The key to getting good sleep isn’t all about what you do, and don’t do, at night. In fact, your morning routine can have an even bigger impact on your sleep.

Set your alarm and get light first thing — this doesn’t just cue your body when wake time is, but also when sleep onset should occur. Waking up when your alarm goes off, at the same time each day, and exposing yourself to daylight sets your internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep at bedtime.

Carving out time to worry earlier in the day can help you fall asleep at bedtime. Instead of dismissing your worries altogether, if you spend time worrying about things a few hours before bed — not right at bedtime — you can sleep better at night.

A quick tip: Take 15 minutes to jot down those concerns in a journal, so you can get them out on paper and leave them there. That actually can decrease the amount of worry that happens at bedtime.

The sounds and darkness of nature are natural ingredients for inducing sleep. After all, nature is known to reduce stress, lower blood pressure, reduce hard rate, and decrease muscle tension.

To get to sleep, just think about nature — like the last time you slept in a remote cabin or laid out under the stars. 

Slow, deep belly breathing — like the 4-7-8 method in which you inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds and exhale for eight seconds ― is known to increase relaxation and bring on sleep.

Furthermore, simply focusing on your breath can take the mind off other concerns and worries and bring you to the present moment. Taking your focus away from the environment and placing it on something entirely in your control (the breath) helps the mind to settle and become calm.

There’s a common misconception that exercising at night can help you sleep easier. But while working out tires your body out, it doesn’t necessarily exhaust your mind.

After a marathon, your body might be tired but that doesn’t mean your mind will be ready for sleep.

Regular exercise improves sleep, in general, but exercising in order to fall asleep won’t do you much good. A better way is to read a book or do puzzles.