Say goodnight to insomnia

Tired of watching the hours tick away when you should be sleeping? Lifelong insomniacs know tweaking a few details can mean the difference between sweet dreams and a very long night…

Establish the ground rules – Set a bedtime for yourself and pledge to reserve the bedroom for non-electronic activities. That means no TV, BlackBerry or laptops allowed. Why? They stimulate your brain and the light sends a message that it’s daytime.

Get your body ready for sleep – Remember bedtime stories? Take a bath, make a cup of tea or grab a book before you snuggle down for the night. If you follow a routine, your brain – and body – will start to respond to the cues.

Do it naturally – Medication may work for the short term but next-day-grogginess and sleep hangovers are common – and not all that pleasant. And if you’re considering over the counter medication or herbal supplements such as melatonin or valerian, understand that you’re buying an unregulated product.

Stay off the sauce – A drink with dinner may help you enjoy your food and uncoil from the day’s stress but using it to help you sleep can lead to addiction.

Exercise, but earlier – Aerobic exercise 3 hours before bed can set you up for a night of running through your dreams. Working out is important and can help you sleep through the night as long as you do it in the morning or early evening.

Know when to break the rules – Watching CSI before bed may be a bad idea for some people, but maybe watching TV helps you flush the garbage floating around in your head. Listen to the rules and then bend them so they work for you.

Take a closer look at your bed – Connect the dots from the health of your bed to the quality of your sleep. It’s a no-brainer that lumpy mattresses cause back pain, but take it a step further and consider how a more natural mattress can improve your overall health. Visit our learning center for tips and trips on getting a better sleep – starting tonight.

Searching for a community that cares about sleep, health and environmental ingenuity? You’ve found one!  Join in the conversation and fun of our Facebook and Twitter communities. We’d love to say sweet dreams!