HEALTH: Fall asleep quickly with this method

Falling asleep quickly — there’s a trick to falling asleep quickly and it’s perfect for cold weather sleep
Sources: Diana Kelly Levey
Diana is an experienced journalist and editor who covers health and wellbeing, creating content for a range of leading brands including Real Simple, People, Good Housekeeping, Headspace, and WebMD. For Tom’s Guide, Diana focuses on sleep health, mattresses, and fitness equipment. Diana has reviewed mattresses from top bed brands including Saatva and Tempur-Pedic, writing helpful guides full of her top tips on how to buy the right mattress and how to keep your bed clean. Recently, Diana’s focus has turned to sleep health, where she talks with GPs, neuroscientists and chiropractors to explore subjects like insomnia and sleep talking.

Looking for an alternative to other Sleep Methods that can help you fall asleep faster but doesn’t take six weeks of practice?

Slip on cozy socks this fall and winter. Wearing socks to bed might sound counterintuitive — you don’t want to be too hot while you sleep — but wearing socks to bed could help you fall asleep faster.

I’m a sock-wearing sleeper most nights of the week and I’ve always thought wearing them helps me fall asleep faster. I didn’t know the science behind it until now — I just thought cold feet in bed were uncomfortable and distracting.

Lowering core body temperature supports deep sleep, says Dr. Teitelbaum. This is why it’s recommended to keep one’s room cooler at nighttime with the right temperature for sleep, he says.

Basically, having warm feet causes the body to lose heat, and that’s what makes it easier to fall and stay asleep

“When we are cold, though, our body sends blood to the skin to retain heat. Heating our feet overrides this signal and tells the body that we are warm,” he says.

Physiologically, the body sends more blood to the skin—a process called vasodilation—which helps release heat, lower core body temperature, and promote sleep, Dr. Teitelbaum explains.

“Basically, having warm feet causes the body to lose heat, and that’s what makes it easier to fall and stay asleep,” he adds.

Wearing socks to bed can improve your sleep
While you don’t necessarily have to choose between the Military Sleep Method and wearing socks, the combination might help you drop off more easily. However, socks in bed can help your sleep in a variety of ways, which we’re looking more deeply into below.

Fall asleep faster
Our core body temperature drops at night by around 1-2F as part of our body’s circadian processes. This promotes the release of melatonin (the sleepy hormone) and helps us fall asleep.

Wearing socks can actually aid this process because it supports effective lowering of your core body temperature.

I’m usually able to fall asleep within 10 to 15 minutes of hitting my pillow

“By wearing socks you will gently warm the feet which encourages the blood vessels to dilate,” Dr. Olalekan Otulana, a GP and physician at Cassioburt Court practice in the UK previously told us.

“This signals to your body that it is time to shift heat outwards and cool down internally, essentially helping your core temperature lower more efficiently,” he adds.

One small study showed that wearing socks to bed in a cool environment helped participants fall asleep faster, sleep longer, and reduce nighttime awakenings.

While I’m a most-of-the-time sock wearer to bed, I do think having warm feet helps me feel more relaxed. I (think) I’m usually able to fall asleep within 10 to 15 minutes of hitting my pillow when my sleep hygiene is on point.

Reduce nighttime wakeups and sleep deeper

Lowering body temperature is essential for deep sleep in particular, a process regulated by the hypothalamus, the brain’s temperature and sleep control center.

Wearing socks won’t just help with lowering your core temperature, they can also aid in maintaining a stable temperature throughout the night. Shifts in body temperature including feeling chilly, can cause those middle-of-the-night wakeups and lead to disrupted sleep.

A steady, stable body temperature, on the other hand, equates to better quality rest and deeper sleep cycles.

However, it’s unlikely this will be achieved by socks alone. Sleeping on one of the best mattresses of 2025, using cooling bedding, and keeping the bedroom at 65 to 70 F (18 to 21 °C) will all help too.

There were at least two mornings while writing this assignment that I slept through the night (no kid, partner, or dog wakeups!) and I still had socks on in the morning.

I felt great in the morning after this restorative sleep and am going to make an effort to keep my socks on throughout the night in the future.

It’s all about the right socks

When you’re looking at getting better sleep, the right materials for temperature regulation make all the difference.

Your sleep socks shouldn’t be too tight or uncomfortable in any way that’ll turn them into a distraction that interferes with sleep. Make sure you choose breathable fabrics made from moisture-wicking materials like bamboo, wool, or cotton fibers.

You don’t want your feet to be sweaty and wet all night, as this can trigger fungal infections, says Dr. Teitelbaum. Naturally antibacterial materials work well, too, when you’re shopping for the best socks to help you fall asleep faster.