Some tips to help you sleep better

  1  Doing some physical exercise during the day will help you sleep better.

2  Start winding down at least an hour before you go to bed. Put your work away and do something relaxing, which will slow you down both mentally and physically. This might be reading a book or listening to some relaxing music.

3  Do not eat too much for two hours before going to bed. As soon as you eat your body starts to work on digesting the food and this can make it difficult to get off to sleep. A very light snack is all right before bed but do not eat during the night if you wake up.

4  Do not drink too much during the evening since this will make you want to get up during the night to go to toilet. Also, go to the toilet just before you get into bed. This will make it less likely that you will want to get up in the night.

5  Do not use alcohol to help you sleep. While it may help you get off to sleep, it creates an ‘arousal spring’ as the effects of the alcohol wear off during the night, leading to you waking up. It can make you want to go to the toilet during the night. It can affect the quality of sleep that you have by reducing the amount of REM and deep sleep that you have.

6  Limit your intake of caffeine. It is a stimulant and is likely to keep you awake. Try to cut out drinks containing caffeine from the early evening onwards. Have a warm milky drink which does not have caffeine instead.

7  Do not smoke for at least a few hours before you go to bed. Nicotine, like caffeine, is a stimulant and will keep you awake.

8  Try not to use medication to help you sleep unless it is absolutely necessary. It is not a long-term solution, can change the quality of sleep that you experience and can lead to you becoming dependent on the drugs prescribed. Also, if you are on medication for other conditions, check that the sleep problems that you are experiencing are not a side effect of the medication.

9  Do not work in the same place that you sleep. Keep them separate. You will then learn to associate the bedroom with relaxation and rest, rather than work.

10  Try to develop a bedtime routine. This will help train your body to know when it is time for sleep. This may include washing or having a relaxing bath, cleaning your teeth, getting your pyjamas on, setting the alarm clock, checking the place is locked up and switching off all the lights. All of these things will inform your body it is time for sleep. Go to bed at a regular time but do not go to bed until you feel sleepy.

11  Make sure that your bedroom is well aired. Fresh air will help you sleep better.

12  Make sure the bedroom is not too hot or too cold. A temperature of about 18 degrees Celsius (64 °F) is the ideal.

13  Check that your mattress is comfortable, well sprung and not too old, hard or soft. If necessary replace it.

14  Make sure that your sheets and pillows are clean and comfortable.

15  Essential oils such as lavender or rosemary on your pillow may help you relax and get off to sleep.

16  Ensure that your bedroom is dark. If necessary get curtain liners or wear an eye mask.

17  Make sure that there is not too much noise. If necessary ask those creating the noise to turn it down. Alternatively, use ear plugs or a radio or iPod with earphones to mask other noise until you get to sleep.

18  If you are worrying about things, set aside some worry time well before you go to bed. If necessary, get a pen and paper and write a ‘to do’ list and then put it aside until the morning. Remind yourself that there is nothing you can do about it now and give yourself permission to relax.

19  Try not to go to bed on an unresolved argument. Try to make it up before you go to the bedroom if possible.

20  If you are unable to get to sleep, do not just lie there. Get up after 20 minutes or so and go out of the bedroom and do something relaxing until you start to feel sleepy. Return to the bedroom only when you feel sleepy.

21  Never ‘clock watch’. It will only make you feel worse. Turn the clock round so you cannot see the time.

22  Comfort yourself in bed. Use a hot water bottle, cushion or bed socks.

23  Do not lie in. Get up at your normal time in the morning even if you are feeling very tired. It is better to struggle through the day tired and then catch up with your sleep the next night. This will ensure that your sleep cycle does not become disrupted.

24  Do not catnap during the day or evening as this will have a negative impact on your sleep pattern at night.

25  Try not to worry about not getting enough sleep. Tell yourself that ‘at least I am resting’. Remind yourself that you may be one of those people who does not need so much sleep and that you may be trying to have more than you need.

26  If necessary, use relaxation, breathing and imagery exercises to help you get in the right state for sleep. These are covered in Chapter 8.