A proper amount of sleep is crucial for your health and well-being. How to get rid of sleep problems or, at least, make them less annoying?

1. Stick to a sleep schedule





What happens when you go to bed at the same time? Your body and mind get used to it, and the most problems disappear. Obey your schedule even on weekends. Having said that, the rigid schedule is exhausting and bad for you. Vary your wake up time day by day. If you can’t wake up later than a specified time (7 am, for example), wake up earlier. Trust me; your body will thank you for this little chaos.

2. Exercise at least 4 hours before bedtime





Anaerobic exercises help you to fall asleep faster, but you need some time to calm down your body before going to bed. Otherwise, you won’t be able to fall asleep with all that energy pouring out of you.

3. Avoid caffeine after 3 pm





Coffee is a great productivity booster but taken at 3 pm, or later it will cause sleep deprivation. Recent findings show you can cheat with coffee if you eat broccoli in the evening.

4. Cool your room





Keep your legs warm, but keep your head cool. Allow plenty of fresh air circulating in your bedroom.

5. Remove all light sources





Even dim lights are messing with your circadian rhythm and causing sleep problems. If you have to leave a light on, use yellow light sources. Blue and white lights block melatonin production in your body, and melatonin is a must for sleep. Put off your mobile phone and tablet at least an hour before you go to bed.

6. Eat less in evenings





Your stomach needs time to process foods, and heavy foods require much more time. Avoid meat and bread in the second half of the day. Replace it with fruits, some vegetables and a small amount of fish.

7. Avoid alcohol at all costs before going to bed





Any alcohol consumed gets you a feeling that you sleep well and wake up quickly, but that’s not the case. If you will use a sleep tracking device and look at your sleep pattern in the morning, you see that you woke up 20 to 40 times per night. You just don’t remember it. You deprived your sleep, and after a noon, you will notice a significant loss of energy.

8. Practice deep breathing exercises





Even if you’re skeptical about all this meditation stuff, deep breathing will help you to fall asleep fast. Try to exhale longer than you inhale.

9. Avoid naps





Sometimes naps are good for you, but if you already have sleep problems, it’s better to not nap during the day. In the end, you’ll find it hard to fall asleep at the bedtime.