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Are you sleeping well ? How to get a good night's sleep

You spend a big part of your life in bed, so why not make sure you have a comfortable nights sleep ?

Keep good hours

Going to bed and getting up at about the same time every day will help to relax your body into a gentle pattern of better sleep

Make a relaxing environment

Wherever you sleep, it should be reserved just for that purpose.

The temperature should be moderate, neither too hot, nor too cold; and as silent and as dark as can be achieved.

Use a comfortable bed

If you bed is either soft, too hard, too small or too old then it is going to be difficult to relax

Diet

Try to cut out stimulants like caffeine in tea and coffee - especially late at night. They make falling asleep much more difficult and prevent proper sleep conciousness. Try a warm drink like herbal tea instead.

Don't eat too much food late at night, just before bedtime as this will upset sleeping patterns.

Alcohol can help you fall asleep to start with but is likely to make you wake up abruptly later on.

Other things...

Smoking makes it take longer for you to fall asleep and also you are more likely to experience a disruptive rest

A warm bath, music, and of course Yoga will all help to relax both the mind and body. Relaxation tapes may also help.

Worries or a work-related stress can be managed by making a list of things to be resolved the next day.

If you can't sleep, don't lie there getting stressed about not sleeping !

Get up and do something to relax and you will should soon feel sleepy again - then try again !