Most of the time, how you wake up in the morning determines how the rest of your day turns out. If you had a restful night’s sleep, you will surely wake up refreshed and in a good mood the following day. On the other hand, if you spend most of the night tossing and turning while desperately praying for some ZZZs, you will most likely end up being cranky and sluggish. A person who rarely catches enough rest would probably require some IV vitamin therapy, just to get through a tough workday.

A number of things could prevent people from getting a good night’s rest: stress, anxiety, unhealthy eating habits, ill health, unfavorable sleeping environment, and even old age, just to name a few. What most people don’t know is that a bit of reorganizing in one’s daily routine could do wonders in resolving sleep issues. Below are some tips on how you can tweak your daily schedule and bedtime habits to ensure a restful night.

Maintain a regular sleeping schedule.

The body functions best when it works like a clock, following a smooth and constant daily rhythm. This daily rhythm should include a consistent time for sleeping. By going to bed at the same time every night, the body will eventually settle into a consistent sleep routine. The same goes for waking up in the morning. People who follow a regular sleeping schedule would attest that as soon as their usual hour for going to bed comes around, their body automatically gets relaxed and practically lulls itself to sleep. These people usually get up feeling energized the next morning without the aid of alarm clocks to wake them up. It is important to note that this unchanging sleeping routine should remain undisturbed even during the weekends, when most tend to stay up too late or oversleep.

Foster a bedtime routine.

When it’s almost time for bed, it is best to separate one’s thoughts from the hustle and bustle of the day that went by. It is important to shift one’s attention on activities that are more soothing because these would effectively cue in slumber.

Most people find that relaxing with a good book in bed is very effective at summoning sleep. Others listen to soft music or to ebooks in order to shift their bodies and minds into sleep mode; whereas others soak up in a warm bath to shake off stress, and then head off to dreamland.

Make up for lost sleep through napping.

Taking a nap during the day is a better way of making up for lost sleep than waking up late. This way, the regular sleeping rhythm does not get disturbed. However, one must also be careful when taking naps during the day because too much napping could alleviate insomnia. As such, naps should be limited to about half an hour and only once a day.

Refrain from heading to bed too early.

Fight off the urge to head straight to the bedroom after dinnertime. A lot of people get a bit drowsy after a hearty meal. Those who give in end up sleeping way too early before their bedtime, waking up in the middle of the night, and then having trouble getting back to sleep. Spending some time to chat and unwind with friends and family or engaging in activities that are not too rousing before going to the bedroom are excellent ways to defy sleepiness when it is too early for bed.

Eat at regular intervals.

Mealtime must also factor in significantly on one’s sleeping schedule. In particular, dinner must be taken at roughly the same time every day. This way, a full stomach (or an empty one) will not be able to mess up the sleeping routine. Keep in mind that a full stomach usually encourages sleep, whereas an empty one hinders it.