How you can sleep better
If you envy friends who claim they fall asleep the minute their head hits the pillow, you’re not alone. More than a third of Americans say they don’t get enough sleep, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. If counting sheep isn’t cutting it for you, it might be time to consider some alternatives.
Set an alarm to go to bed. Alarms aren’t just for the morning. Set an alarm that alerts you when it’s bedtime, so you don’t cheat yourself out of sleep.
Say no to the nightcap. You might want to rethink your nightly cocktail. “While alcohol can make you feel drowsy, the effect will wear off and may cause you to wake up frequently,” says Dr. Orlando Ruiz-Rodriguez, a board-certified sleep medicine physician with Orlando Health Medical Group Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine.
Keep your bedroom cooler. The ideal room temperature for sleeping is between 60 and 67 degrees, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Because our body temperatures drop naturally to induce sleep, keeping your room cool can speed up the process.
Don’t force sleep. If you can’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed. In another room, enjoy a quiet activity such as reading in low light until you feel drowsy enough to go back to bed.
Skip the snooze button. Each morning when you hit the snooze button, you can disrupt REM sleep, which can leave you feeling groggy. Instead, set your alarm to wake you at a slightly later time.
Exercise every day. Exercise, even walking, can help calibrate your internal clock and improve your sleep. Finish your workout by early evening.