Exercise. It can actually increase your sleep span. Our body uses the sleep period to recover & repair its muscles and joints that have been exercised. Twenty to thirty minutes of daily exercise can help you sleep better, but be sure to exercise in the morning. Exercise stimulates the body and aerobic activity before bedtime may make falling asleep more difficult.
Stick to a schedule. Irregular bedtimes do not allow for your body to synchronise to the proper circadian rhythms. Mum was right when she set a time we always had to go to sleep as kids. Also, make sure you try to keep the same schedule on weekends too, otherwise the next morning, you’d wake later and feel overly tired.
Sleep only at night. If you can, avoid daytime sleep. Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to 20-minute, power naps.
Taking a hot shower or bath before bed helps bring on sleep because they can relax tense muscles.
Avoid eating just before bed. Don't eat large meals or spicy foods just before bedtime. Keep at least 2 hours gap between the time you eat and bedtime. This allows for digestion to happen (or at least start) well before you go to sleep so your body can rest well during the night, rather than churning away your food.
Avoid caffeine. As all of you already know caffeine keeps you awake and that’s not what you want for a good nights sleep.
Avoid alcohol before bedtime. It’s a depressant. As alcohol is digested your body goes into withdrawal from the alcohol, causing nighttime awakenings and often nightmares for some people.
Have the room slightly cooler. I prefer this to a hot room. I prefer to turn off the heat and allow the coolness to circulate in and out of the windows. If I get cold, I wear warmer clothes. It also saves on the bills as you’re not going to require the heat all night long.
Sleep in silence. I find sleeping with no music or TV on more easy and restful. I guess others are different, but sleep with no distractions is best for a clearer mind.
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