Eat Meals Earlier

Don't eat any heavy foods within two hours of bed time.

If you get too hungry as bedtime creeps around, there are a few foods that are okay to eat before bed, and can even help you sleep—like bananas, oatmeal, and whole wheat bread, to name a few.

@sarah485

Cultivate the Perfect Evening Routine to Avoid Insomnia and Fall Asleep Easier

lifehacker.com

Do Something After You Eat

After you eat, get up and do something a bit more active—even if it's just washing dishes or taking out the trash. It'll avoid that post-meal drowsiness, and it's a great time to have a 10-minute cleaning burst to keep your house looking nice.

Avoid Napping

Napping can make it more difficult to fall asleep at night:

If, after you've thoroughly tested your evening routine and gotten better sleep, you still feel drowsy, you can try adding a power nap to your day, preferably during the early afternoon.

Exercise Regularly

Getting in a regular workout can help you sleep better at night, even if your workout takes place in the morning.

Exercise in the afternoon can help deepen shut-eye and cut the time it takes for you to fall into dreamland. But, they caution, vigorous exercise leading up to bedtime can actually have the reverse effects.

So find some time in your day, as long as it isn't in the evening when you can sneak in some activity.

Leave Your Work at Work

As you wind down the workday, take some time to prepare your first task for the next morning.

It can be hard not to think about work during the night—especially if you have a big meeting or presentation the next day—but the more prepared you are the day before, the more you'll be able to relax and fall asleep that night.

Find the Perfect Bed Time

You want to go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning—even on weekends.

To find the perfect time to go to sleep, count back 7 and a half hours from the time you usually wake up. This ensures you wake up at the optimal moment during your sleep cycle.

Don't Drink Any Caffeine or Alcohol

Stay away from caffeine as much as possible in the hours before sleep—or even in the afternoon if you can help it.

While alcohol may seem like it helps you fall asleep, it won't give you the kind of deep sleep your body needs. If you drink, do it a few hours before you go to bed for a better night's rest.

Find a Relaxing Activity

Choose something low-key to do before bed, like reading a real paper book. Bright screens, like the one on your TV or computer, emit blue light which suppresses melatonin, the hormone that encourages your body to sleep.

Lower Your Body Temperature

Your body temperature naturally goes down at night when it's time to sleep.

Two hours before bed, soak in the tub for 20 or 30 minutes. A shower is less effective but can work, as well.

Don't Lie Awake in Bed

If you find that you've been in bed for 15 minutes and you aren't feeling tired at all, get up and do something else.

Go back to reading that book, or doing something else low-key that won't make your body think it's time to wake up.

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Try a caffeine nap

Since caffeine takes about 20 minutes to kick in, almost exactly the recommended nap length, down your latte just before lying down.

The caffeine will act as a natural alarm, waking you up refreshed and ready to focus on the next activity. A 2003 Japanese study found that caffeine naps were more effective at combating daytime sleepiness than non-caffeine naps.

@yugjain