I’m so tired of going to bed only to lie there for hours without being able to fall asleep… We all have nights like this, some more than others, especially when we’re going through a rough time. It might be stress, climate, anxiousness or even tiredness that’s keeping us awake, but there are some things we can do to help ease the situation.

• Exercise!
  

  Trying to sleep

  
  A workout during the day will help anyone sleep better! This I can promise! Whenever I go through a stressful period and I can’t sleep well, going running ensures that I’ll be able to fall asleep that night. That’s why, no matter how tired I am or how many nights of sleep I have missed, I pull whatever energy I can find and go for a run. The effect lasts for a couple of days. Usually, if I’m going through such a period, on the third day I haven’t practiced any sports I’m most likely to be awake the entire night.
  However, doing heavy cardio exercises just before bed time is not a good idea. You should rather try to do them a few hours before. If you want a workout routine that will help relax you for bed, I can recommend yoga and Pilates.
• Eat right!
  Eating the wrong food during the day has always affected my sleep. Eating a heavy meal just before going to sleep is something I always regretted. The worst nightmare I ever had was when I went to bed with half a pizza in my stomach. Our bodies need to relax when we sleep, not to keep busy digesting food.
  So if you need to eat something before going to sleep, try a piece of fruit or a yogurt, certainly not something hard to digest like meat!
  There are some foods that can relax you, lower your blood pressure and help you sleep better. Garlic is the most common for making you sleepy. And let’s not forget there’s something magical about a warm glass of milk!
• Suitable environment.
  Studies have shown that sleeping in a cool, dark room improves the quality of your sleep. I sleep best when the temperature is just cool enough to make me need a blanket, but warm enough for me not to be cold if I kick off the covers. As far as sleeping in the dark is concerned, I always close the blinds. Otherwise, I wake up as soon as the sun comes up. I also like to leave the window open just enough to let some fresh air in.
• Noise
  If you can fall asleep with noise that doesn’t mean it’s all the same for your body. I feel less rested when I wake up if the television has been on all night. If you need the television to be on for you to fall asleep, you can just set the timer and have it switched off after you doze off.
• Wear something comfortable!