SLEEP HYGIENE TIPS:
• Keep to a routine. The hour before bedtime should have ritual behaviors that tell your mind it is time to sleep.
• Avoid using the bedroom as a study or work area- your brain should associate the room with calm and sleeping.
• Have a warm milky drink before going to bed. Milk contains tryptophan, a natural enzyme that aids sleep.
• Take a warm bath about shortly before bedtime, using relaxing oils or bubbles for smell-therapy.
• Keep a nap during the day to 20 minutes or less. Any more and you’ll go into deep slow-wave sleep, and feel worse upon waking, then not be able to sleep at night.
• Don't drink caffeine or take caffeine products (e.g., Excedrin) for at least 4 hours before bedtime. Caffeine is a stimulant and has a long half-life in your body.
• Don't eat late at night (especially foods high in fat and fibre) because the digestion process can disrupt your sleep.
• Avoid alcohol. Although it may make you fall asleep faster, you will not get a restful sleep, as alcohol increases REM (dream) sleep and decreases slow-wave (deep, restful) sleep.
• Get some exercise during the day, and at least 3-4 hours before bedtime if possible. Exercise releases neurochemicals and hormones that last for a long time in your body and can easily keep you up at night.
• Use relaxation exercises. Try visualizing a pleasantly soothing scene or relax by taking regular deep breaths (exhale as long as exhale, focus on the breath, belly/diaphragm should be moving most, not the chest where you hyperventilate).
• Keep your sleeping environment as pleasant as possible. Switch off electrical appliances and ensure the light is blocked out. Ensure that the temperature is cool- this triggers your brain into thinking it is time to sleep. Too warm makes for disruptful sleep.
• Turn your bedside clock away from you so you cannot see it. People who don't watch the clock tend to sleep better and for longer than those who do.
• Keeping a diary may also help you switch off, as writing down what has happened to you during the day, together with your feelings, can help reduce feelings of anxiety.
• Try a mindfulness exercise of labeling your experiences as they pass through your mind: in your mind put “thought” “image” and “feel” into containers.
• Repeat a soothing word or phrase over and over again.
• Focus your attention on soothing sensory experiences- how soft the mattress is, how nice it is smell your pillow (in contrast to trying to sleep at the airport, for example). When the mind tries to drift away from this, gently pull it back as often as needed, and without frustration.
• The key is to respect that your mind wants to plan and be active, but to gently pull it to the present moment, experiencing the word in your mind, or the sensory experience of lying in a soft bed, for example.