15 Tips for the Best Sleep of Your Life

Here's how you can get the best sleep of your life.

It helps enormously to keep work papers and television out of the bedroom. The piles of clutter burden your sleep time with thoughts of important chores. Fix yourself up a home office, or a home nook in another room, where books and papers can be stored out of sight and out of mind. Reserve the bedroom as a place of sleep and intimacy.
Is your computer in the bedroom? It also distracts you from falling asleep. Can you find a place for it in another room? If that's not possible, put the computer in a closed cabinet, or shut it down and drape a cloth over it at bedtime, or just turn the monitor toward the wall.
Light can enter the eyes even when your eyelids are shut tight. Light interferes with the production of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your internal sleepiness. If outdoor lights shine in your room, blackout shades will block them and are worth every penny. An eye mask will block unwanted light, too.
Reflective surfaces, like wall mirrors, pictures, TV screens and computer monitors, catch and amplify light. The small light from the alarm clock and other electronics will increase your wakefulness. Remove or cover them.
Is your bedroom too noisy, or perhaps too quiet? It might be sudden, unpredictable sounds that keep you awake. Create a sense of calm and stillness with ear plugs or a white noise machine.
You'll fall asleep easier in a cool room. Set the thermostat lower at night and snuggle under the covers. It works for the hibernating bears, too.
If you are uncomfortable in bed, with itchy eyes, running nose, shallow breathing or coughing, consider that you might be allergic to something in the room. Remove the down comforter, animal skin rugs, old pillows and dust which could be irritating you. Wash your sheets often in a hypo-allergic soap, or plain water. Open a window during the day to ventilate the room and clear the air. The best solution of all is a hepa type air cleaner, which will make your bedroom an oasis of comfort.
Do you or your partner snore? The Sona pillow has been proven to reduce or even eliminate snoring. You'll breathe better with it, too. Look into other methods to stop snoring. Sleep apnea is a disorder which causes snoring and can interfere with sleep.
No matter how much you love them, pets in the bed will also keep you awake. Give your furry friends a special bed in the next room, or confine them to a cage at bedtime.
Get plenty of exercise during the day, so that you actually feel tired when bedtime rolls around.
Caffeine drinks, chocolate and snacks in the evening will keep you awake, as will over-eating. Foods that disagree with you and cause heartburn can keep you awake. So will exercise done just before bedtime.
Eat your main meal earlier in the evening, rather than later. Undigested food can keep you awake.
Keep regular hours every day, to get your body accustomed to a schedule.
Have a bedtime ritual to prepare yourself for sleep. Turn off the TV and cell phone. Relax. Quiet your mind. Think pleasant, happy thoughts. Express gratitude for the good things that came your way. Look forward hopefully to the next day.
While you lie in bed, try to empty your mind of all thoughts. Notice your breathing and how it soothes the body. Don't worry about insomnia, because you've done all the right things. Sleep will come on tiptoe when you least expect it.