Get a Good Night's Sleep with These 10 Tips

A good night's sleep is way more than a simple time out from daily life; it is essential to maintaining good health and functioning properly both mentally and emotionally. A bad night's sleep directly affects your ability to perform a variety of tasks involving memory, learning and logical reasoning.

A bad night's sleep can also be extremely dangerous especially once you get behind the wheel of a car. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration fatigue causes more than 100,000 auto crashes yearly resulting in more than 1500 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries and disabilities.

There really is no set amount of sleep required as all people are different, however most adults require 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep a night. It is important for you to figure out how much sleep your body needs to function properly. If you have trouble staying alert during boring parts of the day or you are unusually grouchy and have trouble concentrating then you are most likely not getting enough quality sleep.

The following tips might not work all the time and you will probably have to try out various things but once you find what works for you, these tips can help you get that good quality sleep that you deserve.

1.Eat a light bedtime snack: While you don't want to stuff yourself it helps to have a little something in your stomach. Hunger can cause the well-known stomach grumbling which in turn can keep you awake.

2.Sleep On Your Back: Sleeping on your back is the best position for your internal organs. It allows the organs to rest properly. When you sleep on your side or stomach your force your organs to squish together thus making them work harder which does not allow relaxation. I tend to toss and turn working myself in a complete circle before I end up on my back again, which is how I sleep. I'm not sure what the tossing and turning accomplishes but it is a given for me.

3.Wiggle your toes: I know this one sounds really weird but it just might be what you were looking for. According to the science of Reflexology, your feet are the control panel for the rest of your body with energy running through your body and ending up in your feet. When you wiggle your toes, you are stimulating the energy and allowing it to flow freely, which in turn relaxes both your body and mind.

4.Yawning: Force yourself to yawn 3 or 4 times. This sends a signal to your brain and throughout your entire body that it is time for sleep. Be careful not to get to the point where you are yawning too much. I have this problem at times and the intensity of the yawns actually keeps me awake. Keep the yawns nice and simple.

5.Take a warm bath: A warm bath is a great way to relax your entire body. You must make sure not to stay in too long or have the water too hot as that drains your energy, which makes you uncomfortable and unable to sleep. A 15-minute warm bath with a few relaxing bath salts and maybe some lit candles in the bathroom will put your mind and body in the mood for sleep. I love this tip.

6.Drink a glass of warm milk: Milk contains calcium, which has been proven to soothe your nervous system. A calm nervous system helps towards a good night's sleep.

7.Get a massage: If you are lucky enough to have someone in your life who can give you a massage just before bed, then have at it. Make sure your partner uses slow, and gentle but firm strokes when massaging to release the tension and relax your body. A full body massage is best but a great foot massage, or simply the neck shoulders can do wonders as well. This is my favorite sleep aid.

8.Keep a regular bedtime schedule: Your body likes routines even if you don't. Try to go to sleep at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning even on the weekends. Once your body gets used to the routine you will find that your body will stick to it and decrease your troubles sleeping.

9.Rub Your Stomach: Rubbing your stomach soothes your digestive system allowing your to relax easier. It also improves the function of your digestive system, which can aid in weight loss. You want to start at your belly button with your hand flat and begin rubbing gently in clockwise circles all the while making the circles larger until you hit the outside of your stomach. Then head back in towards your belly button. After that start again only make your circles counter clockwise. Repeat this entire process with the other hand and continue for a few more rounds if you feel you need to.

10.Get out of bed: If you find you are having trouble sleeping get up and move around. Read a book, watch TV or do some other boring activity until your body lets you know it is ready to sleep.

Keeping trying new things until you find what works for you. Pay attention to your body, you can learn a lot. Remember how important a good quality night of sleep is and don't give up. In the end you will be happier and healthier.