At night, make sure your bedroom is dark, cool and quiet. This lets your body know it’s time to sleep. Good quality curtains or black-out ones help keep the light out, as do eye masks.
Think about the sounds (or lack thereof) which help you to sleep. Some people sleep better with ambient noise, while others prefer full silence.
If you find noise a problem, try using ear plugs.
Physical activity during the day can improve your sleep so try to ensure you’re making time to move. It is better to leave a decent gap of several hours between workout time and bedtime though.
Go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning, even in the weekends. This helps you sleep better at night and makes you feel better during the day.
Fling open the curtains and expose yourself to bright light first thing in the morning. This lets your brain know it’s time to wake up. And make sure you’re exposed to bright light during the day – either sunlight or artificial light does the trick.
At night, reduce your exposure to blue light, which is emitted from computer screens and devices such as smartphones. Blue light interferes with your production of melatonin.
Avoid caffeine 4 to 6 hours before bed. This will help you sleep better and be less wired.
Create a bedtime routine to signal to your brain that it’s time for sleep. You could read or listen to relaxing music. Having a bath or shower before bed can really enhance your quality of sleep.
Practise deep breathing for sleep or progressive muscle relaxation techniques.
To rid yourself of the thoughts keeping you awake, it can be helpful to list them earlier in the day and write a plan of action for each individual worry. That way, if worries arise in the night you can reassure yourself that you are dealing with them.
If you’re having trouble sleeping after 20 minutes in bed, get up and do something quiet and relaxing then go back to bed again.