How to Get a Good Night's Sleep

Getting a good night's sleep is imperative. After all when you don't get a good night's sleep the rest of your life suffers. You feel tired, your moods can be erratic, you might not be as efficient at your job, you find yourself making stupid mistakes and before you know it it is time to go back to bed and you're completely stressed out from having had a terrible day. This stress keeps you awake as you brood and before you know it, another fitful night has passed. Here is how to get a good night's sleep…every night.

First you will want to establish a sleeping and waking routine. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. This will help your body to set its normal circadian rhythm and before you know it, your body will know when its time to go to sleep and get up without the aid of you looking at a clock. This routine will also ensure that you get the same amount of sleep every night. Getting the same amount of sleep every night will do wonders for your energy level.

Next you will want to develop a "bedtime" routine. It can be as long or as short as you want. Some people like to take a hot bath and then give themselves a half an hour to an hour to just relax in a calming environment. For example, if your normal bedtime is 10:30 then at 9 you might want to go take a nice hot bath (maybe putting in a few drops of lavender or jasmine oil to help you relax-these are natural relaxers). After your bath is done, you can wash your face and brush your teeth and then maybe read until 10:30. Or perhaps you prefer to dim the lights and listen to some calming music. Whatever you choose make sure you get into the habit of doing it every night. Before too long your body will know what time to do this on its own, or by just running the bath water your body will start to relax and prepare itself for sleeping.

You will also want to avoid any stimulants for at least a couple of hours before bed. These can be caffeine (obviously), heavy foods, alcohol, nicotine, dramatic television shows and exercise. You will also want to avoid drinking anything for a couple of hours before you go to bed, even water or juice. Drinking before bed leads to having to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. Getting up disturbs your sleep, even when it is just for a few minutes!

Obviously you will want to make sure that your bed and pillows are comfortable, that you have the right amount of blankets and that you keep the bedroom dark and cool.

These simple steps might not sound like much, but they are how to get a good night's sleep every night.

Difficulty Sleeping Tip #1

Caffeine is only your friend during the morning hours. Even though you might not think that caffeine affects you very much, it does play a big part in your body's ability to settle down and rest at the end of the day. If you must have coffee, switch to decaf after lunch. Caffeine can affect your body for up to eight hours. The longer it has to leave your system the less likely it is to affect your sleeping habits.

Difficulty Sleeping Tip #2

Exercise will not wear you out; it will actually pump you up. Exercise actually gives people energy. While you might feel tired immediately after a workout, your body will not sleep well if you try to do your workout right before bed. It is also bad for your body as a rule to go from lots of motion to staying still. This is why there are warm ups and cool downs before and after exercise workouts.

Difficulty Sleeping Tip #3

While many of us may fall asleep while watching television, if you are having sleeping problems, you want to give yourself at least an hour before going to bed that is television free. Television is a stimulant for your brain (even if the material is not particularly scholarly in content). Watching it right before bed keeps you awake and it takes a while for your brain to wind down after you turn the television off.