Sleepyhead

I've been having a hard time getting to sleep, sleeping the whole night through, and then feeling energized in the morning. I've picked up a several tips from magazines, and have paid attention to which of my own habits actually help me sleep better at night and here is what I am going to try to do to get a good rest:

1) Make sure the apartment and bedroom is pitch black. This sends signals to your brain that it's time to relax.

2) Have a nightly routine, this signals to your body that you are getting ready to sleep. There is a reason for the bath, book, bed routine as a child.

3) Exercise during the day. Exercise gets my heart pumping, so doing it at night keeps me awake. But, if it's done during the day, my muscles are tired and not pumped up at nighttime.

4) Another reason I usually can't sleep is because my mind just won't turn off. So, if I'm worrying about certain things, I will take a few minutes to write down the problem, and how I can fix it in the morning or the next day. Hopefully, running through possible solutions will put my mind at ease.

5) Go to sleep and wake up earlier rather than later. I have heard from multiple sources that this is more energizing regardless of your preference. Once your body gets used to it, sleeping and waking closest to the sun's hours is more natural for your body.

6) Do not eat less than three hours before bedtime. Your body will not be able to rest until the food is digested. Plus, there is no way to burn the calories, so you are also putting more energy into your body that could keep you wired.

And last but not least:
7) No dairy. For me, at least. I've heard of some people who drink warm milk when they can't sleep. However, I am lactose intolerant, so if I consume even the smallest amount of dairy, it causes some level of discomfort at night (even if I take enzyme pills). No matter how tempting late night runs to Dairy Queen are, I will not have an dairy at all this week.