We often have readers writing in to us on how they can improve their sleep.

Whether they struggle with falling asleep in general, or they find it difficult to go back to sleep in the night, they struggle with getting enough rest.

It can leave them feeling drowsy during the day. It may feel difficult to find a cause. But once a cause is identified, it’s easier to find a solution.

Your solution may be found in one of these helpful techniques:

Less Sleep

This may seem redundant, but if you’re spending too much time in bed, it may be harder to fall asleep at the end of the night. Eliminating afternoon naps is often valuable. Afternoon naps are one of the most common causes of nighttime sleep issues.

Bonus tip: If you find yourself lying in bed trying to fall asleep and it’s been longer than 20 minutes, research shows that it’s best to get yourself out of bed and into a different room. This can help train the body that your bed is for sleep only and can help reset your internal clock.

Redesign

Many people find that only allowing the bedroom to be for sleeping can recondition their mind into knowing when bedtime is. If you only go to bed as you start feeling drowsy, it can be easier to fall asleep much quicker.

Restricting yourself from doing work-related tasks such as reading and responding to emails is helpful, as well.

Keep it Cool at Night

Studies have shown that having your room cooler at night (between 60-67 degrees) is the ideal temperature for sleeping in. Our bodies lower in temperature during the night to initiate sleep so sleeping in cooler temperatures helps in this process.

Keep Hands & Feet Warm 

Warming your cold feet causes a dialation of your blood vessels and this often tells the brain that it is bedtime. If you have trouble falling asleep at night be sure that your hands and feet are warm before falling asleep to help your body prepare for bed.

Relax

Sometimes, over-thinking is our worst enemy. Have you ever went to close your eyes for the night, only to find yourself awake and thinking when it’s 3 AM? Allowing yourself ample time to relax before hitting the hay can help ease your mind and get it in the right place to fall asleep.

Techniques such as meditation and reading are helpful here. Meditating anywhere from 10 minutes to 40 minutes before bed can allow your mind to release all the thoughts that it’s kept throughout the day.

Reading is effective when it’s calming material that promotes positive dreams. Just be sure to avoid reading on screens.

Bonus tip: Use blue-light filters on your electronic-screen devices at night. These filter out any blue light that emits from your screen so that your body can properly produce sleep chemicals.

Additionally, many find comfort in white noise machines. White noise loops that play all night can be found for free on YouTube, as well.

Your gut might seem to be doing all right if you are regular every day with your bowel movement. However, to give your gut an extra boost, you should include whole foods in your diet that have dietary fiber. To do this, you should eat more food like vegetables, fruit, lentils, and whole grains.

Probiotics are foods that break down chemicals and feed your body with good bacteria, Include more oats, garlic, leeks, and onions, which can be easily incorporated into your diet by adding them to other foods when making meals.

You should eat fewer foods that are inflammatory because these kinds of foods are high in starch, sugar, and saturated trans fats. These foods can cause the intestines to become inflamed. In such a condition, nutrients are poorly absorbed, and it can lead to severe conditions.

It is advisable to eat the kind of foods that can provide you with good bacteria, such as yogurt. Other fermented foods containing good bacteria include miso and kimchi. All of these are excellent sources of probiotics, and their labels should say that they have active cultures.

Make sure that you get enough sleep every night since sleep deprivation can negatively impact your gut microbiome. Lack of sleep can increase levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, and this can negatively affect your body. Be sure to get some exercise every day.

When your body is active, there is an increase in microbes that produce short-chain fatty acids that are needed for different body functions. With a  combination of the right kinds of foods, exercise, and proper sleep, we can keep our guts happy and healthy.

Remember that your gut microbiome needs to have the right balance of good bacteria to keep if on track and to keep your body functioning the way it should.