Good Night Sleep Tips - 15 Tips for Getting to Sleep

Good night's sleep is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Your sleep can affect other areas of your life like how you feel during the day, how active you are, your studies, career, relationships etc.

The National Sleep Foundation reports (2002) that America is on the verge of a poor sleep epidemic, characterized by the following eye-opening statistics:

>>> 64% of American adults get less than the eight hours of sleep that experts recommend is required to maintain optimal physical, mental, and emotional health.

>>> One-third of the US population says they get less sleep now than they did five years ago

>>> One-half of Americans have experienced insomnia (sleeplessness)

>>> Drowsiness due to a lack of a proper night of sleep interferes with the daily activities of 37 percent of all adults.


People should wake up every morning feeling refreshed and energetic without the need of an alarm clock. This may be possible if you have a good healthy sleep at night.



Below are some tips for better sleep:
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1. Have a regular bed that is comfortable. Also maintain regular schedule for sleeping and waking up, even on weekends. Try going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time every day. Maintaining this time schedule is very important. This helps in overcoming sleep problems.


2. Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable, cool relaxing. Make sure your bed and mattress is comfortable.


3. Finish your dinner atleast 2-3 hours before sleeping.If you feel hungry before sleeping, try nutrition bars instead of eating just prior to sleep.

4. Avoid nicotine, caffeine and other stimulants which can be found in coffee, tea, soft drinks, cigarettes, chocolate etc.

5. Regular exercise can help in maintaining good health and can also be useful for good sleep. But remember to finish your workout atleast a few hours before your bedtime.

6. Try to go to bed only when you are sleepy. This avoids that time you often spend trying to sleep but failing to do so.

7. Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature, neither too hot nor too cold.

8. Don't worry unnecessarily if you feel you are not getting enough sleep, as it might make matters worse. If you have the habit of waking up in the middle of the night and looking at your clock, it is advisable to turn away the clock from your eyes so that you have to turn it back in order to see the time and you may decide not to go through that trouble and may soon overcome this habit.

9. If you cannot sleep for 15-20 minutes then get out of bed and do something else. Return to bed only when you feel reall sleepy. Repeat this as many times as necessary during the night.

10. Nutritional food like green vegetables and fresh fruits can help in improving the quality of your sleep.

11. An old-fashioned remedy is to take two teaspoons of cider vinegar with two teaspoons of honey in a glass of warm water.

12. Footbaths in lukewarm water can help in inducing sleep.

13. While lying in bed you can visualize various parts of your body relaxing.Wear an eyemask to shut out the light.Sweet Dreams Sleep Mask

14. Free your mind from worries as they can prevent you from having a restful sleep. Leave office work at office, do not spend more than 3-5 minutes thinking about the day's problems while you are in bed, avoid having arguments with somebody in the evenings as they can interfere with your sleep at night.

15. If you have a long list of things to do and your mind is constantly thinking about them then one of the best ways to free up your mind is to write down each important task on a piece of paper, next to each task you may write down a future date and time when you want to deal with it. Writing them down will help in uncluttering your mind so that you can now peacefully go to sleep.



Some tips to help you feel fresh and energetic during day:
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1. If you have problems getting up from bed in morning, then try this simple technique to fully awaken yourself. Just go into direct sunlight and stay there for 2 minutes. When we are in darkness, our body produces hormones which make us feely sleepy. This sleepiness can be overcome by exposing our bodies to bright light, specially sunlight. You should feel wide awake and fresh within just few minutes of being in sunlight.

2. Wipe your face with hands after getting up from bed in order to drive away the sleepy feeling.

3. While getting up in the morning, do not jump out of your bed. Instead take your time - adjust your clothes, stretch your body and ease out of bed rather than hurrying. Drink a glass of water to get your system going again.

4. Take short naps during the day to help you remain energetic. You may avoid sleeping for longer hours during day, but take short naps ranging from 10-30 minutes as these naps will help in recovering lost energy and keeping you fresh all day long. Research has proved the benefits of short naps and many busy people have been known to take naps during the day - among them being Thomas A. Edison, Mark Twain etc.


Tips for people who work in Night Shifts:
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People working in night shifts like working at airports, hospitals, in customer care etc. have to sleep during day and they may find the noise and light to be distracting. Here are some tips for such people:

1. Use room darkening shades or curtains if you are sleeping during daytime or use an eyemask like this one: Sweet Dreams Sleep Mask
2. Use fan to block out outside noises or use a sound conditioner:Marpac 580 Sound Screen & SleepMate Sound Conditioner
3. Try to take regular meals and balanced diet.
4. Walking, jogging, swimming etc. can help in making you stay alert and enjoy healthy sleep.
5. Avoid late night caffeine.

Disclaimer: The information provided here is not intended to be medical advice. If you suspect that you have a sleep disorder then it is advicable to seek professional help.


See these resources for better sleep:
1. End Your Tiredness Program - Feel energized throughout the day, no more tired and sleepy feelings. This guide can really help you

2. Discover Natural Home Remedies for Insomnia

3. How to get rid of Dark Circles From Under the Eyes

Sleep Mask:



Related Articles:
1.3 steps for a good night's sleep, 2. Tips to prevent headaches, 3.Have more energy everyday, 4.3 simple diet changes to skyrocket your energy levels

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