How to get good sleep?

How to get good sleep: We all have trouble sleeping from time to time, but when insomnia continues day after day, it can become a real problem. Above making us moody and tired, a lack of sleep can have serious effects on our physical and mental health, increasing our tendency for obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
If you have been having trouble staying asleep or falling asleep, you may have turned to sleep medications in search of more restful sleep. However, these drugs can have side effects which include appetite changes, dizziness, tiredness, abdominal pain, dry mouth, headaches, and abnormal dreams.

How to get good sleep:

Exercise

Going for a brisk daily walk would not just make you slim, it will also keep you up less frequently. Exercise boosts the effect of natural sleep hormones such as melatonin. Simply watch the timing of your exercises. Exercising too close to bedtime can be encouraging. Morning workouts that expose you to bright daylight will enable the natural circadian rhythm.

Reserve bed for sleep

Avoid using your bed as an office for responding to emails and answering phone calls. Also, avoid watching late-night TV in bed. The bed needs to be a motivation for sleeping, not for wakefulness. Reserve your bed for sleep only.

Keep it comfortable

Television is not the only potential distraction in your bedroom. The atmosphere can affect your sleep quality too. Make sure your bedroom is as comfortable as possible. Ideally, you want a quiet, dark, cool environment. All of these things encourage a good night’s sleep.

Start a sleep ritual

Rituals help signal the body and mind that it is time for sleep. Drink a glass of warm milk or take a warm water bath or listen to calming music to relax before bed.

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Avoid eating too much after the evening

An empty stomach can distract you and keep you awake, but so can an extremely full belly. Avoid eating a big meal before 3-4 hours of bedtime. If you are hungry right before bed, eat a small healthy snack to fulfill you until breakfast.

Avoid caffeine and alcohol

If you do have a snack before bed, you should avoid having wine and chocolate. Chocolate has caffeine, which is a stimulation. Surprisingly, alcohol has a similar effect on our sleep. It makes you slightly sleepy, but it is a stimulant and it disturbs sleep during the night.
Note: Stay away from anything acidic such as citrus fruits and spicy, which may give you heartburn.

De-stress

Excess worry can bubble to the surface at night. Stress triggers the fight-or-flight hormones that work against sleep. Give yourself time to wind up before bedtime. Learning some form of relaxation reaction can encourage good sleep and can also decrease daytime anxiety. To relax, try deep breathing exercises. Inhale deeply and slowly and then exhale.

Get checked with the doctor

An urge to move your legs (restless leg syndrome), snoring, and burning pain in your stomach, or chest, or are signs of three common sleep disrupters—restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. If these symptoms are keeping you up at night or making you sleepy during the day, consider visiting your doctor.