Want the Best Sleep of Your Life? Try This.

While there are many reasons why one might have trouble falling asleep, here are a few tips that might be the perfect combination to alleviate those sleepless nights. Humans are creatures of habit and have been since the beginning of time. We once relied on the sun to tell us when to sleep, but those days are gone. These days, we face plenty of distractions in our complicated lives, such as stressful jobs and schools that require us to stretch the day and work at night, followed by late-night television so we can “unwind”.

Computers, tablets, video games, and friends can all work against our natural body clock. If you want the best chance to hit the pillow and drift off immediately, go to bed as early as you can and do it consistently. Make sure the room is cool, dark, and silent, and be sure to minimize distractions. The room temperature should be no higher than 70 degrees. Ensure the alarm clock is not shining in your face, the TV needs to be off, no night light, and minimize outside lights. Speaking of habits, regular exercise helps set your internal clock, but exercising too close to bedtime will most likely keep you up, so exercise in the morning. If you have the habit of consuming caffeinated products in the afternoon and evening, stop it now. Caffeine is not readily broken down by the body, and its effects can be felt many hours after consumption. While alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it does not allow you to fall into a deep sleep. Alcohol makes you more likely to wake up easily to use the bathroom, possibly prohibiting you from falling back to sleep.

One of the main signs and symptoms of stress is sleep problems. The main reason is that stress negatively affects your adrenal glands (also known as your stress glands). These little almond-shaped glands sit on your kidneys and produce many hormones vital to our bodily functions, one of which is sleep patterns, with cortisol being the hormone responsible. If you feel stressed out, supplementing with good adrenal support can help regulate these glands. You should be able to pick this up at your local health food store. In addition to supplementation, you should avoid nicotine, caffeine, and sugar, as these depress the adrenal glands.