Different Tips to Help Get to Sleep at Night

Sometimes it is hard to fall asleep, sleep through the night and awake with a feeling of refreshment. This may be due to stress, bad lifestyle choices or illness. For some people, insomnia has become a way of life. Lack of sleep can cause people to be on edge, lose productivity due to fatigue and lose their mental alertness. This does not have to be the case, however. There are certain steps which can help deliver a good night's sleep.

Avoid Eating Heavy Meals

• Avoid eating food just before you go to bed.

  Avoid eating food just before you go to bed. Give yourself at least two or three hours before bedtime. Especially avoid eating heavy meals. This is because the body uses energy to digest food. If you give yourself at least two hours before bedtime, then the digestive process would have been well under way and you wont have to keep tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable.

Avoid Eating Spicy Food

• Try to avoid eating spicy food before sleep.

  Try to avoid eating overly spicy food if you have trouble falling asleep at night. Spicy food is likely to cause heartburn, which may keep you awake.

Restrict Fluid Intake

• Too much fluid will lead to several trips to the bathroom.

  Too much fluid intake before sleep inevitably leads to several trips to the bathroom over the course of the night. This sort of interruption is something which people with sleep difficulties don't need, as it might be difficult to fall back asleep after one too many trips to the bathroom.

Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol and Nicotine

• Caffeine is a stimulant.

  Caffeine, alcohol and nicotine are stimulants which can keep you awake, so avoid them in the evening. Aside from the fact that smoking might keep you awake, smoking in bed is a fire hazard.

Keep to a Schedule

• Create and maintain a schedule for sleeping.

  Create and maintain a schedule for sleeping. If possible, sleep at the same time and wake at the same time. This helps the body set a natural rhythm, which acts as a kind of internal on/off switch.

Take a Warm Bath

• Take a warm bath.

  Taking a warm bath or shower just before bedtime can help relax tense muscles. Use other relaxation aids, such as soothing herbal bubble baths or bath oil and relaxing shower gels. A pleasant smell can help in relaxation. This is why soothing scents are a key part of body massage.

Invest in a Comfortable Mattress and Pillows

• Invest in a good mattress.

  If your mattress is lumpy and your pillows are past their prime, no amount of relaxation technique will help you sleep if you have a sleep problem This is because you will spend the whole night tossing on your bed, trying to find a comfortable spot. Invest in a quality mattress and pillows, and if your mattress is 10 or more years old, then it's definitely time for a new one.