How to better your sleep
Old habits are difficult to change, or even seem impossible to change. That is absolutely not a reason not to try and succumb to a vicious cycle.
Stick to a sleep schedule! Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. A good way of doing this is setting an alarm for both waking and sleeping time.
Tracking your sleep is a good way to start. This can be done with an app.
Sleep monitoring app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sleepmonitor.aio
Exercise for about 20 to 30 mins each day but not too late. Why? Because exercising 2 or 3 hours before your sleeping time will make you have a high metabolism by then, hence disrupting your sleep. So, exercising before sleeping is not recommended.
Avoid taking caffeine and nicotine in the late afternoon, as a cup of coffee at that time can make it hard for you to fall asleep at night.
Alcoholic drinks should be avoided at night because they prevent you from having REM sleep.
Avoid large meals and beverages late at night. Large meals will cause indigestion and interfere with sleep, while too much fluid will cause frequent awakenings at night to urinate.
Relax before bed. Don't overschedule your work until there is no time left for unwinding.
Take a warm bath before sleeping. When you do so, heat is released from your skin and your core body temperature drops. As such, falling asleep comes more easily.
Avoid taking naps after 3pm, since they will make it harder to fall asleep at night. This is because adenosine, the sleep-inducing hormone, will be disposed through those naps.
Sleep in a dark, cool and gadget-free bedroom. You sleep better if the room temperature is kept low. Get rid of all distractions like TV, computer or smartphone. For insomniacs, they should turn the face of the clocks in their room, as watching time pass and not being able to sleep might stress them and further prevent them from sleeping.
Don't lie in bed awake for more than 20 minutes if you are worried or feeling anxious. Get up and do some relaxing activities until you feel sleepy.
Image sources: Google