Top Ten Tips To A Peaceful Night's Sleep

After the end of a long day, we all want nothing more than to drift off to sleep and stay sleeping peacefully for the whole night, waking up recharged and revitalized. But some nights, no matter how exhausted our bodies (and minds) may be, we lie there awake, or if we are lucky enough to fall asleep, it is a fitful, light sleep.

If this sounds familiar to you here are 10 ways for to do everything in your power to give your body the quality sleep that both requires and deserves.

1. Do not stimulate your mind with electronic devices before bed. This means turn off the television, the DVD player and the computer. Any light-emitting device like these stimulates the brain to make you more mentally alert, even if your body is tired. Instead, do something by candlelight. Read a few pages of a book. But turn off the electronics!

2. In addition to all of the other health benefits that go along with it, exercise early in the day will be a great way to get your body to want to rest and rejuvenate come night time. Even a brisk morning stroll can help regulate your sleep schedule.

3. Take a good, hard look at your sleeping conditions. Try to maintain fresh air. Make sure that the blankets are not scratchy, the pillows suit your needs, and that the room is sufficiently dark. It all seems obvious, but not many of us conscientiously set up our bedrooms to provide the ideal sleeping environment.

4. Cut down on caffeine!!! You may think it is common sense to avoid coffee before bed, but remember - some teas, sodas, and chocolate all contain large amounts of caffeine, and will keep you stimulated much more than you may realise!

5. It may seem like a good idea to have a nightcap or a glass of wine before bed to ease your mind and help you drift off more easily. It's true, alcohol is a system depressant, and may help you to initially fall asleep. But what happens is that in the middle of the night, after the body has digested the alcohol, your body will crave more and this may cause night time awakenings that you might not contribute to your drinking.

6. Do you always feel like a cigarette before bed? I won't get into all of the reasons here why avoiding that would be a good idea! But nicotine is a powerful stimulant that you are putting directly into your bloodstream. Not a good idea if you want a good night's sleep.

7. Try to keep a routine, weekdays and weekends alike. I know it's hard, but your body actually thrives on routine. If you go to bed at the same time every night, you can actually train your body to expect to drift off at that time. The length of time it will take you to fall asleep will begin to become less and less as you establish a routine.

8. Avoid spicy foods for dinner - keep those for lunch! Spicy foods can significantly raise your internal body temperature, confusing your body, which tends to lower in temperature before you drift off to sleep.

9. Do indulge in Grandma's old standby - she knows a thing or two!! Warm milk contains an amino acid that slows down brain activity. Other goodies before bed are herbal teas of chamomile, valerian, fennel, or lavender, all known for their relaxing properties.

10. Write it down - all of it. Get your thoughts out on paper so you don't sit in bed going over everything in your head. All of these thoughts of the day if unacknowledged may have kept you awake whether you were aware of it or not. Knowing that you acknowledged them oftentimes is enough for you to set them aside until late... like in the morning... after a great night's sleep!