Sleep is SO important.

It keeps us healthy, regulates our hormones, gives us mental clarity, happiness, rejuvenates us…

A bad night’s sleep leaves us cranky, tired, lethargic and unhappy.

So if you want to learn how to sleep better…if you can't sleep at night…you're exhausted but you can't sleep…you want to learn how to get to sleep faster…how to stop waking up in the middle of the night…how to sleep better…how to sleep faster…and how to get rid of insomnia –  read on.

Here are 5 ways to sleep better:

1. Impose An Electronic Screen Curfew:

Studies prove that staring at a smart phone, iPad, TV or computer screen 90 minutes before bed will disrupt your sleep. Looking at the artificial blue light emitted by electronic screens suppresses your melatonin secretion and triggers your body to produce more daytime hormones like cortisol. (Even using a blue light filter app like f.lux or Night Shift the iPhone blue light filter aren’t ideal.) Melatonin helps you get deep, anabolic sleep. You may be able to fall asleep soon after using your electronics. But it disorients your body’s natural preparation for sleep, which means you will wake up tired. So commit to switching off all electronics two hours before sleep.

2. Wear Blue-Blocking Glasses:

You really don’t want to switch those electronics off 90 minutes before bed do you?! Hahahaha…. 🙂 You basically just ignored Tip No. 1 didn’t you? That’s OK. You can solve this problem by wearing Swanwick blue light blocking glasses that block artificial blue light. So…90 minutes before sleep, put your Swannies blue light glasses on and continue to look at your smartphones, watch TV or work on your computer. This option is not as good as Tip No. 1, which is switching off all electronics. But if you’re addicted to your electronics (aren’t we all?!), blocking the blue light from wearing Swannies will help your body naturally prepare for sleep. You can then fall asleep faster and sleep deeper. Swannies really are the best blue light blocking glasses, so get them and get ready to wake up feeling refreshed!

3. Black Out Your Room:

Humans sleep more deeply in a dark environment. When we were cavemen (and cavewomen) we slept when the sun went down and in darkness. But today, we have so much artificial light in our lives like light-bulbs and electronics, we often do not sleep in total darkness. Having any light sources in your bedroom can disrupt your sleep patterns. Your skin actually has receptors that pick up light. If there’s light in your bedroom, your body is sensing it and sending messages to your brain that interferes with your sleep. Invest in dark, heavy curtains that completely block out outside light. Make your room a cave. And eliminate your alarm clock with its white or blue digits staring at you. Cover it up before you sleep, or get an alarm clock with a dimmer, or throw it out and get a better alarm clock without the digital screen. TVs in the bedroom have been linked to obesity and poor education in children. Couples with TVs in their bedroom reportedly have sex 50% less. So black out your room and sleep in complete darkness. Your sleep will improve dramatically.

PRO TIP: Want a quick cheat? Get yourself an oversized silk sleeping mask. It will do the hard work of blocking out all light from your eyes and allow a deep rest, whether in your bed at home, or when traveling.

4. Get More Sunlight:

Science proves that getting more sunlight – especially early-morning sunlight – helps you sleep better at night. Your body has a natural biological clock called your “circadian rhythm”. It wants to know when it’s daytime and nighttime. So go outside, stand in the sun, and tell your body it’s daytime. When you expose your body to sunlight, your body “wakes up” triggering natural daytime hormones. The body clock is most responsive to early morning sunlight, between 6am and 830am. So when you wake up, go for a walk for at least 30 minutes. If you’re stuck in an office away from natural light, go outside after lunch for a 15-minute walk and expose your body to sunlight. All of this sunlight during the day will be informing your circadian rhythm that it’s daytime. Then later when the sun goes down and you’re wearing your Swannies and you’ve switch off the lights in your blackened-out room…your body will know it’s nighttime and ready itself for sleep. This will help you sleep through the night until you wake up refreshed and go outside in the sun again.

5. Exercise In The Morning:

Appalachian State University found that morning workouts are best if you want to get the best sleep at night. Researchers tracked the sleep patterns of participants who worked out at three different times: 7am, 1pm or 7pm. Those who exercised at 7am slept longer and deeper than the other two groups. And they had up to 75% more time in the deep sleep stage at night. If you have no choice but to exercise in the afternoon or evening, try to do it at least 4 hours before sleep. This is because your body temperature rises with a workout and your body must be as cool as possible to sleep best.

For 7 more ways to improve your sleep, grab your free “7 Ways To Sleep Better” ebook at swanwicksleep.com