1. Avoid coffee, tea and chocolate in the PM. Caffeine is designed to keep you awake for 14 hours. Theophylline, which is in most types of tea, for 7 hours. Bromophylline, which is in chocolate, for 4. Find out if you can tolerate the potential carcinogens in Kava Kava and several pharmaceutical sleep aids before you try them. You might prefer to spend the night praying. Find out if you can tolerate the smell of Valerian before you use it. If you use Chamomile or Vervain, do not make a habit of it. Address the underlying problem.

2. Give yourself time to digest and burn off your dinner. If you are not starving or freezing, do not eat any fruit, lean protein or vegetable within 4 hours of bedtime. Do not eat anything else within 8 hours of bedtime. Food provides energy that might cause insomnia.

3. Consume calcium and magnesium in the PM. You might need 500 to 1000 mg of each. The powder or liquid form of supplement might be the easiest form to digest. Bananas, carrots, kale and raisins are some sources. Eat them for dinner 4 to 6 hours before bedtime. They may lengthen the time you are asleep.

4. Get some physical exercise a few hours before bedtime. For example, dance or exercise and then stretch. Tire your body, so it won't keep you awake by tossing and turning.

5. Soon before bedtime, engage in an activity that is pleasant or neutral rather than upsetting. For example, sing uplifting songs or read a math textbook. Tire your mind, so it does not keep you awake.

6. If fluid retention bothers you, sweat off the excess fluid during exercise. Or keep the air as dry as you can tolerate it. Also, avoid drinking more than a half-cup of water for a few hours before bedtime. Make sure to drink enough water early in the day. Or, try reading in bed or on a tilt table for about an hour before bedtime. Then eliminate the excess fluid.

7. Take any bath or shower at least an hour before bedtime. These keep some people from feeling sleepy. If you must bathe at bedtime, use warm water. Maintaining constant room temperature helps people stay asleep, since your body temperature drops while you are sleeping. If air conditioners or other noises bother you, try wearing soft earplugs until you can stop the noise, or get used to it. Wearing earplugs every night, over a period of years, enlarges the ear canals.

8. If you have troubles, write about them. Work them out on paper that you keep by your bed. If they wake you up, jot them down. Get them out of your mind and onto the page. Or pray and give them to a higher power. So you can forget about them. If you are angry, express it appropriately before bedtime. Or write about it in a letter, whether you mail it or not. If you are not sure what to do about violence, you may wish to contact an emergency support organization. Do not let the sun go down on your anger, fear, pain or shame.

9. Keeping a normal oxygen level brings restful sleep. Oxygen levels in the air have dropped dramatically in the past few decades. Adequate ventilation or abundant indoor greenery may keep the oxygen levels at a healthy level. To keep intruders from poisoning your air with carbon monoxide or other gases, maintain a security system that is adequate.

10. At bedtime, recall a relaxing memory. Or get a massage. Or visualize getting a massage. Or massage yourself. The objective is to increase your comfort level. Through massage, you can actually increase the levels of hormones that comfort you.

11. Use a mattress of the most comfortable firmness. Place pillows of the right thickness in areas that do not bear weight. Try a 4 inch thick pillow under your knees or legs if you lie on your back. Try a 2 inch thick pillow under your stomach and hips if you lie on your stomach. If you lie on your side, you may need four pillows: a thick one under your head; a thin one under your waist; a thick one between your arms; and a thin one between your knees or legs. Lie on your back whenever possible. It puts less stress on the neck. It also discourages lower teeth from moving forward along the jaw over the decades, and crossing over.

12. Sleep during the same hours every night, to honor your circadian rhythms. If you cannot, then make sure you have enough sleep hormones. Travelers with jet lag easily adjust using melatonin. You may also want to supplement the amino acid, tryptophan, in your diet. Many people are helped by 3 mg melatonin or 50 mg 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), taken less than twenty minutes before bedtime.

updated 2003, all rights reserved