8 Tips for Sleeping Better

Studies show that far too many of us are not sleeping well, and lack of good-quality sleep can lead to more than just feeling tired: everything from traffic accidents and poor work performance to crankiness, illness, and a less-than-attractive appearance can be the result of sleeping poorly.

To look and feel your absolute best, you need to get approximately seven to nine hours of deeply restful, quality sleep each night. Here are eight simple tips so you can start sleeping like a baby. Find out how to get a great night’s sleep, right here:

1. Flannel sheets are an insomniac’s best friend! Year-round, I sleep between thick, 6-ounce flannels that feel like light, soft, velvety blankets of fluffy cotton. During hot summer weather, forego the usual thin blanket and substitute the top flannel sheet as your cover.

2. Get plenty of vigorous exercise early in the day so you’ll be naturally tired come bedtime. Exercise performed too close to retiring can be too stimulating for some people.

3. Sip a cup of hot catnip, chamomile, or raspberry leaf herbal tea. Hot, mineral-rich vegetable broth, cow’s milk, and calcium-fortified soy or rice milk are also good. Drink it an hour prior to bedtime or you’ll wake up needing to visit the lavatory.

4. Don’t go to bed on a full stomach. Digestion takes lots of energy and will keep you awake.

5. Go to bed at the same time every night. Once your body gets used to a routine, it will naturally want to fall asleep at the designated time.

6. Put a drop or two of soothing essential oil of lavender or Roman chamomile on your pillow.

7. Purchase a device that drowns out disturbing noises and produces sleep-inducing sounds such as ocean waves lapping the shore, a gently babbling brook, or wind in the trees.

8. Avoid caffeinated products such as certain brands of pain relievers, diet pills, and the usual culprits–coffee, cola drinks, chocolate, and black tea. Caffeine keeps you awake, makes for more restless sleep, and acts as a diuretic, causing you to make more trips to the bathroom.