by Margaret Butterfield

Created on: November 13, 2009

If you have any trouble falling asleep, you are most likely suffering from: LIFE. We live in a world that is constantly moving, fast paced and around the clock. Before electricity we had no way to work in the night, but now thanks to more modern technology, we can keep our personalities open 24/7.
But if we do this, we are going to run out of steam very fast. Our bodies require a refueling to perform at their best and sleeping a good eight hours a night is the perfect way. Eight hours is the optimal time because its not too much to make you sluggish, and not too little to make you anxious.

But, as I said, in our world, it is very difficult to keep this up. Here are a few ways to keep your sleep habits healthy and your anxiety to a minimum.

Routine at night

This is probably the best and most direct way to keep a good sleep situation. Make sure that you keep it simple, but thorough. You may like to shower, brush your teeth, change into pajamas, and prep your materials for the next day. Do it in whatever order you like, but once you pick one, stick with it. This will help develop the habit and get you to sleep faster.

Use your bed for sleeping and sex, nothing else
This goes with the routine, and is pretty self explanatory. If you don't do things like read, watch tv, etc, in bed, it will become a place where these two activities are reserved and thus, will help you sleep (not to mention, have better intimate time with your partner)

Eat well
Once again, self explanatory, but it will help many aspects of life including sleep, weight, skin, health, and overall mood.

Take time to be active in the day
We all lead busy lives where we are on the go, but try to make exercise important. This will help keep you awake in the day, and make you feel more tired at night. If you are not accustomed to exercise, start small or with a friend and work up to a regular routine

Take time to rest during the day
In addition to keeping busy and exercising, stress levels need to be kept in check. Try not to work yourself into a frenzy during the day or it will come back during the night. Anxiety will cause many of us to wake up in the middle of the night, as well as have trouble falling asleep.

And there is nothing to say that a good weekend getaway, whether its away or in your own home, will always help to rejuvenate you from rock bottom. If you feel that these steps are not working and that your sleep is still erratic consider your lifestyle. Are you too busy? Perhaps eliminating some unnecessary work can really make the difference. If this still does not seem to work, seek physical or psychological care as you could have a serious condition known as insomnia. Insomnia masquerades in many different ways so be sure to be as careful with yourself as you can before resorting to medication. Sleep is intensely important to keep up with our lifestyles, so consider the balance of your day, and how it will affect your nights! Don't let the morning coffee be your salvation or the irritability drive your life!

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