Wouldn’t it be nice if you could lie down and fall fast asleep, only waking up after a full night’s rest? For many of us, a good night’s sleep is difficult at best.
If you’re struggling with the clock night after night, it’s important to start by talking with your doctor to ensure you don’t have a serious health problem that’s interfering with your sleep.
Then give these a try:
Stick to a sleep-wake schedule
Do you find yourself changing your schedule several times a week? Do you rise early during the week, only to sleep several hours later on the weekend? If you vary your sleep time by more than an hour or so, it could be interfering with your body’s natural clock. When those signals get out of whack, it signals your body at the wrong times of the day.
Control caffeine intake
Caffeine is a natural stimulator. Even if you haven’t noticed its impact, it can still hinder your sleep. Avoid it after mid-afternoon, especially within six hours of when you normally go to sleep.
Avoid bright lights and computer screens before bed
That means take an actual book to bed instead of your iPad or Kindle. Blue light has been shown to send the same signals to the brain as sunlight, which blocks the hormone melatonin that helps the brain go to sleep.
Increase your exercise
Research shows that those that get the most exercise, also have the least trouble sleeping. Sign up for a gym membership and use it. Find a yoga, spin, or dance class and learn something new. Just avoid intense exercise too close to the time you go to bed, as it can hinder your ability to fall asleep.
Stop lingering in bed
If you can’t sleep, don’t fight it. Staying in bed while awake for long periods of time actually trains your brain that bedtime is awake time. Instead, get up and do something such as reading or gentle stretching. Don’t linger in the morning either, hitting the snooze alarm again and again. Bed is for sleeping; when your body makes that association, it becomes easier to sleep.