The following are good tips. You don't need to buy a book. It works. My answer involves a lot of research and is quite effective.
Tips for a better pre-sleep ritual
Keep a regular schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday, even on the weekends. Keeping a regular schedule will help your body expect sleep at the same time each day. Don’t oversleep to make up for a poor night’s sleep – doing that for even a couple of days can reset your body clock and make it hard for you to get to sleep at night.
Incorporate bedtime rituals. Listening to soft music, sipping a cup of herbal tea, etc., cues your body that it's time to slow down and begin to prepare for sleep.
Relax for a while before going to bed. Spending quiet time can make falling asleep easier. This may include meditation, relaxation and/or breathing exercises, or taking a warm bath. Try listening to recorded relaxation or guided imagery programs.
Don’t eat a large, heavy meal before bed. This can cause indigestion and interfere with your normal sleep cycle. Drinking too much fluid before bed can cause you to get up to urinate. Try to eat your dinner at least two hours before bedtime.
Bedtime snacks can help. An amino acid called tryptophan, found in milk, turkey, and peanuts, helps the brain produce serotonin, a chemical that helps you relax. Try drinking warm milk or eating a slice of toast with peanut butter or a bowl of cereal before bedtime. Plus, the warmth of the food may temporarily increase your body temperature and the subsequent drop may hasten sleep.
Jot down all of your concerns and worries. Anxiety excites the nervous system, so your brain sends messages to the adrenal glands, making you more alert. Write down your worries and possible solutions before you go to bed, so you don't need to ruminate in the middle of the night. A journal or "to do" list may be very helpful in letting you put away these concerns until the next day when you are fresh.
Go to sleep when you are sleepy. When you feel tired, go to bed.
Avoid "over-the-counter" sleep aids, and make sure that your prescribed medications do not cause insomnia. There is little evidence that supplements and other over-the-counter "sleep aids" are effective. In some cases, there are safety concerns. Antihistamine sleep aids, in particular, have a long duration of action and can cause daytime drowsiness. Always talk to your doctor or healthcare practitioner about your concerns!
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Tips for getting back to sleep
Try visualization. Focus all your attention on your toes or visualize walking down an endless stairwell. Thinking about repetitive or mindless things will help your brain to shut down and adjust to sleep.
Get out of bed if unable to sleep. Don’t lie in bed awake. Go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy. Worrying about falling asleep actually keeps many people awake.
Don't do anything stimulating. Don't read anything job-related or watch a stimulating TV program (commercials and news shows tend to be alerting). Don't expose yourself to bright light. The light gives cues to your brain that it is time to wake up.
Get up and eat some turkey. Turkey contains tryptophan, a major building block for making serotonin, a neurotransmitter, which sends messages between nerve cells and causes feelings of sleepiness. Note that L-tryptophan doesn't act on the brain unless you eat it on an empty stomach with no protein present, so keep some turkey in the refrigerator for 3am.
Consider changing your bedtime. If you are experiencing sleeplessness or insomnia consistently, think about going to bed later so that the time you spend in bed is spent sleeping. If you are only getting five hours of sleep at night, figure out what time you need to get up and subtract five hours (for example, if you want to get up at 6:00 am, go to bed at 1:00 am). This may seem counterproductive and, at first, you may be depriving yourself of some sleep, but it can help train your body to sleep consistently while in bed. When you are spending all of your time in bed sleeping, you can gradually sleep more, by adding 15 minutes at a time.
Five keys to optimal sleep
1) Rise and shine. Spending a few minutes in the early morning sun helps your biological clock align itself with the cycles of nature. Bright morning light stimulates the release of serotonin, the hormone of wakefulness, and helps the brain reduce levels of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
2) Have your evening meal early. Finish your evening meal by 6 or 6:30 p.m. so your body's digestive processes can be at rest when you go to bed. If you need to change your meal times earlier in the day to do this, then work backward accordingly.
3) Go to bed at 10 p.m. Your body was designed to sync with the cycles of nature -- including daylight and darkness -- with the optimal time for sleep falling between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. If you're in the habit of staying up much later than 10 p.m., begin getting up progressively earlier by a few minutes each morning, over several days. This will make it easier to go to bed earlier in the evening until you reach your target.
4) Reduce stimulants. If you find it difficult to get to sleep around 10 p.m., try cutting stimulants out of your diet -- particularly caffeine products like coffee, chocolate and black tea -- even in the morning. These take a long time to be eliminated from your body, and their effects can linger into the evening.
5) Quiet your mind. If your body is tired but your mind is active, try meditation or prayer. But don't make it hard work; use a simple and gentle form, such as repetition of a thought or phrase, or just focus on following your breath in and out. Relaxation music is another excellent way to soothe an anxious or active mind. This is the best method for me.aside from reading.
Getting good quality sleep is impt versus just quantity. You need adequate hrs of sleep. @ least 7- 8 hrs to wake up feeling refreshed and alert and ready to face the world in the morning.
2007-11-25 20:49:07
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answer #1
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answered by rosieC 7
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I wish I knew the perfect answer! I used to ask my mom why God made us go to sleep when we weren't tired, and made us get up when we were! The best way I found to wake up early was to have a newborn...then I woke up early and late and all night long. If you don't have that option, though, I would suggest going to bed early enough to make sure you get the optimum amount of sleep you need- eight hours is what most people need to not feel tired. Then when you get up, drink a cup of coffee or soda, I like red bull, personally, and wash your face or shower. A shower always wakes me up. If your still sleepy, grab your tennis shoes and go for a brisk walk or a short run. That will get you going! Give yourself plenty of time to wake up, don't just jump out of bed, throw on your clothes and try to get somewhere. That will make you so tired all day. Go to bed an extra 30 minutes just so you have time to wake up in the morning. Good luck! -Jess
2016-03-15 00:23:42
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answer #2
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answered by Joan 4
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Look you are not going to be able to get up with only 3 hours of sleep feeling well rested but if you have to then run the same routine in the morning as you would when you have had 8 hours of sleep. Take a shower, get some caffiene, jog and get your heart pumping, adrenaliene will work every time
2007-11-25 20:41:55
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answer #3
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answered by Alice N 1
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well as they say you can't really fool mother nature - your body needs more sleep than that, and it's hard to fool your body in to thinking it's more awake than it is without caffeine (which will wear off at the most inconvenient time). Maybe what you eat will help the most at this point. Eat lots of healthy veggies & proteins (eggs, fish, chicken) and try not to eat grains which will make you tired (surprisingly, most people eat grain breakfast cereals). A big salad will do you wonders - avocado is especially healthy.
I wish you lots of luck.
2007-11-25 20:47:38
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answer #4
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answered by punkinsmom 3
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recommended sleep hours is 6-8 for an adult, 7-9 for a teen.
in order to wake up not feeling tired, and have energy and feel awake ALL THROUGHOUT the day, u need enough sleep,
but its extremely important that you maintain a sleeping schedule. try sleeping/waking at ~ the same hours.
u will feel great every time you wake up.
2007-11-25 20:43:58
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answer #5
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answered by The Israelight 2
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For some people, that's just not possible.
2007-11-25 20:56:05
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answer #6
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answered by ? 6
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Drink more water
2007-11-25 20:43:50
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answer #7
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answered by Anonymous
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just one of life misery
2007-11-25 20:39:22
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answer #8
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answered by soph 2
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