How to Fall Asleep Better

Tired of being tired? Many people are having trouble nodding off or they toss and turn, and wake up cranky. Here are some simple steps and tips to getting a better nights rest.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Remove any TVs or Computers from your room. Your bedroom needs to be an electronics free zone, designated for sleep.
2. Refrain from doing work in bed, so no reading those reports from work or studying for an exam. Activities like these should be done out of the bedroom so when you go to bed, it is a signal to your brain that it is time to relax and go to sleep.
3. Decide on a bedtime and try to be consistent with it.
4. Develop a before bedtime ritual. Having a cup of tea with some light reading, wash your face, brush your hair, brush your teeth, moisturize, put on PJs, and do some relaxing stretches. Nothing too stimulating. Whatever routine works for you, just make sure you make it consistent. As you grow accustomed to your routine, all the elements of it will be signals to your brain that it's time to slow down and sleep soon.
5. If you are unsure, check with your DR. before taking any supplements About 15 minutes before you plan on getting in bed, try taking some Melatonin in either liquid or tablet form to help you fall asleep. It makes you drowsy enough to fall asleep, but does not make you drowsy in the way that various PM medications would. You could wake up after 2 hours of sleep and would no longer be affected by it. Perfect for a mom who needs to wake up when the baby cries, or someone who has to wake up early for work.
6. Corpse Pose Turn off the lights in your home. Go into your bedroom and let your body sink into a relaxing yoga pose such as Child's Pose or Corpse Pose, do this on your bed or the floor. Stay in this pose for several minutes, taking long, even breaths. As you exhale, let go of any tension you feel throughout your body. If you feel yourself gripping in a certain part of your body, take a few breaths focusing on relaxing that area. Let your mind be clear and focus only on your breathing and relaxation.
7. Child's Pose Slowly, come out of your yoga pose. If in Child's pose, slowly roll up your spine, one vertebrae at a time until you are sitting up straight. If in Corpse Pose, gently roll to your left side and using your right hand, push yourself away from the floor, letting your head be the last part of your body to come up.
8. Keeping your mind free from thought or worry, quietly get into bed, close your eyes and let your body sink into the bed. Imagine your body getting very heavy as you gradually fall asleep.
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Tips & Warnings

• If you live in a studio apartment or dormitory, try to partition off your work area from your sleep area by hanging a decorative sheet or curtain. Or buy one of those 3 panel room dividers to create separate areas. It's too hard to fall asleep when your computer is right there, "calling" for you to work on that paper, instant message, online shop....
• There are different types of pillows for different types of sleepers. Make sure you have the right type of pillow. Side sleepers need higher, firmer pillows than back sleepers. Stomach sleepers need a pillow that can squash flat or no pillow.
• Dim the lights in the house an hour before bedtime.
• Take a hot bath or shower to help relax tensions.
• Turn the temp of the room down and wear loose clothes and use layers of blankets, that way it's easy to adjust your temperature.
• Try a mattress pillow so your shoulders and hips are not pushing into the hard mattress. A temperpedic foam pad works great and are affordable.
• If you have a hard time sleeping due other noises you can't control, try sleeping with a fan or humidifier in your room for a white noise. It blocks out a lot!
• Do not exercise within 4 hours of your bedtime.
• Check with your Dr. about using supplements.