how to get a good night's sleep

More and more people are complaining about being tired and not getting enough sleep, i personally went through a large phase where it took me hours to drift off, especially before i moved to Australia. I'd be laying awake in bed until the early hours of the morning - despite the fact i'd clamber into bed at 10.30 and it was absolute torture.

♥ Prepare your environment

Make your bedroom a place for sleeping, after all that's what it's for. I love my twinkly lights around my bed, they make me feel tired and sleepy, having a smaller bedside lamp or soft lights on before you go to sleep helps you to relax. Make sure your blinds shut all outside light out, and if they don't buy a eye mask; i sleep with one every night and can't do without it! I find if i wear it, it stops any temptation for me to open my eyes haha.

♥ Before sleep...

Having electronics in bedrooms, such as TVs, phones and laptops are the main reason why people don't go to sleep earlier. For a period of time before you go to sleep, be it 10 minutes or half an hour, do something that doesn't involve anything electronic. Be it reading a book or magazine, drawing, writing in a diary or making lists. I personally like to make a list of things to do for the next day - it keeps me so much more organized! Warm bubble baths and hot drinks can also make you feel sleepy before bed, just avoid coffee after 7pm - for obvious reasons!

♥ If you still can't fall asleep...

Don't sit there tossing and turning for hours, wanting to go to sleep but not being able to. There is a reason you can't fall asleep, are you too hot, too cold, thirsty, do you need the loo? Whatever it is, sort it out!

If you still can't sleep in the middle of the night continue

the activity you were before for half an hour or until you feel sleepy.

Don't. Go. To. Your. Computer.

You think you'll just check your emails, but that leads to blogs, facebook, twitter and all the other distractions, and the bright light will wake you up even more.

♥ Waking up

If you have an iPhone or iPod, i highly recommend Sleep Cycle, i downloaded it in July 2010, forgot about it for a while, and then started using it again about a month or so ago. Even though the 'graph' is a pile of rubbish (leave it on the floor and your phone will magically create it's own graph that is you supposedly sleeping, although i do think movement alters it sometimes) it does wake you up nice and softly, leaving you feeling less grumpy in the mornings.

Sleep tight!