Can’t sleep well? Waking exhausted in the morning? Needing regular naps throughout the day? Using coffee and other stimulants to keep yourself awake?

That’s not the right way to live life.

Instead, you should be falling asleep at the same time every day, having a quality night’s sleep and waking super fresh in the morning ready to kickstart the day.

So let’s do something about it today.

What to Do When You Can’t Sleep

1. Fix your sleeping schedule.

Before anything else, we should let the brain function effectively. And for that to happen, it needs its 5-8 hours of sleep daily without being disturbed.

It needs to have a fixed sleeping pattern, to be calmed down on purpose right before bed (using the right techniques, small habits and activities) and not to have any bright light or noise around it when trying to enter the deep sleep phase.

So get up early tomorrow (even if you feel tired). That will make you go to bed earlier too.

Keep doing it until you have a fixed time for waking up and going to bed and soon it will all happen naturally. Your body and mind will know when it’s time to get active (first thing in the morning) and when to prepare for sleeping (the closer the evening gets).

2. Unplug an hour or two before bed.

An awful habit most people share that ruins their quality sleep, doesn’t let them fall asleep before midnight and makes them wake up tired, is using devices before bed, or – even worse – in it.

Why are they bad for us?

The bright screens of the devices we use interfere with our body clock. This particular type of light activates the brain, it excites it and it can’t turn off so that it can rest.

So what should you do?
Turn off the laptop and TV 2 hours before bed, stop using your phone or any other device earlier too.

3. Read a book to get yourself to sleep faster.

A book is the best replacement for any technology before bed.

It’s a great way to get inspired, work on your personal development, engage your brain while reading, but to also fall asleep effortlessly.

Did you know that 39% of those who read regularly before bed sleep very well? Well, it’s not a coincidence.]

4. Remember everything you did today from the moment you woke up.

That’s an exercise that not only improves your memory (if you do it every night), but also lets you fall asleep faster.

It’s a great thing to do when you find yourself in bed but not able to get to sleep. Try to picture the day in details. Recall conversations, remember how you felt, and so on.

5. Use your bed only for sleep.

Don’t lie in it during the day, especially if you’re using your laptop there.

It’s even better if you respect your whole bedroom and turn it into a sanctuary, but keeping it clean and decluttered, not bringing any food there, using better sheets so that you can feel comfortable when in bed, and so on.

6. Journal before bed.

If you can’t sleep, you can write down 3 things you’re grateful for, or the best that happened today. You can also share your thoughts, deepest fears and desires.

That simple exercise is a great therapy and lets you get things out of your mind and thus feel better.

7. Prepare for tomorrow.

Taking some small actions tonight that will save you time and worries tomorrow morning (and later in the day) is another great way to show your brain that it’s time to go to sleep soon.

You can prepare your food for the morning, get your clothes ready, wash the dishes, plan the next day, empty your inbox, etc.

So that what you can do today, or start doing, to change things for the better, build good sleeping habits, and get the rest you need.

What about you? What do you do when you can’t sleep?