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12 Tips for Quality Sleep

The following is from Yoga Therapy for Overcoming Insomnia, by Peter Van Houten, M.D., and Gyandev Rich McCord, Ph.D., RYT 500, Crystal Clarity, Publishers. This book also contains brief, effective yoga routines for overcoming insomnia, plus more sleeping tips and explanations of why the tips below can help you.

1. Exercise for 30 minutes at least five days a week. Brisk walking is fine; exercising harder is better.
2. Avoid naps, especially late in the day, even if you are sleepy.
3. Avoid hot baths or vigorous exercise within three hours of bedtime; get your vigorous exercise earlier in the day.
4. Make your bedroom a beautiful, comfortable space. Reserve your bed (and entire bedroom, if possible) for sleep and sex only; go elsewhere to watch TV, read, pay bills, work at your computer, chat, use the phone, etc.
5. Choose a bedtime and awakening time that fits your lifestyle and provides adequate sleep. Then, stick with it faithfully, even when you haven’t slept your usual amount.
6. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and stimulating drugs—completely if possible, but especially within six hours of bedtime.
7. Turn off the TV and computer at least an hour before bed.
8. If you need a bedtime snack, make it small: a banana or warm milk will promote sleep. Avoid starchy carbohydrates, sweets, spicy foods, and too much fluid.
9. Practice quiet, relaxation, and contentment in your thoughts and movements as you prepare for sleep.
10. Make your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet at bedtime. You can mask noise with a “sound generator,” a fan, or a radio tuned to white noise.
11. If your bedroom has a clock with a lighted face, turn it away from you so that you won’t “watch the clock” if you awaken at night.
12. Soon after awakening in the morning, get some bright light exposure. 30 – 45 minutes is ideal; if sunlight isn’t available, use bright artificial light.