brain send a sleep signal. It also reinforces a habit. Habits are an important part of better sleep. Obviously you won't be able to do this every single night, there will be nights where you might go out to a show or out on the town with friends! However if you manage most nights, this will still work well.
Don't go to bed until you are tired.
Yes I know! This sound like a direct contradiction of the previous tip! The logic behind this is that is you are not sleepy you will lie in bed awake and will start worrying about not being able to go to sleep. The most important part of all this is to get up at the same time every morning no matter what time you went to bed the night before. Eventually you will feel very sleepy at your normal bedtime. Getting up in the morning when you are still tired is not easy to do but it will help in the longer term. Stick with it!
Keep a sleep diary
This, while rather tedious, will give you an excellent idea of your sleep patterns and will be a necessary record if you ever decide to visit a sleep clinic for help. Some people have done this and found their sleeping problems disappeared of their own accord! A sleep diary should note the following:
What you had for dinner
What drinks you consumed after dinner
Any naps taken during the day
What time you went to bed
How long it took you to fall asleep
If you woke during the night
What time you woke up in the morning
How you rated quality of sleep (1-10)
Any further observations
Do this every days for a few weeks and you should see a pattern emerging. This will give you invaluable information on your personal sleep habits and patterns.
Develop an evening ritual.
Do the same things at the same time each night. This programs the unconscious mind
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