Sweet Dreams: How to Fall Asleep

Are you wide awake and worrying when you should be drifting into dreamland? Find out How to Fall Asleep!

What is Insomnia?

Not getting enough shut-eye can ruin your day - but what if it happens all the time? If you're having trouble sleeping every night, then it sounds like you have insomnia. Most people have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep sometimes, and it affects most people at some time in their lives. Any numbef of things can keep you from nodding off.

Some common things that can keep us from falling asleep are anxiety (when you can't stopy worrying), diet, not exercising, other health problems and staring at our laptop and phone screens too late at night.

Signs You're Sleep Deprived

Not getting enough sleep can result in tons of different symptoms that just make it hard to get through the day. If you're waking up too early, waking up in the night and just plain old wide awake all night, you might feel a few of these things:

• Grumpiness
• Hard to focus
• Not feeling refreshed when you wake up
• Tired in the day (are you falling asleep in class?)
• Making silly mistakes (like putting orange juice in your cereal instead of milk!)

Falling Sleep

Does all that sound like you? Well luckily there are few things you can do about it. These tips should help get you on your way to snoozeville.

• The Write Time: Are you a worrywort? Start a journal, and make an entry every night to get it all off your chest. If its on paper you won't have to think about it anymore! And just remember, the next time you're lying in bed running over that conversation in your head and what you wish you had said, or everything you have to do tomorrow - there's no point in worrying because you won't be able to do anything til the next day anyway!
• Put Down Your Phone! The research is in, and staring at a screen too late at night can hurt your sleep. We recommend putting your phone away and hour before you head to bed. Scientists believe that our bodies think the blue-ish light from the screens is sunlight, and confuses us into feeling like its daytime.
• Sock it to Me: This may sound silly, but apparently people who's fingers and toes are warm fall asleep faster, so throw on a pair of socks before you sleep.
• Start Relaxing ASAP: Instead of trying to cram in all the things you meant to do in the day right before bed, start relaxing an hour before you plan to hit the hay. Put on your PJs, have a cup of hot chocolate, read a book, whatever puts your mind at ease!
• Food for Thought: Avoiding caffeine is a good idea if you'd like to sleep better - that means tea, colas and chocolate. You may also find it easier to sleep if you don't eat dinner late at night, and especially avoid rich foods that could upset your stomach.
• Breathing and Meditation:  This is another suggestion for those of you with nerves keeping you up at night. Deep breathing and clearing your mind are good ways to gets those pesky thoughts under control.
• Get Moving! Not in your sleep of course, but regular exercise is proven to help sleep. Even taking a long walk or throwing a frisbee around anytime during the day can help.

Home Remedy Help

Still having trouble? Well there are a handful of home remedies that people have used for centuries to beat sleeplessness:

• Chamomile Tea
• Hot Milk
• Aromatherapy (light a candle or buy some incense before going to sleep - just remember to put it out.)
• A Small Snack (I know, we said no late dinner, but a cookie or a piece of toast is perfect.)

Have Your Say

Do have trouble getting to sleep? Let us know in the comments section below.