Gyan Dope: Tips for Getting Better Sleep

Tip 1: Good Sleeping Environment

Your bed

You should have enough room to stretch and turn comfortably, including with a bedmate present.
Your mattress, pillows, and bedding. Right level of mattress firmness and pillows that provide more support.

Your room

Keep the noise level down.
Keep your room dark during sleep hours.
Room temperature and ventilation.

Tip 2: Develop a relaxing bedtime routine

Try

Reading a light, entertaining book or magazine
Listening to soft music
Making simple preparations for the next day

A light bedtime snack, a glass of warm milk
Hobbies such as knitting or jigsaw puzzles

Television

Avoid seeing TV atleast 45 minutes before sleeping.

Tip 3: Get stress and anxiety under control

Deep breathing. Close your eyes—and try taking deep, slow breaths—making each breath even deeper than the last.
Progressive muscle relaxation. Starting at your toes, tense all the muscles as tightly as you can, then completely relax. Work your way up from your feet to the top of your head.
Visualizing a peaceful, restful place. Close your eyes and imagine a place or activity that is calming and peaceful for you. Concentrate on how relaxed this place or activity makes you feel.

Tip 4: Optimize your sleep schedule

Make sure you are not going to bed too early

Don’t crawl into bed soon after dinner. Your body goes through cycles of alertness and drowsiness later in the day as your bedtime nears. So even if you are sleepy early in the evening, do something mildly stimulating to prevent yourself from falling asleep at that time, like doing dishes or getting clothes ready for the next day. If you push though that window, you’ll catch your second wind soon and be able to stay awake until your normal bedtime—and sleep through the night.

Set a regular bedtime

Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, and it will be easier and easier to fall asleep.

Tip 5: Good diet – Eat Right Things

Taking care of your body can have a big impact on the quality of your sleep. You’ll sleep more deeply if you watch what you eat before bed and exercise regularly.

Eating right for sleep

A rich, hearty dinner, topped off with a big slice of chocolate cake might seem like the perfect way to end the day, but it’s wise to avoid eating a large meal within two hours of bed. Try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy, rich foods as bedtime snacks.

Light snacks for bedtime

A light snack before bed can help promote sleep. When you pair tryptophan-containing foods with carbohydrates, it helps calms the brain and allows you to sleep better. For even better sleep, try adding extra calcium to your dinner or nighttime snack. Experiment with your food habits to determine your optimum evening meals and snacks.

Habits that can interfere with sleep

Too much food, especially fatty, rich food. These take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and may keep you up. Spicy or acidic foods in the evening can cause stomach trouble and heartburn.
Too much liquid. Drinking lots of fluid may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night.
Alcohol. Many people think that a nightcap before bed will help them sleep. While it may make you fall asleep faster, alcohol reduces your sleep quality, waking you up later in the night. To avoid this effect, so stay away from alcohol in the hours before bed.
Caffeine. You might be surprised to know that caffeine can cause sleep problems up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it! Consider eliminating caffeine after lunch or cutting back your overall intake.
Smoking. Smoking causes sleep troubles in numerous ways. Nicotine is a stimulant, which disrupts sleep. Additionally, smokers actually experience nicotine withdrawal as the night progresses, making it hard to sleep.