Terri Ramsey Beavers 
Sleeping well is just as important as maintaining a healthy diet and exercise. A bad night’s sleep is likely to leave you feeling drained, sluggish and feeling ill the next day, and you’re then dreading the idea of your head hitting the pillow the following evening. Unfortunately, nothing you can do the following day can combat the effects of poor sleep, which is why it’s best to put certain strategies in place to get the best night’s sleep possible as a way of improving your lifestyle.
The good news is, there are things you do to help you get the sleep you need, so here are 4 useful tips you could take into consideration:
1. Start a sleep schedule
Your body is tuned in to the time you go to bed to the time you wake up. If you have a strange sleep schedule, your body will start to fall into an unhealthy routine, meaning it will be harder for you to sleep when you need to. You should try and train your body into an appropriate schedule and stick to it. Your body’s internal clock will then get used to the idea that you need to rest at a certain time of the day, which will make it far easier to nod off whenever suits you.
2. Yoga
Yoga isn’t just beneficial to improve strength and flexibility, it’s also great for promoting a good night’s sleep. There are many reasons for this.
Firstly, it’s a great stress buster. Stress can make us feel wired up, rather than relaxed, but yoga combats this through the act of deep breathing and gentle stretching which results in lower blood pressure.
Secondly, exercise is ideal for promoting sleep and improving sleep quality. The gentle maneuvers of yoga reduces the cortisol hormone (which stimulates stress) in the system and boosts the happiness hormone by releasing endorphins, so you feel relaxed rather than stimulated before you fall asleep.
You can practice yoga in the comfort of your own home by browsing reputable sites like yogaselection.com yoga videos. This website offers an array of resources to help you get into a regular training schedule before bedtime.
3. Understand the impacts of alcohol and nicotine
Drinking before you head off to bed isn’t the best way to nod off. Although you will fall asleep quicker after consumption, it will cause you to wake up during the night as alcohol is a stimulant. Similarly, the nicotine from cigarettes and caffeinated products can also cause the same effect. So, before you try and get some sleep, make the decision to stay away from these substances and you may notice a positive change difference in your sleep patterns.
4. Make sure your bedroom is sleep-inducing
You may never have considered how your surroundings can impact how you sleep, but it actually has a major link to your sleep quality. If you live in a noisy neighborhood, use earplugs to block out the noise. If you don’t sleep well in light environments, purchase blackout blinds to block the sun’s rays in the mornings. Finally, make sure you have a comfortable mattress and pillow, so you don’t end up waking up as a result of discomfort.