Ban Blue Light in the Bedroom
Insomnia feeds on the minor details of modern life, like the soft blue glow from a cell phone, or digital clock resting on your bedside table. The short waves of blue light may interfere with sleep. Turn off TVs, computers, and other blue light producers an hour before sleep. Cover any blue displays you can't shut off.
Avoid Naps
Napping makes matters worse if you have trouble falling asleep. But if you must nap, keep it brief, 20 minutes or less -- and do it early in the day. Any shut-eye within eight hours of your bedtime can sabotage a good night's sleep. When an afternoon slump hits, go for a short walk, drink a glass of ice water, or call a friend.
Block the ClockInsomnia feeds on the minor details of modern life, like the soft blue glow from a cell phone, or digital clock resting on your bedside table. The short waves of blue light may interfere with sleep. Turn off TVs, computers, and other blue light producers an hour before sleep. Cover any blue displays you can't shut off.
Avoid Naps
Napping makes matters worse if you have trouble falling asleep. But if you must nap, keep it brief, 20 minutes or less -- and do it early in the day. Any shut-eye within eight hours of your bedtime can sabotage a good night's sleep. When an afternoon slump hits, go for a short walk, drink a glass of ice water, or call a friend.
When you glance at the clock in the wee hours of the night, your sleep will suffer. You worry about how few hours are left before your busy day begins. Clock watchers should put their alarm in a drawer, under the bed, or turn it away from view.
Try a Leg Pillow for Back Pain
Mild low back pain may not wake you, but it can disrupt the deep, restful stages of sleep. A cushy solution is to place a pillow between the legs for better alignment of the hips and reduced stress on the low back. Back sleepers can tuck a pillow under their knees to help ease pain at night.
Put Your Neck in Neutral
If you wake tired with a stiff neck, blame your pillow. Pillows that are too fat or too flat cause problems. Your pillow should be just the right size to support your neck in a neutral position. For side sleepers, the nose should align with the center of the body. Stomach sleeping twists the neck and is best avoided. Keep your neck neutral before bed, too. Don't crane your neck to watch TV.
Seal the Mattress
The sneezing, sniffling, and itching of allergies can cause fragmented sleep -- and your mattress may be to blame. Over time, it can fill with mold, dust mite droppings, and other allergy triggers. Avoid these sleep wreckers by sealing your mattress, box springs, and pillow. Air-tight, plastic, dust proof covers work best.
Reserve the Bed for Sleep and Sex
Experts say sleep and sex should be the only pastimes pursued in the bedroom. Don't balance the checkbook, talk on the phone, or watch TV. Everything about the room should be associated with rest and relaxation.The best sleep temperature for most people is between 68-72 degrees.
Set Your Body Clock
Go to sleep and wake up at about the same time every day -- including weekends. This routine will put your brain and body on a healthy sleep-wake cycle. In time, you'll be able to fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly through the night. Get out in bright light for 5 to 30 minutes as soon as you rise. Light is the most powerful regulator of the biological clock.
Cut the Caffeine
Coffee in the morning is fine for most people, but as soon as the clock strikes noon, avoid caffeine in foods and drinks. Caffeine interferes with the deeper stages of sleep, so even small amounts found in chocolate and decaffeinated coffee may impact your rest. Read labels: Some pain relievers and weight loss pills contain caffeine.
Exercise Right, Time It Right
Regular exercise has been shown to improve sleep quality, as long as you don't work out too close to bedtime. A post-workout burst of energy can keep you awake. Aim to finish any vigorous exercise 3 to 4 hours before you hit the hay. Gentle mind/body exercises are fine just before sleep. Yoga, tai chi, and similar routines are a perfect, sleep-inducing nightcap.
Eat Right at Night
Avoid heavy foods and big meals late in the day; they tax the digestive system and make it hard to get high-quality sleep. Some people do well with a light evening snack of sleep-inducing foods. Finish any snack at least an hour before bed.
Rethink Your Drink
Although the tranquilizing effects of alcohol may make you sleepy at bedtime, beware -- after the initial effects wear off, alcohol actually causes more frequent awakenings at night and less restful sleep. Warm milk or chamomile tea are better beverage choices in the evening.
Stop Sipping After 8 pm
Treat yourself like a child: Nothing to drink within two hours of bedtime. It'll help prevent those sleep-wrecking middle-of-the-night bathroom trips. And it can be difficult to get back to sleep quickly after hitting the cold bathroom floor. Keep a nightlight in the bathroom to avoid bright light at night.
Lower the Lights
Starting two to three hours before bedtime, dim the lights around the house and put aside any work, arguments, or complicated decisions. It takes time to turn off the emotional and intellectual "noise" of the day. Lowering the lights signals your brain to produce melatonin, the hormone that brings on sleep. Use a 15-watt bulb when reading in the last hour before bed.
Skip the Smoke
Need another reason to quit smoking? Nicotine is a stimulant, just like caffeine. Smoking can keep you from falling asleep and worsen insomnia. While you're planning your quit strategy, you may sleep a little better if you smoke fewer cigarettes in the four hours before bed.
Free Your Mind at Bedtime
Establish a "winding down" period in the evenings about an hour before bedtime. Read something calm, meditate, listen to music, or take a warm bath. Try making a list of any worries, along with a plan to deal with them, to bring closure to your day. Even a 10-minute pre-sleep ritual may help when time is short.
