Get your mind and body calm
Exercise
Exercise can help you sleep better. Do this in the morning, afternoon or early evening. Exercise makes you feel awake so don't do it in the three hours before bed. A brisk walk for 20-30 minutes is as good as anything.
Food
Try not to eat for about two hours before going to bed. As soon as you eat, your body starts to work to digest the food. You want it to be slowing down. If you are hungry, take a very light snack, e.g. a slice of toast. A banana, full of tryptophan, might help you get to sleep. Try not to eat during the night if you wake up.
Drink
Try to drink as little as you can in the evening. This may stop you from waking to go to the toilet during the night.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant. You get it in tea, coffee, fizzy drinks (like Irn-Bru and Coke), some headache tablets, energy tablets and drinks, and in painkillers. Try to cut down your caffeine intake across the day. Try to cut out as much as you can in the later afternoon and evening. Watch that you are not taking a lot of caffeine to keep you awake during the day.
Warm milky drinks
The old wives were right! Ovaltine, Horlicks or warm milk may help you get more deep sleep. Drink these instead of tea and coffee at night.
Smoking
Nicotine, like caffeine, is a stimulant. It releases adrenaline into your body. This wakes you up and keeps you on the alert. Try not to smoke for at least 90 minutes before you go to bed as it takes this time for the effects to die down. Never smoke during the night if you wake up. If you are a heavy smoker, you would be best to give it up. Ask your GP or nurse for a place on the (free) NHS 'Stop Smoking' courses.
Alcohol
If you rely on a night-cap to get over to sleep, you should stop this now. It may well get you over to sleep, but as the alcohol level in your blood drops, it will wake you again in 2 - 4 hours. It will then be hard to get over to sleep again. It also disrupts sleep rhythms and cuts down your REM and deep sleep (these are the stages of sleep you really need). Alcohol can make you more tense the next day. This, in turn, will make it harder to get to sleep the next night.
Worry time
Set a time in the evening to deal with your worries. Do this well before your bedtime. So don't let yourself worry when you get into bed.
Arguments
Try not to go to bed on an argument. Try to make up before you get into the bedroom.
