How To Combat Sleep Deprivation

If you often feel drowsy during the day and want to make a change, these tips may help:

Keep your body in sync. This is extremely important to get good, healthy sleep. Use the time before bed to do some calming activities: take a bath, do some yoga, read a book, meditate. This will physically and psychologically program your body into sleep mode.

Stop clock watching. If you stay up watching the clock for more than 20 minutes or find yourself waking up in the middle of the night feeling stressed because you're not tired enough, get up and do something. Listen to relaxing music, read a book, or perhaps take a nighttime stroll around the block. As soon as you feel your eyelids drooping, return to bed.

Make your bedroom sleep-friendly. A quiet, dark and airy environment will help create a sense of calm. If you live near a road, lower the exterior volume by using earplugs or a white noise machine. Also, use heavy curtains that block out the light and help keep the temperature between 60-74 degrees. Of course, a comfortable mattress and pillow goes without saying!

Nap early in the day. If you are a napper, make sure to keep it short and do it early in the day. Avoid napping after 5pm to ensure your body block remains in order. Limit your naps to 15-20 minutes.

Avoid eating late at night. Nothing will give you a burst of energy like a meal, so if you do start feeling hungry near bedtime, have something that's low in calories, or a glass of water. Sometimes the body mistakes hunger for thirst. Plan your dinner for at least 3 hours before you go to sleep to give your body plenty of time to use up those energy reserves.

Sometimes all it takes is a little change of routine to set us on the right track. And in turn, we're likely to notice a higher quality of life.