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When you don't sleep well, everything is affected. If I only sleep for a few hours one night, I am one crabby mama by the time work ends and my kids get off the school bus the next day. Also, when I don't sleep well, it's more difficult to focus on my work. Plus, I tend to eat more and it's harder to get motivated to exercise. It's true: Quality sleep is essential to health and vitality. Here are 9 tried-and-true tips to help you get a better night's sleep. 1. Before you do anything else, visit your doctor to make sure that there aren't any lurking physical conditions that could be interrupting your sleep. While you're there, ask for your physician's suggestions and advice on getting better sleep, naturally. 2. Drink water during the day. I find that if my body is dehydrated, I have a harder time sleeping well all the way through the night. A good rule of thumb is to drink one-half ounce of water each day for every pound of your body weight. So if you weigh 125 pounds, you need 62.5 ounces. If you're physically very active, you'll probably need more. Of course, you'll want to stop drinking water at least an hour or two before bedtime. 3. Keep a sleep log in which you write down what you ate and how much you exercised, as well as how much water you've been drinking and your general mood throughout the day – alongside your sleep patterns. Look back on your sleep log to see if you can determine any patterns that are particularly true for you. 4. Before bed, it's important to mentally unwind. Read something uplifting (not the latest thriller or murder mystery) or listen to soothing and relaxing music. 5. Try one of the many relaxing, sleep-inducing CDs or mp3 on the market today. From hypnosis tapes to CDs developed to alter your brain waves to simple soothing music, there are lots of products designed to help you fall into a peaceful slumber. 6. Write down things that are bothering you. Engage in a process of freewriting, in which you write in your journal as quickly as possible without stopping to read it back or edit. This can really help you get all of your hectic thoughts to fly in formation so they stop buzzing around in your brain. 7. If your body feels tense before bed – or when you wake up in the middle of the night -- meditate or take a warm bath. This is a also great way to incorporate some relaxing aromatherapy: sprinkle a few drops of lavender essential oil into your bathwater. 8. Stay on a predictable sleep routine. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning. And make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark. Try blackout shades on the windows and quality ear plugs. And make sure your bedroom temperature is just right – not too hot and not too cold. 9. Try some herbs, either in the form of hot tea or quality herbal supplements. Here are a few herbs that people report help with their insomnia: German chamomile, valerian root, lemon balm, and Lavender. Many people also swear by drinking warm milk. Here are more natural sleep boosters: Try Tranquil Sleep Now , a CD for sleepiness and the Zeo Sleep Personal Sleep Coach.
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