Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep per night. However, many people get less sleep due to personal obligations that cut into sleep time and insomnia. Sleeping for eight hours and feeling well-rested upon awaking is possible. If you have trouble getting to sleep and staying asleep, take some simple steps to improve your sleep and get the rest your body and mind needs.
Step 1
Relax before bed. Light reading, listening to soft music or making simple preparations for the next day may help relax you and signal to your brain that it is time to sleep. Television is not suitable as a method of relaxation. Though you may easily fall asleep with the television on, it actually stimulates your mind and hampers your ability to have deep and restful sleep, according to Helpguide.org.
Step 2
Refrain from eating or drinking large quantities before bed. The Mayo Clinic advises eating a light dinner two or more hours before bed and limiting the amount of liquid you drink. If you drink too much you will be multiple times throughout the night for trips to the bathroom, interrupting your sleep.
Step 3
Avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol at night. Nicotine and caffeine both act as stimulants, preventing sleep. While both habits are best to kick entirely, limiting the use of these substances during the evening hours will at least help you sleep better. Alcohol, despite claims of it being a sedative, disrupts sleep as well. You may fall asleep quickly when under the influence of alcohol, but your sleep will not be restful.
Step 4
Exercise, but not within a few hours of sleeping. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises that physical activity helps you sleep, but actually disrupts sleep when you exercise three or less hours before bed. For example, if your sleep schedule has you going to sleep at 10 pm, you should not exercise after 7 pm.
Step 5
Control stress and anxiety. If you frequently wake up or have difficulty falling asleep, stress and anxiety could be to blame. Helpguide.org advises taking note of the issues bothering you that do not allow you to sleep so you can figure out ways to handle the underlying issue. Relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing, before bed may help you control stress and anxiety, clearing your mind and easing tension before you slip into bed.
Step 6
Create an optimal sleep environment. The environment in which you sleep helps determine how well you sleep. Make sure your bed is large enough to allow you to turn and stretch comfortably and that your mattress and pillows are firm enough to offer you support without making you wake up sore. Helpguide.org also recommends keeping the temperature in your room comfortable, keeping your room dark and quiet and reserving your bed for only sleep and sex.
Step 7
Maintain a sleep schedule. Try not to fall asleep too early even if you begin to feel sleepy. Your body goes through cycles of alertness and you will often regain wakefulness if you do not succumb to the brief sleepiness. Instead of succumbing to sleep early, maintain a schedule with a specific bedtime and waking time. You should also limit naps to short 30 minute rests in the early afternoon.
Step 8
Get back to sleep. You may wake up during the night, but this does not mean you must get up if you have not yet reached your eight hours of sleep. Instead, get back to sleep by relaxing using visualization or meditation. If you cannot return to sleep after 15 minutes, get out of bed and engage in a quiet activity with the lights dimmed. The relaxation of a quiet activity may help lull you back to sleep.
