3 strategies for better sleep

Sleep is very important for leading a healthy lifestyle. If you're having trouble sleeping, we recommend trying these three simple strategies.

This is one of the surest ways to train your body to fall asleep at the same time every night. Experts say that keeping a regular sleep schedule is critical to keeping insomnia at bay.

Staying up late on Friday and Saturday nights and sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday mornings is frequently the gift we give ourselves on weekends after a hard week at work. Yet that little gift — small as it is — is enough to screw up our biological clocks.

Even if you get to bed early on Sunday night you will not be ready to sleep, and you will end up waking up groggy and unrefreshed come Monday morning. Chances are, your work week will be about catching up on your sleep, making it hard to concentrate.

According to one large poll, during the hour before bedtime we are not settling in quietly. Instead, we are doing one or more of the following things: household chores (60 percent), taking care of children (37 percent), activities with other family members (36 percent), browsing the Internet (36 percent) and work related to our jobs (21 percent).

This may not be the best way to spend your hour before bed. Use this hour to let your body wind down from the stressors of the day, so that sleep can come naturally and easily.

• Here's a better plan — read a book, listen to music, take a warm bath or do some gentle stretching.
• The goal is to build a routine that relaxes your body and tells your mind that sleep is up next.
• Keep in mind, a cool, dark environment is best for optimal sleep.

Following these guidelines will help you achieve better quality sleep.