How to Get a Good Night's Sleep

It's no secret that a lot of people don't get enough sleep. If you are among the many who are sleep deprived, here are some tips that may make a difference.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Tone down the color scheme in the bedroom. Go with hues that are cool and promote a calm, relaxing atmosphere. From your choice of wall color to the patterns on accent pillows, use blues, greens and other darker shades to create a haven just for sleep.

2. Kill the light and noise. If necessary, add thick blinds to the existing window treatment to block out glare from outside the room. When there is steady noise outside, such as the neighbors next door or traffic passing by, minimize its impact by investing in a good quality white noise machine.

3. Watch the food and drink. Avoid beverages with caffeine for at least six hours before you head for bed. Big meals are also not conducive to restful slumber. If you must have a snack before bedtime, make it something light such as a piece of fruit or a slice of turkey.

4. Don't get riled up by heated discussions before bedtime. Put those conversations about religion and politics on the back burner for now. You can always take them back up in the morning.

5. Set a schedule and stick to it. Don't make drastic changes in when you go to bed and when you get up even on your days off. If you want to sleep in, keep it to within an hour of your normal rising time.

Tips & Warnings

• Contrary to popular belief, alcohol is not likely to help you nod off and stay asleep any appreciable time. In fact, for many people it will keep them awake all night along. Try hot milk instead.
• Using over the counter sleep aids for extended periods of time is not the thing to do. If you have trouble several nights in a row, see a doctor immediately. There may be an underlying reason for your inability to sleep that could be corrected with relative ease.