10 Sleeping Tips to Get a Good Nights Rest

Looking for good sleeping tips to really go to bed, stay asleep, and feel truly rested when you wake up? These natural, easy sleeping tips should really help!

1. Nicotine. Alcohol. Caffeine

What do these have in common? Well, other than being the bane of many people, including some activist groups. It's being a stimulant, and you might not have even notice the difference it makes.

Avoiding smoking, drinking (Which will disrupt your sleep, not help you sleep), and caffeine (The body doesn't store it, sure - but it takes hours to get out of your system) within an hour or two before bed will all keep you awake long past your bed time, and make it harder to stay asleep.

2. Exercise

Exercise won't help, right? It will just keep you up, right? Not really. The best kept sleep secret is that exercising a few times a week (Especially aerobic exercise) will give you a better, deeper sleep and let you go to sleep sooner.

Avoid exercise within 3-4 hours of bed, however. Too close to bedtime, and you end up not being able to go to sleep.

3. Nighttime Slumber

Try to adjust your schedule so that you're sleeping during the nighttime hours, and staying awake during the daytime hours. Avoid daytime naps that are longer than a half an hour, and try to nap in the midday hours.

If you work nights, buy dark curtains that will cover your windows, so you can sleep in the dark. Bright lights in the rooms that you spend the most time up - like the living room, bedroom, or kitchen - will help you feel more adjusted and awake, even if it's midnight when you're getting up!

4. Comfy

It's important to have a mattress that's comfortable, along with blankets and sheets that you like sleeping in, and a supportive, comfortable pillow. While we all have different needs, having enough room to stretch out, along with some comfortable cushioning, can help you get to sleep faster.

If you're having trouble with your sheets or blankets, remember that you don't have to buy sheets with the highest thread count possible. Buy something on sale, and wash it several times before using it - it will soften it up nicely for you!

5. Same Time

With work, it can be hard - but going to bed, and waking up, the same time every night keeps your internal clock on a schedule that it can manage. That way, you know when it's time to go to sleep, and time to get up.

Don't be begging for a 'few more minutes', night or day. Most likely, what you're doing can wait until tomorrow, and you'll feel better then, too.

6. Nice Room, Man

Keep your bedroom in the way that you think would best suit your body's needs for sleep. A cool, dry place is usually the best. Don't be afraid to experiment with your room!

Try things like a humidifier, eye masks, ear plugs, soothing music, blackout curtains, and anything else you can think of that might help you - just so that you're comfortable enough to sleep.

7. No Distractions Allowed

This isn't as common as most sleeping tips, as some places would say the obvious - but experts note that if you don't have any distractions while you're going to go to sleep, you're going to get to sleep faster.

This means shutting off the television, putting the cell phone in another room, turning off the radio, and avoiding anything else you might have in your room that's going to distract you.

You might think that those things are 'helping you', but really, they're just pulling you away from slumber.

8. Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep is vital, and for this, you need to listen to your body - some people function wonderfully with 7 hours, but others need much more. It really does depend.

Most adults need 7-8 hours a night, and if you're finding yourself dragging in the morning, try to catch a few more 'zzz's' by going to bed sooner. When you've found the perfect amount, you should be able to wake up to the alarm ready to face the day.

9. Light Meals

Sure, that huge plate of comfort food - meatloaf, potatoes... - it was great then. But now, you're too full to sleep! How is that possible?

Eating a heavy meal before bed can hurt you, and keep you up as your body tries to digest the excess. Instead, eat lightly, or nothing at all before you bury yourself in the sheets for the night.

10. Liquids aren't your Friend

Don't get in a bottle of water while you're sitting in the bed, trying to sleep. You'll be getting up to go to the bathroom, and ruining the sleep that you just had with your little incident.

Instead, drink enough throughout the day that you can go to sleep and stay asleep.

Also... avoid Bright Lights

Bright lights before bed can really hurt your sleeping, because your body feels more awake, the brighter it is. There actually are a few things that you can do about it, too.

Installing dimmer switches are best, because you can dim your lights an hour or so before bed, and turn them up high when you're doing your normal routine. If that's a little pricey, keep two sets of lights in the bedroom - an overhead, bright light while you're doing things, and a dimmer bedside light that won't disrupt you so much.

Remember that good sleep is possible, no matter who you are!