How to Recover a Sleeping Routine

Whether you experience difficulty getting over jet lag, you've been up with a sleepless child or you cope with bouts of insomnia, recovering your sleeping routine can put you back on the road to healthy sleep-filled nights. The National Institute of Health's National Sleep Disorders Research Plan notes that "sleep-related problems affect millions of Americans, occur in all age groups, and have a major impact on society." While some people experience sleep disorders because of physical disorders, others can solve or diminish their sleep problems by finding ways to resume a healthy sleep pattern.

Instructions

Getting Back to Sleep

• 1

  Don't drink caffeinated drinks in the hours before you intend to go to sleep. Avoid coffee, cola drinks and non-herbal teas. Don't drink alcohol, which acts as a diuretic, interrupting your sleep pattern since you will need to get up to urinate in the middle of the night. Alcoholic drinks also contribute to snoring, which restricts the flow of air into your lungs, reduces the oxygen level in your blood and disturbs your sleep. Don't drink heavy, fatty or spicy foods in the hours before bedtime. If you feel hungry, take some carbohydrates, such as a slice of whole-wheat bread or a banana to trigger the hormone serotonin, which will make you sleepy. Don't eat chocolate or chocolate products, as chocolate contains caffeine.

• 2

  Keep computers, game machines, cell phones and TVs out of your bedroom. Enjoy a quiet, relaxing activity before bedtime, such as reading or a game of cards. Technological devices give off artificial light which suppresses release of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone. The lack of melatonin enhances your state of alertness and makes it more difficult to fall asleep. Don't use your bedroom for anything but sleep so that you can ease your body into a sleep routine.

• 3

  Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. This scheduling helps accustom your body to a sleep schedule and aids you in creating a sleeping routine. Wind yourself down before going to bed with a bedtime routine. Drink a glass of warm milk, brush your teeth, read a little or do deep breathing exercises before you go to sleep. You want to prepare you body for sleep.

• 4

  Include exercise in your daily schedule to help you sleep better at night. Exercise during the daytime, not near bedtime, when you want to wind down.

• 5

  Move out of your bedroom if your insomnia doesn't wane. Don't lay in bed, tossing and turning. Get up, read a book, do a puzzle or write a letter. Don't allow your body to become accustomed to laying sleepless in bed.