All of these tips aren’t going to necessarily work for everyone, but if you’re having trouble getting enough sleep, give them a try and find out what works for you!
- Train your body to keep a sleep routine. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, all week long. Yes, that includes weekends. The more regular your sleep routine is, the easier it will be to stick to it. You really can’t catch up on missed sleep by oversleeping on your days off.
- Develop a bedtime routine, where you do the same things every night before you hit the sack. You may want to take a relaxing warm bath every night, or read for ten minutes. Your subconscious will start to connect your routine with sleeping, and doing them will make you sleepy.
- Try to use the bedroom only for sleeping (or being intimate with your partner). Other activities like eating, talking on the phone, or even watching television can train your body to be awake and alert when you’re in the bedroom.
- Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark. If the slightest noise keeps you awake, try masking sound with a fan or a white noise machine. Even soft instrumental music may give your alert ears enough to focus on to let you sleep. If light is an issue, you may need heavier curtains or a sleeping mask.
- Exercise! Regular exercise can help you sleep better… just don’t exercise right before you go to bed. Try to plan your workouts for at least several hours ahead of bedtime. Your body will learn that bedtime is a quiet, peaceful contrast to the vigorous exercise you add to your day.
- Stress can mess with your sleeping patterns. If you can reduce stress during the day, it may help you sleep at night! Some light stretching or deep breathing exercises can help you release the things that are stressing you out… at least long enough for you to fall asleep. But don’t be too vigorous about your stretching or you may end up too wide awake!