How to Get a Great Night's Sleep

Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders are estimated to cost Americans over $100 billion annually in lost productivity, medical expenses, sick leave, and property and environmental damage (National Sleep Foundation).

Sleep is right up there with life's other necessities such as air, food, and water. Our entire lives are affected by the quality and quantity of sleep we get. Without enough of it, our jobs suffer; relationships suffer, not to mention our health and safety being put at risk. The good news is, that you can take specific measures to assure yourself that you'll get the kind of sleep that will leave you feeling refreshed, alert and ready to face your day.

Let's start by taking a close look at the environment you're sleeping in. Make sure that the room is free from an overabundance of dust bunnies and clutter. Get a broom and dust cloth and go to town making this room fresh you tidy. You will breath much better in a room that has fresh air without too many dust mites. Better breathing will automatically improve your sleep.

Keeping your room free from clutter will give you a serene environment that will help encourage you to relax, far more than trying to fall asleep in the middle of chaos. So if you don't need it and haven't used it for over a year, donate it, sell it, or toss it. Leave the bare essentials in your room and use decorative accents sparingly.

How is the light in your room? You might want to add thicker blinds or window treatments to make sure this room stays very dark. Many people that work third shift cover their windows with aluminum foil to block out light and give a "signal" that this person is a day sleeper.

Let's take a look at your bed itself. Is the surface you're sleeping on too firm or too soft? Consider investing in a new mattress if you need to. The investment is well worth it. Make sure you have enough blankets to keep you cozy, but not too warm. Test your pillows out; are they supporting your head in a comfortable fashion without putting too much pressure on your neck? You might want to replace your pillows about every three months. They are inexpensive and very important to your overall sleeping comfort.

How is the noise in your room? If you are by a highway, or other busy area and the noise is interrupting your sleep, there are several options you can look at. You might want to get a white noise machine. Some alarm clocks even have this option nowadays. You can adjust the volume of the white noise to cover up outside noises. Fans are also an excellent option in the summer, or an electric heater in the winter. The sounds these appliances emit are very relaxing. Or, you can get earplugs.

Now that we've addressed the environment you are sleeping in, let's talk scheduling. Your body needs to get in the habit of knowing when it's time to start shutting down for the evening. Set a specific time to go to bed every night, and wake up the same time every morning. As your body gets used to a schedule, you'll notice you don't have to work as hard at winding down when bedtime starts to approach. Your body will naturally start doing this on it's own.

I would suggest that you schedule at least eight hours every night. When you are used to that, then you can start to adjust the time accordingly down to 7.5 or 7 hours a night until you find your own body's optimum time it needs for the best rest. Your goal is to be able to wake up feeling refreshed, without having to rely too much on an alarm clock.

Your diet plays an important role in your ability to get a good night's sleep. Drinking too much caffeine, sugar, or even alcohol can inhibit your ability to rest peacefully. So is eating a heavy meal too close to bedtime. Your goal is to feel comfortable without being too hungry or too full by the time you lay down for the night. If you are thirsty right before bed, warm milk, or decaffeinated tea can help you relax and of course water is good for you anytime.

Light exercise is good a couple of hours before bedtime. Yoga, stretching, or just going for a walk will help your body work out the days tension to help it relax better. Save vigorous exercise for earlier in the day though or you might work your body up too much to really wind down on time.

The last thing that we are going to talk about is your mental state. Going to bed with too much on your mind is just inviting your thoughts to run amok causing you to stay awake for hours. Make journaling or keeping a things to do list a part of your daily schedule. Writing down everything that is on your mind will relieve your brain from churning far into the night when you really need to let go and rest.

So what do you think about as you're falling asleep? Start with thinking of things that you are grateful for. This will help raise the serotonin level in your brain and that will naturally relax you. You can also try this self-hypnosis trick which works no fail for me every time: Start by thinking about your right or left foot, how it's comfortable, heavy, and relaxed, then move to your other foot, then move up your body slowly, thinking about each body part and how it is comfortable, heavy, and relaxed. If you are like me, you will be fast asleep before you reach your head!

Try these suggestions for the next six weeks. You might even find other things that will help you sleep as well, such as taking a nice hot bath, or using aromatherapy such as Lavender that will also help you relax. Soon you'll be sleeping like a baby!