10 ways to fall asleep more easily

1-Relax before bedtime. Stress can put you in a miserable and activated state. Take your time for a pre-sleep ritual to break the connection between stress and bedtime. Try listening to this CD, reading, meditating, doing gentle stretches, using aromatherapy, or taking a hot shower.

2-Be careful with caffeine, coffee, many teas, and sodas that contain caffeine can keep you awake. If you’ve already had too much, you need to eat carbohydrates, like cookies, to help diminish the effects.

3-Be careful with alcohol. Alcohol may initially help you sleep, but as your body metabolizes it, it can cause headaches, sweating, and nightmares, which will disrupt your sleep. To help with these symptoms, try drinking a glass of water for every glass of alcohol consumed.

4-Exercise at the right time. Exercise helps relieve stress, but a good time to exercise is in the morning, never in the afternoon or at bedtime.

5-Reduce noise, light, and extreme temperatures, decrease stimuli to your brain so it can rest; try earplugs, a night light, or a sleep mask. The best temperature for sleeping is 21 degrees.

6-Eat well and sleep well. Avoid having a large dinner right before going to sleep or going to bed on an empty stomach. It’s always about balance; foods that promote sleep include tuna, pumpkin, potatoes, asparagus, avocados, artichokes, eggs, peaches, oats, bananas, almonds, and walnuts.

7-Understand jet lag. Before changing time zones, remember to go to bed earlier. Also, keep in mind that your body needs 2 days to adjust.

8-Remember the purpose of the bed, avoid television, eating and arguing in bed. The body and mind associate activities done in bed with being in bed. Don’t let a bad habit keep you awake.

9-Don’t drink after 8 PM. It’s a fact, most of us can’t go to the bathroom and sleep at the same time. So don’t drink after 8 PM so you can rest.

10-Nap wisely. A powerful 20-minute nap early in the day can really refresh you, but sleep too much and you’ll be staring at the ceiling all night. Marc Bony, DC