How Well Do Those Viral Sleep Hacks Actually Work? An Expert Weighs In

It shouldn't be that hard to fall asleep within the first few minutes of closing your eyes. Nevertheless, it is: One in three Americans have trouble falling asleep at night, according to the National Institutes of Health. People may struggle to get a good night's rest or stay asleep due to issues with chronic pain, nicotine usage, hormonal changes, pregnancy and menopause, medication, sleep apnea or mental health, according to Dr. Keisha Sullivan, a doctor of osteopathic and family medicine and a sleep medicine specialist with Kaiser Permanente in Largo, Maryland. 

There's plenty of advice online about how to have a better night's sleep, go to sleep quicker and stay asleep longer. That doesn't mean any of it is correct or scientifically backed. Many of the too-good-to-be-true sleep tricks you find in your social media feed aren't going to solve your slumber dilemmas. Here's what will. 

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I gathered up some of the internet's common sleep hacks and recommendations and asked Sullivan to approve or debunk the conventional sleep wisdom we see online. From the best position for sleeping to the breathing techniques that work, here's what I learned. 

For more sleep tips, here's a look at CBD as a natural sleep aid, and here's how you can stop allergies from ruining your sleep. 

10 common sleep tips, approved and debunked 

Keep your bedroom temperature between 62-68 degrees Fahrenheit

Sullivan recommends keeping your bedroom even cooler, at 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit. Keeping your room between these temperatures will lower your body temperature and help you fall asleep, she explains. 

Read more: Create The Perfect Sleep Environment in 7 Easy Steps

Red lights help produce melatonin 

One tip I found online encouraged turning on red wavelength lights at night because this light allegedly produces melatonin, the naturally occurring hormone that helps us get to sleep. 

A 2012 study conducted on 20 women athletes found that when the group was exposed to 30 minutes of red light therapy, the group displayed improved sleep, melatonin levels and endurance performance. CNET's sister site Healthline explained that while the research behind red light and sleep is promising, more research is needed to fully examine its implications. 

This tip to have red wavelength lights on at night, according to Sullivan, doesn't have much scientific backing. She did note that exposure to blue light, like smartphones, tablets and other screens, before bedtime can disrupt your sleep and suppress melatonin production, however. 

Read more: Best Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Stay away from your bed and bedroom until you're ready to fall asleep 

This tip is true. Our brains, no matter how evolved and complex they may be, simply associate different spaces with a select number of actions: you eat in your kitchen, you relax in your living room, you work at your desk and you sleep in your bedroom. Sure, you know that you can do more than one thing in the same space, but our brains don't. 

A good night's sleep hinges on a good sleep routine, Sullivan explains. Part of that routine includes training your body to recognize the cues for falling asleep. When you spend your day working in your bed or doing other things besides sleeping in your bedroom, you are confusing your body about the action it should be carrying out in that location. 

Stop eating three hours before bed, working two hours before bed and using your phone one hour before bed

You don't have to follow this one to a tee, but it's important to have some distance between eating and sleeping and tech use and sleeping. Sullivan tells patients to eat their final meal of the day three to four hours before bed, and she recommends putting away all electronics one to two hours before bedtime. 

Take warm baths or showers before bed 

Taking a warm shower or bath right before bed could help you get to sleep easier. Doing so can cause distal vasodilation, Sullivan explains, which is an "increase of blood flow to extremities that reduces your core body temperature quicker."

Military method for falling asleep 

The military method for good sleep originates from Relax and Win: Championship Performance, written by Lloyd Bud Winter. Winter found that pilots in Navy Pre-Flight School could fall asleep in just two minutes through the military method where you practice progressive muscle relaxation. This, according to Sullivan, prepares the body for sleep and allows you to focus by tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups. Studies suggest that this technique may help you fall asleep, Sullivan said. 

Drinking tart cherry juice

Sullivan approved this tip, citing the fact that tart cherry juice naturally contains melatonin, which may promote sleep. 

Avoid sleeping on your stomach and sleep on your side instead

TikToker Jayde Carroll got over 350,000 views on his TikTok that encouraged viewers to stop sleeping on their stomachs because "studies have shown that this is, like, the worst position to sleep." Which studies? Carroll didn't elaborate. He encouraged sleeping on your side instead. 

Sullivan partially agrees, saying she encourages her patients to sleep on their side, and if they can't, the second best option is sleeping on their stomach. "Sleeping on your back is actually the worst position to sleep in. I think patients are surprised to hear that," Sullivan said. When you sleep on your back, your tongue and jaw can fall back, crowding your airway and complicating your breathing as you sleep, which is particularly dangerous for those with sleep apnea, Sullivan explained.

4-7-8 breathing technique 

The 4-7-8 breathing technique is rooted in pranayama, a breathing regulation practice used in yoga. To practice this technique, you inhale through your nose for four seconds, hold your breath for seven and exhale through your mouth for eight seconds. It's supposed to help you get to sleep quicker and direct focus. 

As far as whether Sullivan approves or disapproves of this technique, she believes any sort of breathing technique can benefit someone trying to get to sleep. 

Read more: Under Stress? These 5 Breathing Exercises Can Help Ease Symptoms

Taking magnesium 

Despite melatonin's popularity as a sleep remedy, people who take the supplement regularly report feeling groggy and hungover the following morning. There is some debate as to whether it's the right supplement you should take as a sleep aid. 

More people are ditching their melatonin supplements and opting for magnesium instead. Taking a magnesium supplement or consuming foods rich in magnesium like seeds, legumes, nuts and avocado near bedtime is one way to naturally signal to your brain that it's time to wind down. "Preliminary studies show magnesium may improve sleep quality, but more research is needed," Sullivan said. 

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Try these other suggested tips for a good night's sleep 

Eat foods high in protein

"Foods such as nuts, fish, and eggs are high in magnesium, which can help regulate neurotransmitters that help you fall asleep," Sullivan said. She also suggested drinking warm milk or tart cherry juice or eating goji berries before bed.

Wear socks in bed

Not only does wearing socks in bed keep your feet warm throughout the night; it also helps regulate your core body temperature, Sullivan explains. "As our body increases melatonin production near the end of the day, our core body temperature starts to drop to help us fall asleep," Sullivan said. "Wearing socks can help with distal vasodilation, or an increase of blood to your hands and feet that reduces your core body temperature more quickly which helps you fall asleep faster." 

Create an environment for sleep 

Keeping your room cool, turning on a relaxing podcast or white or brown noise and making your bedroom as dark as possible will help create an ideal sleeping environment.

Read more: Best White Noise Machine

Journal before bed

To quell those racing thoughts right before bedtime, write them down in a journal, Sullivan suggests. It's also another great habit to build into your night time routine and set yourself up for an easy slumber. 

Correction, May 22,: A previous version of this article misstated the type of medicine Dr. Keisha Sullivan specializes in.