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What Are Some Natural Things I Can Do to Help Me Get to Sleep?

Sleeping medications, pills and alcohol might help you sleep, but they can have a negative effect on your health. Rest easier and get some sleep by using natural ways to relax and unwind. Sleep can be hard to achieve when you are tense, nervous or just not tired. Knowing how to ease tension and use up extra energy can help your body rest at the end of the day.

  1. Eliminate Distractions

    • Eliminate distractions such as televisions and computers. Sounds and lights from such electronics can distract you from sleep and trick your body into thinking that it is daytime, according to U.S. News & World Report. This disrupts your eternal clock and makes it harder to get to sleep, so keep these things off at night or remove them from the bedroom.

      Turning the heat down and closing the curtains so the rising sun doesn't wake you also helps. A hot, stuffy room can make it too uncomfortable for your body to relax fully and drift into sleep.

    Stick to a Sleep Schedule

    • Keep a regular sleep schedule so it is easier for your body to fall asleep and wake up at a regular time each day. Sticking to the schedule every day, even on weekends, will prevent you from breaking from your new sleep routine. Avoid napping during the day, even if you're sleepy, because napping makes it harder to sleep at night. The more you sleep during the day, the less you will sleep at night.

    Relax Before Bed

    • Relaxing pre-bedtime routines will help you unwind and get your body ready for sleep. Sipping a warm chamomile tea or taking a hot shower will both raise your body temperature and make you drowsy and sleepy, according to the U.S. News website. Getting into bed about fifteen minutes to a half hour before your bedtime and engaging in calming, non-stimulating activity also helps you unwind. Reading a book or magazine, listening to soothing music, or writing in a diary are activities that relax your body and mind so that you are ready for sleep when you turn out the light.

    Daytime Activities

    • Exercising at least 20 to 30 minutes a day can help you sleep better at night. Exercise tires out the body, relieves stress and expends energy that might otherwise make it hard for your body to rest. Avoid exercising late at night, because that could release catecholamines, stimulating hormones produced by the adrenal glands, according to William Garrett in his book "Exercise and Sport Science."

      Stimulants to avoid in the late afternoon or evening include coffee, black tea, and chocolate. Don't eat too close to bedtime because some foods can raise your blood pressure and stimulate your adrenal glands, making it hard for you to get to sleep, according to Brigette Mars in her book "The Country Almanac of Home Remedies."

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