getting a good night’s sleep

I sleep really well when I exercise (but not too close to bedtime). Especially when I do yoga. I think it’s something about the savasana that calms me down for the rest of the day.
(Samantha @ Bikini Birthday)

For one thing, we do not use our bedroom for anything other than sleep and the hanky panky (hanky panky? what am I 13?)… no TV, no laptop, no radio even. Also, I keep it really cool in there and always have a fan going. I splurged on higher threadcount sheets to make sure I’m super comfortable. When decorating our bedroom I went with a “spa feel” and painted it light blue and only included soothing colors. Also, I have bedtime routine down – brush my teeth of course, but I also have some lavendar oil that I keep in my bathroom and I usually rub a little of that behind my ears, around my neck, hands and the smell of it is just so lovely and calming.
(Em @ HomecookedEm)

Whenever I can’t sleep (which is fairly often too) I have a cup of chamomile tea with honey. It’s yummy, eases your mind and makes your eyes nice and heavy! Another idea is to read a book right before bed.
(Melissa, my awesome fellow dietetics student!)

Is your room completely dark at night? I’ve heard that that makes a difference. And maybe try something calming right before you go to bed, like read a book, or at least take 30 minutes to “unplug” from the computer/tv/etc.
(Gracie @ Girl Meets Health)

To help me get into “sleep mode” i try to have some kind of routine that i do every night before bed to let my body know it’s time to relax–it can be anything from reading a light book/magazine, drinking a cup of Sleepytime tea, or shutting off the lights and doing a light meditation with my iPod!
(Kristen @ Simply Savor – another one of my awesome fellow dietetics students!)

Sleep in total darkness and silence.
Take a nice hot bath or shower before bed.
Read a book to try to clear your mind.
Make sure the room is not too cold or too hot.
Try not to eat dinner too late.
Just think about what you would like to dream about tonight. <– LOVE this one 🙂
(LeQuan @ luvtoeat)

Make sure the temperature is ok in the room and that the air is how you like it. Sometimes I like a fan on me. Johnny swears by TRYING to stay awake! haha At first I didn’t believe him, but it makes sense. Everytime you’re little and you try to stay up until midnight you fall asleep. Or when your alarm goes off in the morning and you TRY to make yourself get up, but you just fall asleep before the next snooze. Also, if you have an iPod touch or an iPhone get the crosswords app! We d/l it once for some small amount <$5 and then you can d/l unlimited for free. I always do them before bed and even if I fall asleep while doing them it shuts off by itself! Oh and I highly HIGHLY recommend the Temperpedic! It is literally heaven!
(Christina @ Dinner at Christina’s)

For good sleep, I write down everything I need to do the night before so that it’s “out of my mind and on paper” and I don’t need to run a list while lying in bed. I also nix caffeine after 1pm and read before bed. Reading definitely helps me the most.
(Lauren @ Biochemista)

Cutting caffeine out completely will really help, it did me. Also practicing yoga or some form of meditation in order to relax my mind is always good. And reading is a for sure almost every time. I have also heard that not watching tv or using a computer for an hour before bed can help.
(Christie @ Honoring Health)

I usually try to get off the computer or anything that wires me at least an hour before bed and then stick with a book or just relaxing with Peter. I also make sure to eat enough during the day so I don’t wake up hungry.
(Tina @ A Tina Bit of Faith, Fitness, and Fun)

I try to go to bed and stop talking on the phone after 10 or 10:30pm. Reading leisure magazines also helps.
(Tou Tou @ Light Delight with Tou Tou)

The only thing that has ever worked for me when I’m worried about getting a good night’s sleep is to:
A. Clean something for 30 min before bed. so organize your desk, get rid of old clothes, sort through paper stacks, etc.
B. Read a magazine. My mom reads every night for 20 min before bed, and then she’s out like a light.
(Kelsey @ Snacking Squirrel)

Make sure your room is dark and quiet. (I have a sound machine to muffle whatever it is my upstairs neighbor is doing at midnight.) Try stop using the computer an hour before bed. I’ve read that the light can stimulate signals in your brain that tell you to feel awake. Maybe try reading a book and winding down an hour before you’re ready to sleep. It might be worth it to cut off caffeine at 6 p.m. and don’t exercise an hour or two before bed. Also, could you be going to bed before you’re tired? Even though I need a ton of sleep, I’m rarely tired before 11 p.m., regardless of the time I woke up. Maybe you’re a night owl too. OK, and finally here’s a huge tip: turn your clock around. It prevents you from staring at the time and watching every minute pass that you’re not asleep.
(Tracey @ I’m Not Superhuman)

I try to stop the tv and computer about 30 minutes before I want to go to bed. Reading always helps me a bit. If I’m really struggling, I do what I call my “yoga breathing.” I lay on my back and focus on my breathing. I think of nothing except my breath moving through my body. It usually konks me out in a few minutes!
(Madeline @ Greens and Jeans)

I sometimes have a difficult time sleeping when I am worried or have a lot on my mind. Doing yoga (I like yogadownload.com) helps me sometimes. It is a nice wind down before bed. They have free downloads and some are just relaxation.
(Kristen @ The Swanky Dietitian)

Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time every night. I also try and avoid eating a few hours before bed because that will gives me too much energy. Shutting off the TV and hour before bed helps too!
(Kenzie @ Healthy Purpose)

I do try to not drink anything for several hours before bed. To pee or not to pee is at least one thing I have control over, and if I can keep from wakin up needing to go to the bathroom, that’s at least one less reason to wake up at all.
(Hilary @ Coffee is My Carrot)

I usually don’t get in bed until I am ready for sleep. I have found it’s pointless for me to even attempt to sleep if I am not sleepy, tossing and turning is no good. Sometimes if I get in bed and I can’t sleep, I get up go downstairs do a little reading and then try and go upstairs and sleep again.
(Emma @ The Midget Keeper)

Usually when I can’t sleep, it’s because my mind is too busy thinking, worrying about things, etc. What helps me is writing down all my thoughts/things I need to do on a piece of paper before I go to sleep so I know it will be there in the morning.
(Danielle @ Coffee Run)

Yoga helps me sleep better and try melatonin (a natural sleeping aid).
(Jocelyn @ Peace.Love.Nutrition)

If the problem is anxiety or stress then Valerian supplements can help.
(Christa, my wonderful Greek friend!)

My standard protocol now though has been to do 10-20 minutes of slow, relaxing yoga before bed. It focuses my mind and calms my body. Really, having any routine before bed helps because then your body is more prepared to sleep because it knows sleep is coming.
(Ashley @ Food, Fotos, and Fun!)

Some things that help me include fresh air (a walk after dinner, opening the window), cool temperature (I can’t sleep when it’s too warm), extreme darkness (don’t let the light in 🙂 ), extreme quiet, and maybe doing something relaxing before bed. If I go on the computer or watch something “thrilling” before bed I find it much harder to sleep well.
(Lucy @ Sweet Spirit Shine)

I try to not eat too much before bed (as in late night snacks) and reading a book usually helps me. I also like to eat something with carbs because of the tryptophan, which makes you sleepy. Also working out late keeps me up because if gives me energy that I don’t need!!
(Gina @ The Candid RD)

After I stopped drinking coffee I realized I had never slept so well!
(Simply Life)

What works for me is no caffeine after 3, not too much wine at night (it may help me fall asleep but then I wake all night), a good workout in the day and reading in bed…if it happens to be a rather dull book I’m out in about 10 minutes!
(Christine @ Grub, Sweat and Cheers)

Tryptophan – the amino acid found in milk and turkey.
That’s all that comes to mind in terms of making us physiologically sleepy…
Hello, good excuse for milk and cookies before bed.
(Aletheia @ La Fille Naturelle)

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