- Promote a regular sleeping schedule. One of the simplest ways to get your body to sleep at the same time is to go to bed and wake up at the same time – every single day. Yes – weekends and off days are also included. When established on a regular basis, this will make you feel better.
- Go to bed when you’re feeling sleepy. It’s frustrating to go to bed when you’re not feeling sleepy at all. It’s better to try and go to bed whenever you feel like dozing off, instead of twisting and turning in your bed.
- If you haven’t slept for the first 20 minutes, get out of bed. You can do something calming, or something that you consider to be boring until you start to feel sleepy, then try and go back to bed to see if you can doze off. You can do different things such as reading a book, washing the dishes, sitting on the couch with the lights turned off. Make sure to get rid of bright lights as bright lights signal your brain that you have to wake up. Do not do activities that will stimulate your brain – this will make it even more difficult for you to go to sleep.
- Ditch the nicotine and caffeine before going to bed. Do not take food or drinks that contain caffeine such as chocolates, tea, soda, tea or coffee, or cigarette smokes that contain nicotine. If you can, stop taking these 4-6 hours prior to sleeping. These are considered to be stimulants that inhibit your ability to sleep.
- Ditch the alcohol too. Just like nicotine and caffeine, avoid this 4-6 hours before hopping on to the bed. A lot of people believe that alcohol is a relaxant and could help them doze off easily. The truth is, it affects and possibly interrupts your sleep quality.
- Remember, only use your bed for sleeping. Do not eat or work on your bed. This way, your body will start associating the bed with sleep. If you consistently use the bed to do other activities, your body might not be able to make that association, making it difficult for you to go to sleep.
- Make your bedroom as comfortable as possible. Your bedroom should be a sanctuary for sleep. It should be cool, dark, clutter-free and comfortable. How old is your mattress? Take a look at these Ikea mattress reviews and upgrade.
- 8. Avoid taking naps in between, just to make sure that you’re feeling tired at night when it’s time to go to sleep. If you feel like you badly needed that nap, try to take shorter ones instead.
