4. ALTER YOUR SLEEPING SCHEDULE

  • Try to keep your bedtime consistent from night to night. No doubt this is difficult for those with shifting work schedules, but by sticking to the same general bedtime and waking time every day (even weekends), regardless of the amount of sleep you get, you are more likely establish a regular sleeping rhythm.

  • No more napping. Although occasionally refreshing, a power nap cannot substitute for a full night of REM, and it perpetuates the poor sleep cycle.

  • Don't do your taxes, file your nails, direct a play, rescue endangered species, etc. in bed. You should associate your bed with sleeping and sex only (not that they're mutually exclusive . . .). So, head to bed once you feel sleepy, and if Hypnos, the Greek God of sleep, doesn't pay you a visit within 15-30 minutes, get out of bed.

  • If you can't sleep, don't stress and gripe. This just makes you more anxious and less likely to get your rest. This isn't to say that you should participate in extreme sports at 3 a.m. Do a low-key activity (e.g., take a warm bath or read and return to bed as soon as you feel tired again). It really doesn't pay to stress about sleep. Remember that the goal is to sleep like a baby, not to act like one.

  • Once you start using our tips, you should keep a sleep diary for 1-2 weeks. Note which applied techniques work for you.