Most of us are all pretty clear on why we need to get eightish hours of quality sleep each night, but HOW?

If you are like me, you’re working all the time, your family has needs, and shutting your brain down at night can sometimes seem impossible.

TAAAAA DAAAAA!

Here are six things you can do to help make sure that Mr. Sandman finds you:

Create a Happy Bed

A great mattress, fluffy pillows, clean sheets…your bed should be a virtual paradise to crawl into. Declutter your bedroom and make sure the space you have created to restore your soul with sleep (and sex) so that it is irresistible.

Limit Your Sensory Inputs

Make sure that your bedroom is quiet and dark. Give your brain every bit of help you can to help it shut down. Bright light in the morning as the sun rises, and darkness in the evening as the sun sets, triggers your brain to release melatonin and other sleep-related hormones which will help you doze off… Artificial lights from your devices and even light creeping through your blinds before bed, will suppress those hormones.

Stop Eating

For most of us, our bodies WANT to shut down so don’t feed it close to bedtime. Unless you’re one of the rare people who cannot sleep without a full belly, try to leave at least one and preferably two-to-three hours between your last meal of the evening and going to sleep. Your body can take six hours to process caffeine so avoid soda, tea, coffee, and chocolate in the afternoon. This will let your body focus on sleep instead of digestion.

Shut Down Your Electronics

Using electronics like TVs, smartphones, tablets, and computers delays your body’s internal clock, also known as your circadian rhythm, and suppresses your natural release of sleep hormones which makes falling asleep TOUGH. The light from all those screens convinces your brain it’s not really dark so it operates on a daytime schedule.

ENJOY Relaxing Visualization

Some people count sheep. Some people think about the crickets chirping on a summer night. I like to envision waves rolling onto the shore and then pulling back out to sea only to roll up again. I find the repetition quite relaxing and if I am able to tune everything out except that one image, I can actually feel myself drifting off, like walking down a flight of stairs into sleep.

Try an Herbal Supplement

A nice cup of chamomile tea is helpful when it comes to calming down before bed. Magnesium has also been found to quiet the mind and make falling asleep easier. And some swear by lavender aromatherapy to help relax so that some folks can drift off.  Speak with your pharmacist about over-the-counter sleep aids that might be right for you.

Only you know what will work for you.

Listen to your body and let it tell you what techniques are most effective for getting you the quality sleep you need and deserve.