Sleep is not for the weak. At some point in our lives, it eludes us all, leaving us dark-eyed and limp-tailed in the morning.
Almost everyone you know has a “magic way” to get you to sleep, from old-wives tales involving bars of soap to enough booze to knock out an elephant.
Try something different tonight and see how it works. Try something else if that doesn’t work. It’s your health and you’re not allowed to give up. Print out this list of sleep tips and place it on your bedside table. Try one or two of these per night to see what works for you!
1. Drink herbal tea (green and black have caffeine, so be careful!)
2. Read a book (one that’s not too engaging, you’ll never sleep)
3. Put away the iPad (no matter how dim the screen is, it’s keeping you up)
4. Have a sleep-inducing snack (note snack, nothing too heavy)
5. Stretch it out (but gently, otherwise you’ll wake up sore)
6. Meditate (don’t force it)
7. Hide the light (blackout curtains, turn off excess room lights)
8. Take a warm shower (you’ll feel nice and cleansed)
9. Exercise regularly (exhausts you a little more and calms your rhythms)
10. Eat an earlier dinner (give yourself time to digest)
11. Soothe with smell (lavender works well)
12. Destress (this is huge)
13. Put away the wine (you’ll wake up halfway through the night)
14. Find the right temperature (the colder you get the easier you’ll fall asleep. Too cold and you will bundle up and sweat)
15. Do yoga (helps calm and center your body)
16. Don’t nap (huge sleep killer if you can’t sleep–throws off your schedule)
17. Get a new mattress (but don’t be swindled by the expensive ones)
18. Stop your afternoon coffee break (the caffeine will throw off your sleep schedule)
19. Try a natural remedy (melatonin)
20. Have a routine (probably one of the best ways to get to sleep)