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Avoid tobacco, caffeine, nicotine and alcohol in the evening. These "drugs" can interfere with your sleep.
Avoid heavy meals late in the evening.
Avoid hunger at bedtime. If you are hungry, get a light snack, remembering to avoid large or heavy snacks and meals.
If possible, avoid taking naps during the day. If you must take naps, take one early in the day (soon after lunch) instead of late in the afternoon or early in the evening. The closer the nap is to your bedtime, the harder it will be for you to fall asleep at night.
If possible, keep a regular sleeping schedule. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time each day. Do not oversleep on weekends or holidays. If you take naps, take them at the same time each day.
Schedule time to "wind down" before going to bed. Take a warm bath, read quietly in a comfortable room, listen to some soothing music, meditate or pray before bedtime.
Make certain the bed is comfortable. If the mattress is lumpy or soft, consider getting a new one.
Make sure the bedroom is comfortable - quiet, dark enough for you to sleep, has comfortable temperature, and safe.
Get regular exercise during the day. Regular exercise helps you to sleep well as long as the exercising is not close to bedtime.
Don't take your problems to bed with you. Schedule a time earlier in the day or evening to mull over any problems or stressful situations in your life, then do your best to put them out of your mind until the next day.
Don't just toss and turn. Get out of bed if you don't fall asleep within 20 to 30 minutes. Get up, go to another room of the house where you can read quietly, watch TV, listen to music or find something else to do until you get sleepy. Then go back to the bed and try to fall asleep again.
If you think your insomnia could be caused in part by a stressful family or work situation, follow the tips above and don't worry - that insomnia will probably go away as soon as the stressful event passes.
Insomnia resulting from depression or anxiety can often be helped by the same things that might help the depression - family support, a friend to confide in, professional counseling or anti-depression medicine. Talk to your doctor about how to best deal with your depression.
If your insomnia is caused by crazy shift work, consider requesting a work schedule that moves gradually clockwise rather than shifts that change irregularly or rapidly. Also consider buying black-out shades for your windows to make the room dark. Many people also use "noise-making machines" to sleep with - radio-type devices that mimic the sound of falling rain, a waterfall, ocean waves, wind blowing through trees, etc. These sounds will help lull you to sleep as well as block out the regular outside noise that goes on during the day while you are trying to sleep.
If you suspect that your insomnia is a side effect of a drug you are taking or the result of a combination of drugs, talk to your doctor right away. He probably can prescribe different medications that will perform the same therapy but won't have the same side effects. However, don't change your medication routine without checking with your doctor first.
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