How to Get Better Sleeping Habits

Staying up late may seem like a good idea when working on a project or writing a paper, but your body and mind suffer the next day due to a thrown off sleep schedule. While the commonly believed advice of 8 hours of sleep a night does not apply to everyone, your body needs at least seven hours of rest a night to maintain your energy levels and prevent sluggishness. In addition to getting to bed on time, what you are consuming and your sleep environment can also affect the quality of your rest, as both can interrupt sleep cycles and reduce restfulness.

Things You'll Need

• Earplugs
• White noise machine

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Instructions

• 1

  Limit your caffeine consumption. Caffeine keeps you alert during the day, and affects your central nervous system for up to eight hours after drinking it. Do not drink caffeine eight hours prior to your bed time, as it can prevent you from drifting off to sleep.

• 2

  Open a window at night. Cool air in your room induces sleep, as your body naturally feels tired when the surrounding temperature drops below 65 degrees.

• 3

  Wear earplugs to block out noise. Honking cars, slamming doors and outside noises are a part of living in urban areas, but earplugs muffle the sound and are usually comfortable to wear while sleeping. Alternately, use of a white noise machine to create a gentle humming noise that blocks out unpleasant sounds while you rest can prove helpful.

• 4

  Maintain a consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday, especially on weekends when sleeping in may be tempting. Your body will naturally slow down at the same time each evening, after a week or two of going to bed at approximately the same time every night.

• 5

  Read a book before bed. An easy read prepares your mind for rest, and is better for going to sleep than watching television. Television may seem like an easy way to fall asleep, but the quality of sleep is diminished due to the television's stimulating effect on the mind.

• 6

  Avoid alcohol and nicotine before bed. Similar to caffeine, alcohol and nicotine stimulate the body and can disrupt your sleep.

• 7

  Limit eating or drinking before bed. Too much water or food before bed causes you to wake up to use the bathroom.