Good sleep habits can help you get a excellent night’s sleep. With correct sleep habits, it is easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Several good sleep habits include avoiding caffeine and other stimulants late in the day, getting regular exercise, and going to sleep at the same time each night.

Below is a list of things that typically help people sleep better:

1.Bedtime routines are helpful for good sleep. Keep routines on your normal schedule. A cup of herbal tea an hour before bed can begin a routine.

2. Exercise Regularly. Another way to develop better sleep habits is to exercise regularly. Your body uses sleep to recover and repair so exercise promotes your body’s need to rest.

3. No napping. Some people can take a short afternoon nap and still sleep well at night. However, if you are having trouble sleeping at night, try to eliminate napping. If you must nap, do it in the early afternoon, and sleep no longer than about thirty minutes.

4. Eat Moderately, No Caffeine, No Smoking . Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and can keep you from falling asleep. Alcohol can cause you to wake in the night. It also interferes with sleep quality.

5. Medicines and other drugs - Some drugs can affect sleep because they are stimulants. If you are taking medicine it is worth checking with your pharmacist or doctor. Examples are

certain drugs for asthma and for migraine. Sleeping tablets, whilst they can help in the short term often cause sleep problems as they interfere with the quality of sleep and can alter sleep

patterns. They should only be taken for very short periods.

6. Use the bed for sleeping. Avoid watching TV or using laptop computers. Know that reading in bed can be a problem if the material is very stimulation and you read with a bright light. If it helps to read before sleep make sure you use a very small wattage bulb to read. A 15 watt bulb should be enough. Bright light from these activities may inhibit sleep.

7. If you have a sleeping partner, ask them if they notice any snoring, leg movements and/or pauses in breathing . Take this information and try the sleep test. You may have a sleep disorder or you may just need to increase your awareness about your own sleep need. If you have any concerns see your doctor.

8. If you can’t fall asleep and don’t feel drowsy, get up and read (or do something that is not overly stimulating) until you feel sleepy.

9. Avoid looking at the clock if you wake up in the middle of the night. It can cause anxiety. This is very difficult for most of us, so turn the clock away from your eyes so you would have to turn it to see the time. You may decide not to make the effort and go right back to sleep.

10. Keep the noise level down. Too much noise- loud outside conversations, televisions blaring, traffic noise - can make it difficult to sleep well. When the source of outside noise can’t be eliminated, sometimes it can be masked. A fan or white noise machine can help block outside noise. Some people enjoy recordings of soothing sounds such as waves, waterfalls or rain. Earplugs may also help, although you want to make sure they don’t block out important noises like an alarm clock if you use one.