Those who are more physically active tend to sleep better. Eat a balanced diet. Consuming nutritious foods helps foster sound sleep. Avoid eating, drinking and smoking before bed. Try not to eat a couple hours before retiring for the evening and don t drink alcohol or caffeine-laden products.
Smoking is always a bad choice, but it s especially bad right before bedtime.
The bottom line is that different people require different amounts of sleep at different times in their lives. You can often improve the quality of your sleep, but not before thinking about your lifestyle and medical needs, and then making the proper changes. But if a lack of sleep is starting to disrupt your day to day activities, then it may be time to talk to your doctor about it. Dr. Susan Turney, of the State Medical Society of Wisconsin, is an internal medicine specialist at the Marshfield Clinic. All rights reserved.