Sleep is one of the most precious things you can have. You know that more than anyone else if you have insomnia. Insomnia is the inability to sleep, and that can wreak havoc on your waking life. Here are some tips you can use to finally be able to get some rest.

If you are plagued by insomnia, start listening to soft music while you try and fall asleep. Anything rhythmic and quiet should help to put you in a relaxed state, so that you can get to sleep. If you don’t enjoy quiet music, opt for the sound of waves crashing on the shore.

If your doctor prescribes sleeping medication, take it exactly as the label says. Sleep medicine should be taken right before bedtime because they are designed to act quickly. Never drive after taking a sleeping pill. Never drink alcohol while taking sleeping pills. If you decide to quit taking your medication, talk to your doctor first.

If nothing that you do at home seems to help you deal with your insomnia and let you get enough sleep, you may want to consider using prescription medication. Talk to your physician to get some advice on which product may be right for you.

If sleep absolutely eludes you, do not just lie there worrying about sleeping. Try getting out of bed, and doing some light activity, such as a warm bath, or a little reading. This may be just enough activity to make you forget about your sleep problems, and help you to fall asleep.

Avoid spicy foods or foods that contain a lot of sugar before bedtime to help prevent insomnia. Spicy foods can cause heart burn or stomach problems during the night that will interrupt your peaceful sleep. Foods that are high in sugar can rev up your metabolism and prevent you from falling asleep.

Keep a diary by your bed if you’ve been experiencing problems with insomnia. Often it’s due to stress and other problems in life, so writing about them can alleviate the burden you’re feeling. Just flick the light on quickly if you can’t sleep, and write out everything you’re going through emotionally. This should really take the load off!

Only use your bedroom to sleep or dress. If you use the computer or television there, this will become known as an area that is full of activity. You can retrain your brain to consider it only a place to sleep by only sleeping there!

Try finding a soothing and calming tea that you can sip on an hour or so before bed. Make sure it’s an herbal tea that contains no caffeine at all. The best kinds for sleep would probably be chamomile or some kind of a mint tea. Experiment with the blends that say they’re for sleeping as well.

Exercise will help you sleep, but only if you do it more than a few hours before sleeping. Getting your exercise in the morning is a good idea as well. Exercising before bed can actually make you stay up longer. Your body needs to wind down in a natural way.

Don’t drink too much within three hours of bedtime. Taking in too much fluid will mean you need a bathroom break during the night. Getting up frequently to use the restroom can be very disruptive to the quality of your sleep. Drink the most in the morning to afternoon and avoid drinks at night.

Turn your bedroom into the perfect sleep environment. Block out all light, including the little LEDs which seem to be on everything. A small square of black electrical tape can do the trick. Next, block out noise or cover it up with a running fan or white noise machine.

Many people suffer from insomnia because they cannot get their brain to shut down at night. One way to eliminate this is to write down any worries or problems before you go to bed. This will help your brain relax. When you make a list of your problems to be handled the next day, your brain can focus on what it needs to be doing, sleeping.

Exercise can help you sleep better at night but only if you exercise during the day or early evening. If you exercise right before bed, then you will only get your adrenaline going and you find it hard to sleep. So try exercising during the day to get a better sleep at night.

How much sleep you get will affect how much weight you lose. You will discover that your hunger increases when you do not sleep enough at night. This also leads to poor decision-making on your part, whether at school, work, or home.

Now that you have read this article, hopefully you know that you can handle insomnia. Use the tips laid out here to help you, and make insomnia a thing of the past. Try each tip to see which works best for you. Insomnia does not have to be a fixture in your life anymore.