Sweeter Dreams: 5 Simple Tricks for Getting Better Sleep NOW

Did you know that 71% of Americans sleep with their smartphone in bed with/beside them? (Yes, that counts us.) It’s the last thing we look at before we fall asleep, the first thing we reach for in the morning, and it’s really hindering our chances for getting better sleep.

If you suffer from trouble sleeping, whether that means you find it hard to fall asleep, you wake up throughout the night, or perhaps you suffer from a sleep disorder, there are simple behavioral changes you can employ to help improve your slumbering and get better sleep.

Here are 5 easy tips to get you on the yellow brick road to snoOZe-ville (get it?):

1. Put down your phone. No, not there. Put it away and put it away before you even get into bed. They’re a distraction, consciously and unconsciously. Smartphones emit bright blue light that mimics the sun and confuses your brain by that light and stops producing melatonin.
2. Considering that evening cappuccino after dinner? Skip it. Experts recommend not drinking caffeine after 2pm if you are experiencing sleep issues. If they are severe, you may consider completely eliminating coffee. Sorry.
3. Skip the nightcap too. Unless you make it an early one, which kind of defeats the purpose. Anyways, you should avoid drinking alcohol within 3 hours of bed.
4. Make the bedroom a haven for rest, that means confine your bedroom activities to sleeping and sex. Only the best things. This will help your brain to make healthy associations with the space and allow you to unwind and relax when the time comes to do so.
5. Create (and stick to) a nighttime routine: Set a sleep time and start to wind down well before this. Don’t jump into bed 2 minutes before you’re suppose to be asleep and try to will yourself to dreamland; it’s not going to work.

Thanks to ultimate Girl Boss, Ariana Huffington, the sleep revolution is coming. She’s devoted much of her post-Huff Post life to the wellness game, writing all about the benefits of sleep in The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life One Night at a Time, which came out last year to wide acclaim. With her help, we’ll hopefully soon be seeing the rise of nap rooms in offices (and beyond), more flexible work hours for employees, and business leaders actively promoting a healthier environment.