01. Have a proper routineHaving routine is key to a good nights sleep, knowing what time your body can shut down and how many hours sleep you need is vital. The best thing to do is to keep a sleep diary, write down each day for 2 weeks what time you go to sleep and what time you wake up, along with when you feel tired throughout the day. This way you can easily calculate how much sleep you have each night. It varies how much sleep each person needs, depending on your lifestyle etc, so don't worry if you need 10 hours sleep, or 6 hours sleep - everybody is different and it's important to have a sleep pattern that is perfect for you.
02. Avoid quick fix energy foods before bedAvoid those quick fix foods that are laced with sugar and filled with E numbers and caffeine. These will often give you a burst of energy, which means that you'll then find yourself wide awake when it's time to go to sleep.
03. Always associate your bed with sleepIt's easy to laze around in bed in the middle of the day and watch TV, or cosy up and do your homework in bed. However it's important to train your brain to associate your bed with sleep, eventually your body will know that when you get in bed, it's time to sleep and unwind.
04. Take time to unwindAllow yourself around half an hour before you actually go to sleep to do something relaxing and unwind. Maybe read a book or magazine, try and avoid watching TV or using a phone or laptop as this tends to keep you awake and keep your brain ticking over, rather than relax you.
05. Switch offIt's important to be able to completely switch off your brain to ensure you get the best nights sleep possible. This is much easier said than done but with time to unwind, this can be done. If you go to sleep worrying about tomorrow, or thinking about next week your brain won't switch off, and you can sometimes end up feeling like you've had no sleep at all.
06. If you can't sleep, don't force yourself toWe all have nights where no matter what we just can't sleep. If you ever have one of those nights, accept the fact you can sleep and find something to do until you feel ready.
