Having trouble falling asleep is a very common problem for a lot of us. At some stage around 20% of people will experience either too little sleep or poor quality of sleep. The following is a collection of tips and advice to assist you in improving your sleeping habits.

• Force yourself to wake every day at the same time so that you are more productive, structured, and habitual.
• Go to bed when your are tired. It should only take you around 5-10 minutes to fall asleep, any longer and you’re wasting your time. You don’t always need the same amount of sleep every night, listen to your body and mind. Forcing yourself to get up at the same time every day should make your more tired at night and regulate the time you fall asleep anyway.

• Avoid napping during the day. Naps or siestas can give you an energy boost but if you are having trouble sleeping at night they will generally make it harder to fall asleep.

• Get a sleep mask if you have any sort of light entering in your bedroom.
• Eat your meals at the same time every day and don’t eat any substantial meal/food before bed. Eating your meals at the same time regulates melatonin, ghrelin, leptin, and other hormones that affect your sleep cycle.
• Lack of sleep has a bad effect on the “appetite control” hormone leptin. Leptin levels tell the brain when the body does or doesn’t need more food. Sleep deprivation results in a triggering of hormones of the nervous system, which can lower leptin levels. These low levels of leptin have been associated with obesity.
• Minimize your caffeine consumption throughout the day and try not to have any from the afternoon onwards.
• Minimize your alcohol intake because too much will cause you to have disrupted sleep and can reduce the amount of deep sleep you get.
• Although some experts don’t advocate exercising in the hours before bed (because of the build up of adrenaline and the time it takes for the body to return to normal), recent research has found that it can improve your sleep or at the very least leave it no worse than without the exercise. A lot of people report that it’s a good way to relieve stress and relax before bed.
• The last piece of advice is one of my favorites comes from Tim Ferriss. He recommends that you do not read non-fiction prior to bed, because it encourages projection into the future and planning. Read fiction that engages the imagination and demands present-state attention.

For more tips on how to achieve improved relaxation and sleeping habits check out these resources:

Tim Ferriss - Relax Like A Pro
Zen Habits - Benefits of Rising Early
Steve Pavlina - How to Become an Early Riser

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