There are some well known tips out there, but I'd like to share a few other tips that you may not have thought of.

1.  Clean your bedroom. A clean bedroom is a peaceful bedroom! There is a different feel in the room when the clothes are put away, the sheets have been changed, and the nightstand only has the necessary things you need, such as your tissue box, lamp, scrap paper,pen, and alarm clock.

2.  Make your bed. If you aren't into making the bed every morning, take the time to make it before you turn in. Sheets that are pulled too far up, or blankets that are clumped up and uneven have a way of irritating your rest. That 3 minutes to make the bed perfect may give you an extra half hour to hour of sleep, and more comfortably too!

3.  Make sure you, and your feet, are warm enough. If you are anything like me, you sometimes get in bed with cold feet, and they sometimes don't heat up for an hour or more. If that is the case, where socks to bed. If you don't want to keep them on all night, just wear them until you are warm, or if you wake up because of them, take them off, and then put them under your pillow. If you get cold again, the socks are easily accessible. If you are too cold, adding a microfiber blanket between you and your sheet can make you SO cozy and warm. This is especially nice if you are married, and your husband is much warmer than you. The blanket can be added to your side only.

4.  Consider adding a fan to your room. Depending on if you live in a quiet area, or a noisy apartment building, you can adjust the noise level by the speed level. Not only does a fan block out noises that interrupt your peaceful sleeping, it can help your mind to relax by the steady stream of sound it gives you.

5.  Write your to-do list on paper. If you remember once you get in bed, use the scrap paper next to the bed to jot it down. This will allow your mind to rest, knowing that you aren't going to forget something important.

6.  Drink less at night. No coffee or tea. Not only because of the caffiene, but because the saying is true: Why does one cup of coffee equal ten trips to the bathroom?  My throat gets very dry at night, so I keep a throat spray bottle (it used to have Chloraseptic in it) on my nightstand with a mix of water and mouthwash.  It gives me the moisture I need, without drinking.

7.  Turn your computer off a few hours before bedtime. Instead of your brain being stimulated until it is time to sleep, give it the time to wind down and relax before bedtime is right around the corner.

8.  Turn off, or down, any phones close to the bedroom. A shrill ring can disturb your sleep, and cause you to have difficulty falling back to sleep. I realize most people call at night if there is a need, but if you go to bed at 9:00, some friends/family may not realize it, and call at 10:30 because it isn't extremely late to them. If you are afraid of missing an important call, you can keep your cell phone next to your bed, and tell people to call that in case of an emergency, when it is a time you'll be sleeping. A light sleeper may even be able to turn their phone on vibrate, which will not wake you up with a jolt.

9.  Pay your bills. Easier said than done? Not always! Take the time to organize your bills, learn to budget, make a great effort to save on different expenses, and pay as many on time as you can. Life can be expensive, and so many of us have fallen behind a time or two, but if we are doing our best, and not spending frivolously when we don't have it to spend, we will rest much better.  Check out a few money saving websites available to you!

10.  Make sure your life is right with God. Those nagging little things that you know are affecting you spiritually, those grudges you've been holding, those little sins you've been flirting with--all things that can disturb your sleep. Or maybe you know there is more for your life, and that God holds the key to what those things are, but you don't know how to find them for yourself. Talk to Him! And if you know He holds the key, but you don't know Him for yourself, please email me, so that I can help you with that part! I'd be happy to!

Happy sleeping, everyone!!!