Although it may be difficult to establish a steady sleep routine in today’s hectic world, it is necessary for people who have trouble falling asleep each night. Your body and mind need to have a consistent time at which they will be conditioned to stop working and go to sleep.

In addition, get into a habit of performing the same actions before sleep as well. Make sure they are quiet and peaceful.
Things NOT to do right before sleep:

Exercise – Increases the heart rate and makes the body more alert. We want the exact opposite – to slow down the heart rate and make the body drowsy.

Eat/Drink Sugar/Caffeine – For obvious reasons. We consume caffeine to keep ourselves awake. Doing so before we sleep works against us. Additionally, if you currently drink lots of caffeinated drinks throughout the day and have trouble falling asleep – stop.

Don’t work – Working involves thinking. Too much thinking will continue into the bed and be harmful in trying to fall asleep.

No bright lights – This is the hardest thing to achieve. Melatonin, the chemical our brain produces which makes us drowsy, gets pumped out faster in dark environments. Staring at the laptop or watching TV slow down melatonin production, causing you more time to fall asleep.

Don’t stuff your stomach – Your body will have a lot to digest during the night and will affect your sleep. Likewise, don’t go to sleep on an empty stomach. Eat a small snack before going to sleep to keep your mind of the thought of “I’m hungry”. I recommend yogurt (which also contains tryptophan).

Things TO do before sleep

Take a warm bath – Who doesn’t like one of these? You lie down in warm water and everything feels right. The warm water will help your circulatory system relax.

Set the room temperature – Make sure your nice and cozy. Not freezing or sweating.

Drink something warm (and not caffeinated) – Warm milk (for the tryptophan bonus) or some herbal tea (I enjoy Sleepy Time tea)

The goal is to get the body into a stable time table so that every night, at the time you are used to going to sleep, your body reacts accordingly.