Write an article based on this "Avoid naps if you have trouble sleeping. Set a fixed bedtime. Create a comfortable sleeping environment. Exercise early in the day. Avoid caffeinated and alcoholic beverages and cigarettes. Avoid late or heavy meals. Start winding down as early as possible. Create a bedtime ritual. Go to bed even if you're not tired."
Naps are a popular way to take a break and recharge during the day. But they can also have the side effect of keeping you from getting and staying asleep. Avoiding naps during the day may help you fall and stay asleep. If you find that you need a nap or naps, take it before 5pm and keep it short. Twenty to thirty minutes is enough to help you feel refreshed and recharged. If need multiple naps during the day or are just generally exhausted at times when you should be awake, consult your doctor to rule out medical conditions and to discuss your lifestyle and sleep patterns. Establish a reasonable time to get to bed on most days, including weekends. Having this designated bedtime will help regulate your circadian rhythms, or body clock, and may also help you fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. When you set your bedtime, make sure that you consider factors like exercise, eating, and alcohol consumption. You want to make sure your body has at least two to three hours to process these activities before you go to bed. The best way to set your internal body clock is to wake up at the same time every day, even if you had a bad night's sleep. Don't set a bedtime that is too late or one that corresponds to when you feel tired so that you don't stay alert and in turn not get tired. Stick to this schedule as much as possible and adjust it if necessary. You won't want or be able to sleep if your bedroom isn't comfortable. By controlling factors such as the temperature and darkness, having comfortable bedding, and removing stimulating electronics, you will help yourself get to bed on time and fall and stay asleep. Set temperature in bedroom to between 60 to 75 degrees for optimal sleeping conditions. Keep computers, TV and work materials out of room to strengthen the association between bedroom and sleep. Light stimulates you to be awake, so make sure that your room is dark enough to sleep. You can use curtains or eye masks to help with rooms that are exposed to a lot of light. Noise will also keep you from getting to sleep. Keep your room as quiet as possible and consider a white noise machine to combat any loud noises that may filter into your bedroom. A comfortable mattress, pillows, and bedding can make you want to get to bed on time. Exercising early in the day can help you fall and stay asleep because it tires your body and will also relax you. But avoid exercising too close to your bedtime, which may stimulate you and keep you from sleeping. Exercise at least three hours before bed so that your temperature and cortisol levels can return to normal. Higher body temperature can make it difficult to sleep and having more cortisol in your system from exercise may stimulate you. Aerobic exercise is best for your body, but any activity is better than nothing. Don't exercise at the expense of your sleep. Caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes can interrupt your sleep. Avoiding them before bedtime could help you get to and stay asleep. If you consume nicotine or caffeine, avoid them within four to six hours of your bedtime. Limit yourself to one to two alcoholic drinks per day or less and avoid drinking within three hours of bedtime. Even though alcohol might help you fall asleep, after a few hours it can act as a stimulant. Eating too close to your bedtime or having heavy meals can affect your ability to sleep. Plan to eat lighter meals at dinner and within a few hours of your bedtime to ensure that you are able to get and stay asleep. You may also want to limit the amount of liquids you drink close to bedtime if you tend to wake up at night to go to the bathroom. Try to eat at least two hours before your bedtime. Big or spicy meals can cause discomfort and indigestion. If you're hungry before bedtime, have a small, healthy snack about an hour before you turn out the lights. Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode. Taking an hour or so to begin winding down before bed will signal your body and brain that it's time to sleep and help you get the best night's rest. Avoid electronics such as televisions, laptops, tablets, and smartphones within an hour of your bedtime. Not only can shows, work, or social media stimulate your brain, but the light from these devices also makes it difficult for your body to fall asleep. Dim the lights in your home and bedroom. Light will stimulate you, so dimming the lights within an hour of your bedtime signals your brain that it's slowly time to go to bed. Having a calming bedtime ritual will help you wind down for a good night's sleep. Once you've begun to wind down and are close to bedtime, having a set ritual will further cues your body that it's time to go to bed. There are different activities you can do as a part of your ritual such as having tea or a warm bath. A bedtime routine reduces anxiety, stress or excitement that can make it difficult to fall or stay asleep. Reading a book in bed with the lights dimmed will relax and entertain you while not overstimulating you. A warm cup of herbal tea such as lavender or chamomile will relax you and help you sleep. A warm bath is not only relaxing, but the rise and fall in body temperature it causes will promote drowsiness. Go to bed close to the same time every night whether or not you're tired. Sticking to this consistent sleep routine will help you get to sleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Getting into a comfortable bed with the lights dimmed may help you get to sleep faster even if you don't feel tired. If you can't fall asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed, go to another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired enough to sleep.