A good night sleep is exactly what we need to wake up fresh and ready for starting a new day. But we don’t always get that good night of sleep because many times the factors that we have in our lives (daily challenges, work, family, illness etc) are interfering.

It’s no wonder that quality of sleep is sometimes elusive.
Of course we don’t always get to control the factors that interfere with our sleep but we can adopt habits that encourage better sleep. Start with these simple tips.

1. Stick to a sleep schedule
   We don’t need more than 8 hours of sleep. The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least 7 hours. Go to bed and wake up every day at the same time. Try to limit the difference between workdays and weekends at maximum 1 hour. Stay in bed and if you’re not falling asleep in the first 20 minutes go outside the bedroom and do something relaxing like reading a book or listen to some soothing music.
2. Meditate
   Even if meditation might not be on your practice list try to relax with breathing exercises for few minutes before you sleep. It will calm the mind and the body so you can get in a drowsy state faster.
3. Change your diet
   Never go to bed immediately after eating heavy meals, the discomfort of digestion might keep you up. Also limit the caffeine, alcohol, smoking intake after 6 pm. They have stimulating effects and it will not be easy to fall asleep.
4. Limit daytime naps
   Long naps will interfere with your sleeping schedule that’s why during the day a healthy nap should not be longer than 30 minutes and avoid doing it later in the day
5. Worries management
   All worries and concerns must be resolved before bedtime, you have to leave them for the next day. Get organized and keep track of your activities so that any anxiety feelings are out of the picture.
6. Work out daily
   Physical activities are promoting a good night sleep but do not be active close to bedtime. Consider also spending time outdoors, it helps too.
7. Create a restful environment
   Your bedroom should be the ideal place to sleep. It should be cool, dark and quiet. Exposure to light might make sleeping very challenging. Try ho have darker colors and comfy linens, it helps a lot.

  Monica Burtavel

  Family & Relationships Counselor,
  NLP Transformational coach,
  Timeline & Hypnosis therapist.