Everyone has had trouble sleeping. But you can make it easier to get a good night’s sleep.

1. Cut Caffeine. Caffeine can keep you awake. It can stay in your body for up to about 14 hours. Cutting caffeine intake for at least four to six hours before bedtime can help you sleep better. If you had too much caffeine, try eating some carbohydrates to reduce the effects.
2. Avoid alcohol as a sleep aid. It may help you fall asleep, but will cause disturbances in sleep.
3. Relax before bedtime. Stress makes you miserable. Develop some kind of pre-sleep ritual to break the connection between the day’s stress and bedtime. This can be 10 minutes or as longs as an hour.
4. Exercise at the right time for you. Regular exercise can help you get a good night’s sleep. The timing and intensity of exercise can play a key role in its effects on sleep. If you feel energized after exercising, you probably should not exercise in the evening.
5. Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and comfortable. For some, even the slightest noise or light can disturb sleep. Don’t use the overhead light if you need to get up at night; use a small night-light instead. Ideal room temperatures for sleep are between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
6. Eat right, sleep tight. Try not to go to bed hungry, but avoid heavy meals before bedtime. Foods that help promote sleep include milk, tuna, halibut, pumpkin, artichokes, avocados, almonds, eggs, bok choy, peaches, walnuts, apricots, oats, asparagus, potatoes, buckwheat, and bananas.
7. Restrict nicotine. Having a smoke before bed - although it can feel relaxing - puts a stimulant into your bloodstream, similar to that of caffeine.
8. Avoid napping. Napping can only make matters worse if you usually have problems falling asleep. If you do nap, keep it short.
9. Keep pets off the bed. If your pet sleeps with you, this can cause you to wake up during the night, either from allergies or pet movements.
10. Avoid watching TV, eating, and discussing emotional issues in bed. The bed should be used for sleep and sex only. If you associate the bed with distracting activities, it can make it difficult to fall asleep.

Source: Webmd. “Better Sleep… Naturally”.