How To Get A Good Night’s Sleep

For many years I have struggled to sleep but never really figured out why. My husband often snores but that rarely affects my sleep pattern as I've learned to block it out by now. No, there have been other reasons, I was sure, but I was never able to identify them. Recently the problem became too much for me and I decided to do something about it. I considered going to a doctor, or maybe for something more radical such as hypnotherapy or acupuncture, but then thought this wasn't really for me.

Instead I decided to do some reading. I didn't invest in numerous professional books or look for scientific journals online; instead I simply logged onto the internet and read articles and blogs such as the one you’re reading now. While some of the information was obviously bogus or unhelpful, I found there was an incredible wealth of information out there that I can not only relate to, but use.

While my problem hasn't been solved completely (I still have restless nights or periods where I can’t sleep), I now have a much better sleep pattern and find that I can get a good few hours on most nights. Because of this, I thought I’d share some of the best tips here.

Keep the same hours – When I was having sleep problems, I used to stay up later and get up whenever I’d had enough of tossing and turning. However, I have learned that going to bed at the same time and getting up at the same time is more beneficial, allowing the body to achieve some sort of pattern. Now I try to stick to it, although weekends do vary opposed to week days.

Rediscover writing – Whether you keep a diary, write notes or write a list, emptying your brain at the end of the day really does help. Instead of going over things in your mind or trying to remember what you need to do tomorrow, write them down before bed and then leave them in your notebook. This way, your mind is clear and ready to sleep.

Remove distractions – Like most people with a crazy work life and family to look after, I don’t have time to clean much – and when I do it’s usually communal spaces such as the living room and kitchen. This meant our bedroom was often a mess, but I've learned that having all this clutter was not helpful. Now I make sure the room is as tidy as possible, allowing both me and my husband to relax before bed.

Advice guides like this are everywhere online and come in all forms, with plenty of advice around. One of the most useful I found was this with advice on how to sleep better, but there are many, many options. I hope this blog will also become a resource so that people like me can rediscover the art of sleeping.