Sleeping well is a habit that you can learn! Small changes can have big effects.

Start today by following these rules:

• Take care of your body

• Do not drink caffeine: no tea, coffee, or coca-cola after 4 o’clock

• Do not eat a big or spicy meals late in the evening

• Do not go to bed hungry

• Avoid alcohol as it interferes with sleep

Physical exercise, such as a brisk walk, in the late afternoon can help to make your body tired and help you to sleep. Try to do some exercise every day.

Sleep only at night-time and do not have day-time naps, no matter how tired you feel. Naps keep the problem going by making it harder for you to get to sleep the next night.

Having a regular bedtime routine teaches your body when it’s time to go to sleep.

• Have a soothing drink like camomile tea or a milky drink

• Have a bath, or a routine of washing your face and brushing your teeth

• Go to bed at the same time each night

• When in bed think of nice things (e.g. think of 5 nice things that happened that day – they might be big or small, such as a nice conversation, seeing the sunshine, or hearing nice music on the radio)

• Do a relaxed breathing exercise (one hand on stomach the other on your chest, deliberately slow your breathing, breathe deeply in your stomach instead of high in your chest)

• Try and wake up the same time every day, even if this is tiring to begin with.

Make your bedroom a pleasant place to be:

• Get a night-light

• Keep it clean and tidy

• Introduce pleasant smells such as a drop of lavender oil onto the pillow

• Get extra pillows

• Make sure that your home is safe e.g. doors locked, windows closed.

REMEMBER: Bed is for sleeping, so if you cannot sleep after 30 minutes, get up and do another activity elsewhere such as reading or listening to music (try and avoid TV as it can wake you up). After 15 minutes return to bed and try to sleep again. If you still can’t sleep after 30 minutes get up again. Repeat this routine as many times as necessary and only use your bed for sleeping in.

Courtesy https://www.psychologytools.com