How to Get Deep Sleep

Program Description
At least 40 million people in the United States alone suffer from some type of sleep disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health. Noisy neighbors, your own snoring or that of a partner, babies and outside traffic can all contribute to sabotaging your slumber. Since sleep is your body’s mental and physical repair time, it’s critically important for you to gain control of it.

Actions
1. Block out all light sources, including from windows, adjacent bathrooms and clocks, since they disrupt your natural circadian rhythm.

2. Wear an eye mask if snuffing all the lights proves impractical.

3. Avoid caffeine and exercise in the evening, if possible.

4. Avoid large meals and drinking excessive fluids at close to bedtime.

5. Have a small, high-protein snack a couple hours before bed; among other benefits, the amino acid L-tryptophan will help you sleep.

6. Consider a white noise machine or soothing audio CDs to lull you asleep and diffuse environmental noise.

7. If you or your partner is a snorer or sleep apnea sufferer, investigate your options, including losing weight.

8. Do exercise at least five hours before bedtime. Daytime exercise has been shown to help insomnia sufferers.