method

Breathwork has become increasingly popular over the last few years, to help you relax, cure anxiety and even allow fall asleep faster.

The 478 method is a breathing technique that allows your body to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system to slow down your heart rate and blood pressure, which is the perfect condition in order to fall into a deep sleep.

Our regular contributor, Sarah Finley, put it to the test and admits, 'To begin with, I found the method slightly odd. It felt forced, and instead of feeling sleepy, I just felt wide awake. But I relaxed as I started to breathe in rhythm, and concentrating on the breathing meant I forgot about the stresses of the day.'

This makes sense – a couple of recent studies also show just how effective this breathing method is, with one Physiological Report, entitled Effects of sleep deprivation and 4‐7‐8 breathing control on heart rate variability, blood pressure, blood glucose, and endothelial function in healthy young adults, finding that the breathing method helped with students' heart rate levels as they fell asleep.

Sarah adds, 'The first few times I practiced the breathing method, it took me slightly longer to fall asleep, but before I knew it, I was waking up and wondering why I’d worried about falling asleep.

'It's been three weeks since I started using this sleeping method, and I find it very effective after a stressful day. When I can’t quite drift off to sleep naturally, the method gives me a point of focus and relaxes my whole body, allowing me to drift off.'

If this is the first time you’ve heard of the 478 sleep method, it's not complicated, and you can even try it when you are not in bed to reduce nervous system stress levels, though it will work best in bed, paired with your most comfortable and best pillow – the Brooklinen Marlow Pillow is our top pick.

Here's how:

1. Find a comfortable position or lie down, with a comforter or blanket over you. You may choose to use a weighted blanket, such as the non-toxic Bare Home Weighted Blanket, available at Amazon. You can rest your hands by your side or gently on your stomach.
2. Inhale gently and steadily through your nose for four seconds, directing the air down into your diaphragm.
3. Hold your breath for seven seconds (you can build this up from a count of two if you need a bit longer to settle into it).
4. Exhale slowly and steadily through your nose for eight seconds, emptying your lungs.
5. Repeat the cycle of steps two to four for up to 10 rounds.
6. Return to a light and effortless breath as you drift off to sleep.
7. Repeat the steps if needed.

This method works by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation and healing. In turn, this reduces anxiety and stress, and can improve your sleep quality, too.

If you find yourself yawning, it's working. Yawning indicates that your parasympathetic nervous system has been activated, so keep yawning.

And, if you don't want to count as you drift into sleep, you can also simply extend your exhales, which will signal to your mind and body that you are safe to rest.

3. The Scandinavian Sleep Method

While not a 'sleep hack' per se, the Scandinavian Sleep Method is often touted as the key to a great night's sleep, even if you share a bed with your partner.

After all, couples who share a bed don't always sleep better. Be it through duvet hogging, leg kicking, or even star-fishing, it's quite common for a partner to disturb your sleep.

That's where this clever method, also known as 'Sleep Divorce,' comes in handy, as it involves sleeping with separate duvets instead of sharing one. Simply put, switching out your best duvet for two individual singles could be the key to undisturbed sleep. It's also ideal for keeping a bed cool in summer, too.

While the Scandinavian Sleep Method may seem unusual, it does have some real advantages, explains sleep specialist Dr Walt Pickut from easysleepguide.

He shares the benefits:

• Personalized comfort: 'Each partner having their own duvet allows for customized comfort,' says Dr Walt. 'You can choose the thickness and material that suits you best, without compromising your partner's preferences. This could potentially lead to fewer sleep disturbances, and hence better quality sleep.' 
• Temperature regulation: If you're a hot sleeper, lying next to someone will make you hotter, as you both transfer body heat. Separate duvets will ensure your temperature stays regulated as much as possible. Getting your own cooling duvet or comforter is likely the best solution here. It also means you both have enough duvets. James Wilson, aka The Sleep Geek, adds, 'Separate duvets not only give a better temperature for sleep, but also stop you from fighting over who has the most duvet, too. Win, win.'
• Motion isolation: The arrangement of having your own duvet means you're less likely to kick or nudge your partner in the night, giving you more freedom to move around.

If you're worried about any gapping between you letting in cold air, you can always size up on your singles to ensure there's sufficient overlap.

The only real downside to consider, though, is cost: Buying two separate duvets will be more expensive than one – even when opting for single or twin sizes, though you can negate this by opting for more affordable picks, such as the SANDGRÄSMAL Duvet insert, available at IKEA.

However, if there is anything worth investing in, it's sleep.

4. Bed Rotting, or 'Snerdling'

You may have heard of the distastefully named 'bed rotting,' which refers to lying in bed scrolling, watching TV, or just doing nothing at all.

English etymologist Susie Dent revealed on X that she prefers to 'think of it as snerdling, from snerdle, an eighteenth-century verb that means to wrap up cozily in bed and hold off the day for a little longer.'

Many of us enjoy spending a lazy day in bed from time to time, and doing so can help us feel more rested and relaxed, but it's important to stop 'bed rotting' before it makes us actually feel more rotten, instead finding ways to help us to reset.

Here are some of my favorite ways to make your snerdling more intentional:

• Set a time limit: We're not saying you can't spend time doing nothing in bed – doing so is really one of life's simple pleasures. But, you may find you benefit from saying to yourself, I'll spend the morning in bed, and then I'll get up and do one thing I enjoy, for example. This can be something as simple as going for a walk, or even just brewing a coffee with your best coffee maker.
• Create a cozy, comforting environment: Prioritize self-care. Light your best candle, play soft music, or snuggle under your weighted blanket. Just make sure you know how heavy a weighted blanket should be for ultimate comfort.
• Use the time positively: Though still relaxing in bed, you may choose to journal, using a journal notebook, available at Amazon, read, or let your mind wander without judgment or screens.
• Remind yourself that rest is not laziness.

I asked Dr. Joseph Dzierzewski, SVP of Research and Scientific Affairs at the National Sleep Foundation, why he thinks bed rotting is gaining traction.

'Bed rotting might appeal to people for a number of reasons, including a desire to escape from the daily hustle and bustle in an attempt to get some much-needed rest and recovery,' he explains.

'National Sleep Foundation research shows that the majority of adults, six out of every 10 people, are not getting enough sleep, and the majority of us are not satisfied with the little sleep we do get.'

'As a society, we are tired, and often looking for solutions,' Dr. Joseph continues. 'The bed rotting trend is something people are turning to for help. At its core, bed rotting is an extreme focus on rest.

'Self-care is so important to our health and wellbeing – yet it is very important to make sure the method of self-care does not come with any unanticipated side effects, such as poor night-time sleep.'

So, that's why I prefer to positively re-frame 'bed rotting' as 'snerdling,' and look at is as an excuse to take a moment to rest, watch television, read, watch a film, or listen to my favorite podcast.

The key? Keep firmly away from doom-scrolling. This will ensure you don't let hours slip away unaccounted for, and actually rest your mind.

It's also important to keep an eye out for any signs that this method is becoming an unhealthy behaviour, which may look like spending multiple days in bed, or leading to a low mood, lack of motivation, negative thoughts, increased anxiety or sadness, and the exclusion of important activities.

Dr. Leah Kaylor, in an extract from her book, If Sleep Were a Drug, available at Amazon, adds, 'By treating your bed as a multipurpose space for work, entertainment, and relaxation, you inadvertently blur the association between the bed and sleep, making it harder for your brain to recognize the bed as a cue for rest.'

If you experience prolonged low mood, contact your primary care physician, in case there is an underlying biological cause or imbalance impacting your ability to rest fully.

5. Claridge's Duvet-Tucking Technique

Creating the perfect sleep environment comes down to a number of factors, but one important element is often overlooked, according to Claridge’s.

Housekeeping experts at the iconic Mayfair hotel in London, England, have revealed that a bedroom’s temperature could be stopping you from getting a good night’s sleep.

The answer, they say, is found in Claridge’s Duvet-Tucking Technique – a method that is a staple at the London landmark.

Anne Barnes, the deputy director of Housekeeping at Claridges, explains that the main secret to sleeping the Claridge's way is tucking the bottom of the duvet under the mattress, while leaving the sides loose. You can use a sheet holder, available at Amazon, to keep it in place.

‘We tuck the bottom of every duvet under the mattress for style but leave the sides loose for ventilation and ease,' she shares. 'You don’t want to feel restricted when you’re trying to sleep.'

Claridge’s Duvet-Tucking technique is at the peak of all luxury bedroom ideas, but what do sleep experts suggest?

Dorothy Chambers at Sleep Junkie points towards evidence that we sleep better in cooler environments – meaning ventilation is key.

‘Whether you prefer your duvet tucked or untucked, the only thing that can be said for certain is that we sleep better in a cooler environment,’ she says. ‘Be sure to allow plenty of airflow through the room, and you should be able to drift off soundly.

Leaving a window slightly open, if safe and possible, can improve ventilation in your bedroom – and you should open your windows, even in winter.

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Meet the Experts

Dave Gibson

Dave Gibson is a sleep expert and founder of The Sleep Site, a website that provides advice on how to get the best sleep possible. He has over 20 years in healthcare providing advice, advice, support, and intervention across a wide range of conditions to promote good sleep patterns and quality sleep.

James Wilson

James Wilson, (AKA The Sleep Geek) is a sleep expert. He's helped hundreds of thousands of poor sleepers sleep better, (including himself) by developing the Sleep Geek approach. This believes having a better understanding of our own sleep, and access to simple and effective resources can help improve our sleep.

Dr Walt Pickut

Dr Walt Pickut holds a Master of Science degree in medical physiology, board registry in polysomnographic technology (RPSGT), and registry as a sleep disorder specialist (RRT-SDS) awarded by NBRC, with seven years of experience in hospital-based sleep labs. In addition, while serving as director of education for the Anesthesiology Department at Jersey City Medical Center early in my career, he completed all hospital-based clinical rotations in Clinical Diagnosis through New Jersey College of Medicine.

Dr. Joseph Dzierzewski

Dr. Dzierzewski is the Senior Vice President of Research & Scientific Affairs at the National Sleep Foundation. In this role, he is charged with leading NSF’s scientific platform, which includes overseeing the development of NSF’s sleep health guidelines and sleep health research activities.

Dr. Leah Kaylor

Dr. Leah Kaylor is a licensed clinical psychologist for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. She specializes in trauma and sleep.

Sarah Finley

Sarah is a freelance journalist, covering a variety of subjects including sleep, health and fitness, beauty, and travel.

Do you know how Scandinavians organize their bedrooms? The key for sleep, they say, is organizing a calm and orderly space.

*According to research conducted by HelpGuide.org.