How to Get a Good Night's Sleep

Everyone has experienced a restless night, which saps our energy and leaves us feeling tired the next morning. Then there are those nights where we wake up constantly. This can seem worse than getting no sleep at all because we feel sleep-deprived and exhausted the next morning.

The truth is, a restless night takes a toll on your entire body and mind.

Sleep deprivation can cause these health problems:

* Increased stress
* Fatigue
* Weight gain
* Extreme irritability
* Illness
* Inability to concentrate
* And so much more

The effects of sleep deprivation are more or less the same with everyone, but the severity and order of events can vary.

If you would like to avoid these problems and get a good night's sleep, here are some tips that can help:

How to Fall Asleep Quickly

A problem that plagues many of us is the inability to fall asleep with ease. There are a number of issues that can interfere with your sleeping patterns, so here are some things you can do to help you fall asleep quickly:

* Get sunlight during the day.
* Be active and exercise.
* Avoiding eating or drinking before bed.
* Take your shower at least 1 hour before bed.
* Clear your mind.

That last one helps us with one of the most frequent issues because our thoughts tend to race when we're in the quietness and darkness of our bedroom. If your thoughts keep you awake, it may be because the day's events are replaying over and over in your mind or you are worrying about something. It can take a bit of effort, but it is possible to clear your mind.

* Meditate, pray or think about something pleasant to relax and clear your mind.

How to Stay Asleep

Falling asleep – and staying asleep – go hand-in-hand in many ways. However, one of the most common issues that interfere with the ability to stay asleep is stress. Getting stress under control will help you to get a peaceful sleep.

* Reducing your stress will not only help you to sleep better but also improve your mental clarity and help you to avoid serious health concerns.

You can also do such things as reducing your daily intake of caffeine and making changes with your diet to eat more fruits and vegetables. Your diet really does have an incredible influence on your sleep!

On another note, some people are heavily influenced by noise. If you live near a busy street or have noisy neighbors, you may want to consider a sound machine or a fan in the room to drown out the noise.

If you are light sensitive, ensure that the room is dark enough for you. If there are streetlights outside of the window, put shades over the windows to keep the light out. It sounds obvious, but how often do you compromise your sleep because you just put up with these distractions and annoyances?

How to Wake Up Rested

Obviously if you can fall asleep quickly (and stay soundly asleep), you're likely to feel well rested when you awake. However, if you don't think of yourself as a "morning person" there are some things you can do to help.

* Try getting more exercise during the day or eating more natural, unprocessed foods. Both of these activities will help you to sleep better and wake up feeling more rested since your body and mind will be well nourished.

Get Some Rest!

If you're sleep deprived, it's time for you to put yourself first. When you implement these sleep tips, you'll start getting a good night's sleep in no time!
