What are the best ways to help you fall asleep, stay asleep and get better sleep quality?

Relaxation is the key to falling asleep. So the best answer to this question is to find ways to relax before bedtime. It also pays to have a cool and comfortable bedroom to sleep in. There are many ways to accomplish these goals.

If falling asleep, staying asleep or having poor quality of sleep is a major health issue for you, a sleep study would be the first step in finding solutions for this serious condition. Major health issues would include, but are not limited to: insomnia - inability to fall asleep, snoring, sleep apnea, nightmares, night terrors, sleep walking, daytime fatigue, emotional balance and impaired job productivity.

The study of sleep disorders is covered under the medical specialty of Polysomnographic Sleep Technology. If you are curious about a sleep study and what happens during the overnight test, click on the linked text to read about it.

It's quite important to relax for about an hour before bedtime. This will prepare your body to fall asleep. A tense body will impair the ability to get comfortable and be still enough to let sleep come about naturally.

When you wind down from the day and smooth out your body, your muscles will begin to relax on their own. Meditation and self relaxation techniques will encourage the process. Learning these techniques is not difficult, but practice will certainly make them more effective.

1. Relax in your favorite chair, soft music is recommended but not required.
2. Have a soothing cup of chamomile tea or hot chocolate - avoid caffeine or stimulants.
3. Close your eyes and visualize any tense areas in your body. If you hands are tense, clench them and make them even more tense.
4. Take a deep breath through your nose, concentrate on the tension and blow through your mouth while at the same time allowing your hand to go limp. This is called blowing out the tension.
5. Repeat steps three and four for every tense part of your body.
6. After you go through an entire cycle of this throughout your body, you may start over and do it again if you are still not relaxed. After a few practice tries, you will get the hang of it and it will become very easy to make your body relax.

If you forget to do this meditation and relaxation period before bed, you may do it while in the bed while trying to go to sleep.

One of the best and easiest ways to improve your sleep and get better quality of sleep is to make your sleeping environment the best place to relax and feel comfortable.

Do's:

• Keep the temperature cool, about 68 degrees is great for me, but you may like it cooler.
• Keep your bedroom free of excessive noise and distractions
• Keep your bed sheets and linens clean and freshly washed.
• Experiment until you find the best pillow for you. Or no pillow at all if that helps.
• A humidifier will help in the winter when heating dries out the air.
• Use a small fan to circulate the air. Stale air is a frequent culprit in not being able to sleep and a fan provides "white noise" which helps keep you asleep.
• Soft lighting is a must in the bedroom.
• Decorate your bedroom with soft, cool colors like pastels and blues.
• Invest in the perfect bed. You will have to shop around for the one that is best for you and anyone else that regularly sleeps in the bed. The money is well spent because you spend one third of your life in bed and your sleep quality affects your whole life.

Dont's:

• Use your computer, tv, or other electronics in the bedroom. Make the bedroom strictly for sleeping. Call it your sleep room!
• Don't use lightweight curtains. Use mid-weight or heavy curtains to help block sounds and light.
• Don't go to bed at wildly different times of the day or night. Try to find a regular sleep schedule
• Don't expect to sleep only a few hours. Always allow enough time for yourself to get the amount of quality sleep that you need. The world can wait.

By following these two suggestions - Learn how to relax and improve your sleep room - you will almost certainly get better sleep. If you do not, you will need a sleep study to determine why you cannot sleep well.

Sleep disorders are serious and affect your entire body. Sleep apnea can contribute to heart and lung problems and a shortened life span. Insomnia will make you moody and tense all the time. Everyone needs enough good sleep to function at a high level.