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Here are

13 tips to help you:

■ Stick to a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day—even on the weekends.

■ Exercise is great but not too late in the day. Avoid exercising closer than 5 or 6 hours before bedtime.

■ Avoid caffeine and nicotine. The stimulating effects of caffeine in coffee, colas, teas, and chocolate can take as long as 8 hours to wear off fully. Nicotine is also a stimulant.

■ Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed. A “nightcap”might help you get to sleep, but alcohol keeps you in the lighter stages of sleep. You also tend to wake up in the middle of the night when the sedating effects have worn off.

■ Avoid large meals and beverages late at night. A large meal can cause indigestion that interferes
with sleep. Drinking too many fluids at night can cause you to awaken frequently to urinate.

■ Avoid medicines that delay or disrupt your sleep, if possible. Some commonly prescribed heart, blood pressure, or asthma medications, as well as some over-the-counter and herbal remedies for coughs,colds, or allergies, can disrupt sleep patterns.

Don’t take naps after 3 p.m. Naps can boost your brain power, but late afternoon naps can make it
harder to fall asleep at night. Also, keep naps to under an hour.

■ Relax before bed. Take time to unwind. A relaxing activity, such as reading or listening to music, should be part of your bedtime ritual.

■ Take a hot bath before bed. The drop in body temperature after the bath may help you feel sleepy,
and the bath can help relax you.

■ Have a good sleeping environment. Get rid of anything that might distract you from sleep, such as
noises, bright lights, an uncomfortable bed, or a TV or computer in the bedroom. Also, keeping the
temperature in your bedroom on the cool side can help you sleep better.

■ Have the right sunlight exposure. Daylight is key to regulating daily sleep patterns. Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes each day.

■ Don’t lie in bed awake. If you find yourself still awake after staying in bed for more than 20
minutes, get up and do some relaxing activity until you feel sleepy. The anxiety of not being able to
sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.

■ See a doctor if you continue to have trouble sleeping. If you consistently find yourself feeling tired or not well rested during the day despite spending enough time in bed at night, you may have a sleep disorder. Your family doctor or a sleep specialist should be able to help you.

Source: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health

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Like eating well and being physically active, getting a good night’s sleep is vital to your well-being. Not only does the quantity of your sleepmatter, but the quality of your sleep is important as
well. People whose sleep is interrupted a lot or is cutshort might not get enough of certain stages of sleep.In other words, how well rested you are and how well you function the next day depend on your total sleep time and how much of the various stages of sleep you
get each night.

Health: Sleep is also important for good health. Studies show that not getting enough sleep or getting
poor quality sleep on a regular basis increases the risk of having high blood pressure, heart disease, and other medical conditions.In addition, during sleep, your body produces valuable
hormones. Deep sleep triggers more release of growth hormone, which fuels growth in children, and helps build muscle mass and repair cells and tissues in children and adults. Another type of hormone that increases during sleep works to fight various infections. This might explain why a good night’s sleep helps keep you from getting sick—and helps you recover when you do get sick. Hormones released during sleep also affect how the body uses energy. Studies find that the less people sleep, the more likely they are to be overweight or obese, to develop diabetes, and to prefer eating foods that are high in calories and carbohydrates.

Performance: We need sleep to think clearly, react quickly, and create memories. In fact, the pathways in the brain that help us learn and remember are very active when we sleep. Studies show that people who are taught mentally challenging tasks do better after a good night’s sleep. Other research suggests that sleep is needed for creative problem solving.Skimping on sleep has a price. Cutting back by even 1 hour can make it tough to focus the next day and can slow your response time. Studies also find that when you lack sleep, you are more likely to make bad decisions and take more risks. This can result in lower performance on the job or in school and a greater risk for a car crash.

Mood: Sleep also affects mood. Insufficient sleep can make you irritable and is linked to poor behavior and trouble with relationships, especially among children and teens. People who chronically lack sleep are also more likely to become depressed.

Source: National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health

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