How to get a good night’s sleep

Want sound sleep? Then stay away from nicotine and caffeine for at least four hours before bedtime. Read on for more...

Stay away from caffeine: Stay away from nicotine and caffeine for at least four hours before bedtime. These are stimulants that cause difficulty in sleeping. Coffee, tea, cola, cocoa and chocolates contain caffeine, and those who find it tough to sleep should avoid these. But don’t go to bed with an empty stomach, either.

Take a hot bath: Take a nice long hot bath, ideally about an hour before you sleep. The bath will raise your body temperature and relax your muscles, and, as the body cools down, you will begin to feel drowsy.

No exercise before bedtime: While a regular workout is the best thing to tire you out and help you sleep, avoid it. It may have an adverse effect and leave your adrenalin-pumped body feeling wide awake in the middle of the night.

Stick to a sleep cycle: Changing your sleep cycle by more than hour can disrupt your sleep. So try and stick to a schedule.

Ban the TV: If you’re staying up nights and watching re-runs on television, the easiest thing to do is to banish the TV from your bedroom and shift it to the drawing room.