This Simple TikTok Hack Helps Me Fall Asleep in Less Than 15 Minutes

Getty Images / Win Nondakowit / EyeEm

I've always struggled with falling asleep. On most nights, it takes me up to two hours to drift off, and past efforts of taking melatonin and staying away from screens before bed have proved useless. I'd accepted my routine of going to bed at 11 but not actually sleeping before 1—until last week, when I saw a TikTok video that changed everything.

Related: 4 Ways to Get a Better Night's Sleep, According to an Expert

In a now-viral TikTok, Jessica Andrade, D.O., a resident physician shared her reasoning for wearing socks to bed. Andrade explained that, "Wearing socks makes your feet warm and this opens up the blood vessels that cools the body down." While this may seem contradictory, "the body being cool tells the brain that it's time for bed," Andrade said, "[and] people who wear socks tend to fall asleep faster."

And it's not just Andrade who shares this advice, but the National Sleep Foundation also states that "the more vasodilation [dilation of the blood vessels] in the hands and feet, the less time it takes to fall asleep." Research supports that statement as a small study demonstrated that warm feet can prompt sleep to arrive faster and easier. In another small study, researchers found that wearing socks to bed helped participants fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and wake up fewer times throughout the night.

Related: 5 Tips to Help You Fall Asleep If You're Feeling Anxious, According to Sleep Experts

I was curious to see if this simple trick would work, so I tested it out using a pair of socks from Old Navy. The result: the best week of sleep I've had in my life. Normally, I'll toss and turn for multiple hours before falling asleep, but with a simple pair of socks on, I doze off easily. Falling asleep faster has helped me feel more refreshed in the morning (since I'm getting more sleep) and now there's no turning back to sockless-sleeps.

If you're looking to try this trick for yourself, shop a few of my favorite pairs below that will keep your toes nice and warm.

Related: This Is the #1 Food for Better Sleep, According to a Dietitian

Novelty Ankle Socks

Buy them: Old Navy, on sale for $6 for a pack of six

Crew Socks

Buy it: Nordstrom, $4

Printed Crew Socks for Men

Buy it: Old Navy, $6

Fuzzy Warm Slipper Socks

Buy them: Amazon, $15 for a pack of seven