5 Tips For a Good Night’s Sleep (and Better Morning Wake-Up)

5 Tips For a Good Night’s Sleep (and Better Morning Wake-Up)

By Mark Williams

Author of The 7 Day Mind Balancing Plan ⇦ Watch This Video Now 

Most people in industrialized societies are working jobs with long hours and lead incredibly busy lives.

With so much to do, they often skip on the essentials of good health, such as not getting enough sleep.

Take Michael, for instance. He’s a 24-year old call center agent and a new father who regularly works the graveyard shift.

With the demands of parenthood and work bearing down on him, he treated sleep as a luxury he couldn’t afford.

But contrary to what most people think, sleep is FAR from a luxury.

If you deprive your body of this basic need, you’ll have to pay for it one way or another.

Michael learned this the hard way during one bleary-eyed morning. He had just gotten out of work and was driving home.

He was only 10 minutes away from his place when it happened.

Michael dozed off for all of two seconds, but that’s all it took for him to ram the taxi cab in front of him.

Luckily, he wasn’t going that fast when the cab hit the brakes at the intersection, so it was just a minor fender bender.

But it was a sobering moment for Michael nonetheless.

The memory of waking up to the sound of a loud, sickening thud followed by a metallic crunch would stay with him for a long time.

It pushed him to do something about his situation so he wouldn’t go through that experience again.

Michael saw a sleep specialist, worked out a sleep schedule with his wife, and asked his boss to move him to daytime hours.

Wake up and smell the health risks

Michael’s case is hardly rare, which makes it sad knowing that so many people are wasting their health over avoiding sleep.

The problem with skimping on shut-eye is that it creates long-term problems down the road – and you shouldn’t brush it off.

For one thing, you’ll increase your likelihood of heart disease by over 50%. Other problems include higher risk for diabetes, obesity, and a compromised immune system.

Worse, a sleep-deprived brain means your memory is shot and you can’t retain new information.

A fuzzy head means reduced focus and concentration, so say goodbye to being productive at work.

And like what with happened with Michael, having a few seconds of micro-sleep while driving on the road can have serious (and permanent consequences).

Here are some ways to get the most out of your sleeping hours:

#1: Routine is key Humans are wired to operate on a sleep schedule, something which has come under attack since the dawn of the modern age.

Mathew Walker, Ph.D., author of “Why We Sleep” says that the demands of modern living have taken its toll on our basic biological need to sleep.

He shared this insight in his book:

“…the decimation of sleep throughout industrialized nations is having a catastrophic impact on our health, our life expectancy, our safety, our productivity, and the education of our children.”

As such, the key to regularly getting a good amount of sleep is through a schedule. The human body thrives on routine, and you have to design your day to support this.

One quick way to do this is by deciding on a FIXED time to get up every day, then schedule your bedtime based on that.

Check out this weird but powerful technique you can use to sleep within minutes ⇦ [Link this text via your affiliate link] If you want to sleep for at least hours and need to be up by 6 am, then you need to be in bed by 10 am. Stick to this routine throughout the week, and your body will gradually adjust.

As you get used to this schedule, you eventually won’t have to set an alarm. You know you’ve settled into your target sleep pattern when you get up at the same time every day.

#2: Turn off your smartphone at night

Nothing wrecks your sleep rhythm more than a bright screen in your face before going to bed.

You might think you’re relaxing while scrolling through your Facebook or Instagram feed, but it’s doing things to your body you’re not aware of.

You see, your natural sleep mechanism is designed to release a hormone called melatonin when you’re about to hit the sack.

So when you use a mobile device or your laptop, the bright light sends a signal to your brain to stop producing melatonin. Part of a good sleep schedule is learning when to stop using electronics as bedtime nears.

Give yourself at least a couple of hours to unplug from your electronics before going to bed. This allows your body to get “settled” in for the night ahead and go down like a sack of potatoes when you turn off the lights.

#3: Set the stage for good sleep

Your environment plays a HUGE factor in the quality of your sleep. So you need to make sure that the bedroom is a place that’s conducive for resting.

Aside from removing all electronics from your bed, here are other ways to ensure sleeping success:

- Remove all stressful associations from your sleeping environment. This means leaving your work OUT of the bedroom. Your mind should only think of sleep when you’re in bed.

- Don’t stay in bed if you can’t sleep. Do something else outside of the bedroom and come back when you’re done.

- Eliminate distractions and bright lights. Your body associates sleep time with darkness, so make sure you have good curtains and have eye shades handy if needed. Also, pinpoint any sources of noise, such as a television or your mobile device and deal with it accordingly. Switch it off or keep it out of the bedroom altogether.

- Invest in a good mattress and keep the temperature cool. The ideal range is about 60-70 degrees, which allows your body to naturally fall into a relaxed state. Proper lumbar support is a big thing too, so get a mattress that’s kind on your back.

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#4: Naps are ok, but do it right

Dr. Walker also says in “Why We Sleep” that by nature, people are meant to sleep in a biphasic pattern.

This basically consists of 7-8 hours of sleep, and one nap during the day for 30 minutes up to an hour. According to him, this works better than sleeping according to a monophasic pattern which is sleeping throughout the night with no naps.

So, he recommends that you take at least one nap to help you get through until the evening. However, you should do this before 3 pm to give yourself enough time to get tired at night and stick to your prescribed bedtime.

One benefit of napping is that it reduces the odds of a heart attack by more than half. Companies such as Google and Nike have facilities like nap pods to allow their employees to recharge as it helps with their productivity.

#5: Wind down with a book or music

A good way to further reinforce your bedtime routine is by introducing better habits that you can associate with your sleep patterns.

Reading before bed is a good ritual as it can help reduce your stress levels. The University of Sussex did a study 2009 to explore the effects of reading on sleep – they found it can cut down stress levels by up to 68%.

As you settle in with a book, it takes your mind off stressful thoughts which helps reduce your heart rate and production of cortisol (a stress hormone). So it helps to pick out a few good books you can get into over the next several weeks (or days, if you’re a voracious reader).

Another alternative is putting on some good tunes before you hit the hay. Like reading, it puts you in another state of consciousness – and this helps you disengage from your worries throughout the day.

Also, meditation has become more and more popular among a wide range of people, such as students, CEOs, parents and everyone else in between.

This habit in itself is effective in reducing anxiety and depression, so combining it with your bedtime routine makes it even more powerful.

Furthermore, meditation is a great tool for reprogramming your subconscious thoughts. People have used it change undesired behavior, like negative thinking or even smoking.

Not only that, you can also use meditation to optimize your mindset for being more successful in life and creating wealth.

If you want to improve your sleep habits while improving the other parts of your life in the process, you can check out my free guided meditation audio tracks.

They’re designed to help you meditate at night and prime your brain for success so you can get up in the morning refreshed and ready to take on the day:

Click Here To Learn The Secret Technique To Supercharge Your Sleep Now And Wake Up Feeling Amazing Every Day. ⇦

How to Fall Asleep FAST - 10 Tips for Better Sleep Everyone Should Know!


How to Fall Asleep FAST - 10 Tips for Better Sleep Everyone Should Know!


By Mark Williams
Author of The 7 Day Mind Balancing Plan ⇦

“Man is a genius when he is dreaming.” ― Akira Kurosawa

Theo, a fifteen-year-old high school student, was nodding off at class.
His busy schedule takes up a lot of his time, and unfortunately, it’s been cutting into his sleeping hours.

Between tests, reports and projects, Theo also trains after school hours for the karate varsity team.

With so much to do, it’s become a challenge for him to balance his time.

As a result, Theo’s academic performance started to suffer. With him napping frequently and his grades dipping steadily, his teachers became concerned.

Ms. Guillen, the school principal, finally talked to Theo’s parents about what was going on.

She said, “Theo is a brilliant boy, but I’m a bit worried that he’s struggling to cope with his studies…and he’s so sleepy all the time.”

Theo’s parents shared that their son has been having trouble sleeping at night.

According to them, “(Theo) has been feeling more and more pressured by deadlines and tests, not to mention having to train for the upcoming interschool tournament.”

A Disheartening Trend

Theo’s case is hardly an isolated one. With classes starting early in the morning, most students his age end up sleep deprived.

A study entitled “Sleep schedules and daytime functioning in adolescents” from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts found that a group of about 3,000 teenagers had the same problem as Theo.

They discovered that students starting class early in the morning (before 7:30 am) would doze off when the researchers pulled them out of class at 8:30 am.

It’s safe to say that this is NOT a healthy trend, and it’s been going on for decades now.

Sleep expert Dr. Matthew Walker discusses this in his book, “Why We Sleep”.

According to him, high school students who start class before 8:15 am might as well wake up in the middle of the night.

Furthermore, he points out that schools in the U.S. used to start class by 9:00 am a hundred years ago.

So, Theo’s problem was to basically find a way around these unfortunate circumstances and get more sleep at night. It was the only way to pull up his grades and keep him from getting sleepy in class.

Ms. Guillen recommended that Theo’s parents see a friend of hers who worked at the Sleep Center of their local hospital.

With the help of his parents and their sleep specialist, Theo was able to work out a better schedule that would allow him to get enough rest. On top of that, he also started practicing certain habits to help him get to sleep faster.

While Theo benefited from these tips, pretty much anyone in high school or older can use them too.

Try them out starting tonight and see if it doesn’t improve the quality of your sleep as well:

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#1: Make a sleep schedule and stick to it

Laying down the proper groundwork is half the battle when it comes to sleeping soundly.

Most people who have trouble drifting off to sleep at night usually don’t follow a general bedtime schedule.

Like with the other members of the animal kingdom, we’re designed to function based on a routine.

But the problem is that we’re the only species that deprive ourselves of sleep on purpose.

This is why you shouldn’t brush off the importance of setting up a sleep schedule that gives you enough time to rest at night.

The more you make a habit of ending your day right, the better you’ll wire your body and mind to sleep right away.

When babies and small children have a consistent sleeping schedule, they fall asleep effortlessly. It’s easy for them because they’re trained to expect their bedtime at a certain point in the day.

The thing is, adults are no different. Now that you’re all grown up, it’s up to you to create this structure for yourself.

Decide on a time to wake up every day, then set aside enough hours to sleep before then.

If you want to be up by 7:00 am, be in bed by 10:30 pm the night before so you’re out by 11 pm.

When you plan your day around a “deadline”, your body will learn to fall into this rhythm.

Granted that it takes a bit of time to do this, you’ll fall asleep quickly once you’ve settled into your schedule.

The good news is that once you’ve gotten this out of the way, the next tips take way less time to implement…

#2: Get into a healthy bedtime routine

Before the grueling lifestyle of the industrial age came into the picture, our ancestors were used to following their natural circadian rhythm.

Now that everything’s changed, you need to create a set of rituals that tie into your regular bedtime schedule.

Like babies and small children, you can also set up similar cues to signal that it’s time to sleep.

For instance, reading is a good habit to practice, much like how kids settle in with a bedtime story.

An academic study conducted in the UK shows that reading at night is an effective stress-reducing activity – this makes it eaCsier for you to take your mind off things.

Other people like to play some music to relax instead, although it’s slightly less effective than picking up a book.

Nonetheless, it can still help you decompress after a long day and get you to sleep.

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#3: Do a bedroom audit

Is your bedroom a place conducive for rest? Or is it a source of worry and distraction?

If you answered “yes” to the latter, remove everything in your bedroom that can detract from a peaceful sleep.

A lot of people don’t realize how important this is, so paying attention to the details will get you to sleep faster.

First off, make sure your bedroom is in the 60-70 F range as this is the ideal temperature to help you relax.

Of course, your bed also plays a huge role in helping you sleep peacefully. Check your mattress, blankets and pillows so that they provide the comfort you need.

Also, the best bedroom is a dark one. Light disrupts the production of melatonin, a sleep hormone that makes you drowsy.

Keep the windows covered and lights switched off when it’s time to sleep. While you’re at it, remove anything noisy from your bedroom that might disturb you in the middle of the night.

This includes your TV, computer or mobile devices – which brings us to the next tip…

#4: Make your bed an electronics-free zone

You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s for a good reason.

Like I said earlier, your body stops producing melatonin when you’re exposed to bright light. This is doubly so with the blue light that screens typically emit.

One of the best things you can do is switch off all screens 2-3 hours before you hit the sack.

Your body and mind need time to unplug from the day’s distractions – you can’t just switch off the minute before your head touches the pillow.

Otherwise, you’re just cheating yourself out of precious time that could have been spent sleeping.

#5: Cut down on stimulants and other substances

Certain drinks are a no-no when it comes to sleeping well at night. This includes coffee (for obvious reasons) as well as liquor.

While caffeine keeps you awake, you might think alcohol has the opposite effect and help you relax.

Sure, knocking back a few drinks will make you drowsy, but the quality of your sleep won’t be as great.

We cycle back and forth between REM and non-REM sleep, and alcohol disrupts this process.

As such, you need to give your system enough time to process any coffee or alcohol present to enjoy quality sleep at night.

By the way, the same goes for sugary snacks or heavy meals. It’ll take you longer to sleep if your body is busy digesting.

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#6: A warm bath works wonders

One of the benefits of going to bed squeaky clean is that it acts as a natural sedative.

Your body temperature goes up during a hot shower (ideally no higher than 104 F and not longer than 20 minutes), which then goes down when you go back into your bedroom. This drop triggers a change in your system which tells you that it’s time to sleep.

Do this about an hour before sleeping, and you’ll have enough time for your body to shift gears. As your breathing and heart rate goes down, it’ll be easier to fall asleep.

#7: Get out of bed

There are times when you just can’t go to sleep for one reason or another.

In such cases, staying in bed and forcing yourself to fall asleep is counterproductive.

The best thing to do is get up and do something else, but NOT in the bedroom.

Listen to music, read a book or answer a crossword puzzle, then come back to bed when you feel sleepy.

The important thing is to associate your bed with relaxation, and not a place to engage in any stressful activities.

#8: Load up on melatonin

While coffee, booze and sugary treats are a no-no, there are snacks that can actually help you sleep.

Try some of these melatonin-rich foods about 45 minutes to an hour before sleeping:
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- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Other fruits like apples, avocado, dried prunes, grapes and goji berries
- Oatmeal-based snacks like cookies and porridge
- Warm milk (or almond milk) – also other beverages like chamomile or peppermint tea
- Nuts like almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews and pistachio
- Whole wheat toast with jam, peanut butter or almond butter
- A turkey or chicken sandwich
- Cheese (with toast, crackers or fruits)
- Green veggies like spinach, broccoli and asparagus

Remember, “light” is the operative word. Don’t fill up too much or you’ll be stressing your metabolic functions which will make it harder for you to sleep.

#9: Quiet your mind

Like Theo, many of us spend sleepless nights with our minds going a hundred a miles an hour over things that concern us.

Whether it’s taxes, bills, your job, the kids, your pets, a big project you’re working on, or a visit to the in-laws, there’s always something occupying your thoughts.

The trick is to learn how to block these when you’re about to sleep.

After all, thinking about them at night doesn’t help since you’re in no position to deal with them at that moment.

Awareness is key – when you catch yourself going into worry mode, you need to consciously step in and shut down those thoughts.

Try saying something like, “Dear Brain, this is NOT the time to guess what Sheila meant when she told everyone at the meeting that you didn’t answer her email…you’ve got plenty of time to chew on that tomorrow!”

Take comfort in the fact that most of our thoughts are actually inconsequential.

They’re often not as bad as your mind makes them out to be, so get into the conscious habit of switching off that mental static at night.

#10: Visualize and meditate

If you’re having a hard time keeping out distracting thoughts, you can train your mind through a couple of relaxing mental exercises.

For instance, meditation teaches you to disengage from negative thinking and focus on the present moment instead.

A 2012 study at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in India documented this phenomenon and proved how effective its role is in sleeping more soundly.

You can do this by sitting upright with your eyes closed and thinking about nothing else other than your breathing. It also helps to focus on the sensations your body is feeling, such as your heartbeat and the weight of your feet on the floor.

As for visualization, this also keeps your mind off your troubles by replacing them with something pleasant.

Use your mind’s eye to picture a relaxing image, like being at the beach and watching the waves gently crash into the shore.

A 2002 study done at the University of Oxford called “The management of unwanted pre-sleep thoughts in insomnia: distraction with imagery versus general distraction" proves the power of visualization in quickly falling asleep.

You can either do visualization as a standalone exercise, or combine it as part of a meditation routine.

Either way, you’ll be taking the fast track to sleep and avoid getting stuck in a bottleneck of unproductive thoughts.

The more you apply these tips in your daily bedtime routine, the quicker you’ll perfect the fine art of falling asleep on demand.

Like any other skill, effective snoozing can be learned - so you should start practicing as early as tonight!

Click Here To Discover The Secret Technique To Supercharge Your Sleep Now And Wake Up Feeling Amazing Every Day. ⇦

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