We all have that problem, you lay awake at night in bed, looking at your phone or laptop when you should be sleeping and it goes on for days and days. Some of us don’t think they need 8 hours of sleep and will get by with less sleep. The problem is over time sleeping less can wreak havoc with us mentally and manifest physically too with sluggish immune response. Here are some tips to try next time you start getting into a bad sleep pattern and keep your mind and body in a better state in order to deal with life as it comes at you:

1)      Unplug yourself earlier. Turn your phone off or put it away before you get into bed as you start your unwinding process. (it’s hard, if you can’t go cold turkey give yourself a time limit when you are in bed to get that last Facebook update in.)

2)      Read a book. (A Book what’s that?) Ok, read your Kindle, e-readers are easier on your eyes and don’t strain your eyes as harshly as a tablet, laptop, or phone screen would. It will have a gradual effect of relaxing your eyes. To help, make the font smaller to tire your eyes out quicker.

3)      Drink something warm. Tea, or warm milk if your old school and not lactose intolerant. There are several teas on the market that are supposedly great for sleeping but don’t overdo it because you will just find yourself waking up for a bathroom break.

4)      Restrict your caffeine intake during the day. Get used to drinking less caffeine, not getting rid of all caffeine but have a cutoff point. Most of us tend to drink excessive amounts of coffee, soft drinks, or take in some kind of stimulant (hopefully legal) to keep us going through a long day. It’s unavoidable at certain points, however play with the intake. Does your body need 3 Venti cups with 2 extra shots of expresso to keep you going till lunch time? Probably not. Cut it down, and maybe set a reasonable cutoff time where you can start drinking decaffeinated fluids. (drink more water)

5)      Eat dinner earlier in the evening. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day” so what does that make dinner? It’s the one that gets you through the night, when your metabolism slows down and you need WAY LESS energy to get to the morning. (Remember, you’re supposed to be sleeping)

6)      Get to bed earlier. Simple. Find a way to do it. Your body will get used to it.

These are just some tips I have for sleeping better. They work for me when I fall out of my rhythm. With all the things I have to do during the day I try to do the best I can to make sure I can get through the day.

I hope you try them. If you do, and they work or don’t, let me know in the comments.