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Things to Help You Sleep at Night

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), about 40 million adults suffer from some kind of chronic sleep disorder. In fact, 60 percent of adults state that they have sleep problems at least a few times a night. If you find that you are having difficulty falling or staying asleep, there are a few things you can do to help you get that restful slumber and be refreshed for the next day.

  1. Sleep Schedule

    • If you are having difficulty falling asleep, it can be helpful to get on a regular sleep schedule and keep your sleep consistent. Go to bed the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning. Even though is tempting to stay up later and sleep in longer on the weekends, if you suffer from sleep problems, stick to a rigid schedule seven days a week.

    Set the Mood

    • Your bedroom should be a calming and quiet location for you to sleep in. During the summer open a window or turn on a fan to keep the room at a cool and comfortable temperature. In the event you cannot create a quiet environment for sleeping due to outside noises such as dogs barking or traffic, use a white noise machine or sound machine to drown out noises from the outside. Your bedroom should be dark for sleep. Hang heavy curtains or use tight blinds to block out any street lights or sunlight, or use a face mask to cover your eyes.

    Bedside Tools

    • Some find that they cannot fall asleep or stay asleep because they worry about problems or have nagging thoughts. To help relieve your mind and let sleep come, leave a piece of paper and pen by your bed. When you worry or think about something you need to do, write it down and deal with it in the morning. In addition, keeping a glass of water by your bed can prevent you from having to get up in the middle of the night for a glass of water. Turn off any cell phones or pagers that are not needed throughout the night so that you are not woken by new messages that can wait until morning.

    Leave Your Bed for Sleeping

    • When you have problems sleeping, you need to leave your bed to be for sleeping and sleeping only. Don't watch television, read or talk on the phone in your bedroom; do these activities in a different room in the house. As a result, you will train your brain that when you go to bed, it is time for sleep--and not time for anything else.

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