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Over the years, I’ve had great sleep and sometimes poor sleep.

During the periods when my sleep has been good, there are certain things I almost instinctively do.

1. Use Ear Plugs
   I use the Loop reusable earplugs from Amazon. Naturally, I’m susceptible to noise when I sleep, so wearing earplugs is a must because if I don’t, the slightest noises wake me up. So, if you’re a light sleeper wearing earplugs is a necessity to
   boost your quality of sleep.
2. Have Black Out Curtains Or Wear A Sleep Mask

Blackout curtains are the best option; that way, you don’t have to rely on putting your sleep mask on every night. But in essence, they’re both effective because they do their job, which is to block out light. Naturally, when we are exposed to light at night, especially artificial light, this can affect our bodies’ production of the sleep hormone melatonin (the hormone responsible for making you sleepy). So if you try to make your room and house as dark as reasonably possible 1-2 hours before bed and sleep with a sleep mask on (or have black out curtains) then your bodies production of melatonin should be more effective throughout the night resulting in you falling asleep faster for longer and more deeply.

3. Eliminate Caffeine, Sugar, And Alcohol Completely Or Reduce Your Intake Of Them

I was unknowingly caffeine-dependent for the past couple of years. I’d have 4-5 coffees every day from when I woke up in the morning to around 4 pm. Caffeine undoubtedly affects your sleep because it’s a stimulant. Caffeine has a half-life
of around 6 hours, so if you have a coffee at 4 pm then at 10 pm, half of the caffeine you ingested will still be in your body. This can dramatically affect your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. So the remedy to this is either to completely eliminate caffeine or have it in the morning, say 10 am. Say, for example, you usually sleep at 11 pm. Then, if you had your caffeine at 10 am, the caffeine would be completely cleared out of your system at 11 pm because it would be 13 hours after you ingested the caffeine.

Alcohol, for some people, can help them fall asleep fast, but usually, the common experience is that people wake up several times during the night.

So, in essence, alcohol can help you fall asleep, but it affects your quality of sleep negatively due to persistent waking. Alcohol also dehydrates you, which also hurts sleep quality.

Eating too much sugar before sleeping isn’t helpful because consuming a large amount of sugar gives you a sugar rush ( a boost of energy), which is not what you want before sleeping.

Normally, this sugar rush is temporary and is followed by a drop in blood sugar or a crash after the initial insulin spike.

Instead of eating lots of sugar and junk, eat a diet rich in whole foods, lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and grains. You’ll find your body operates much better and more efficiently, and when your body is healthier, you’ll find your sleep is naturally better and you won’t need as much of it ( a personal observation).

4. Have A Consistent Sleep-wake Pattern.

This way your body will feel tired at night and you’ll wake up much easier on a morning.

If your sleep pattern is different, say you usually stay up until 2 a.m. Then you wouldn’t feel tired at your preferred bedtime of 10 p.m., and you would find it harder to wake up early in the morning.

The simple remedy is to get up at the same time every day, even if you didn’t sleep well the night before. This will make you extra tired the following night and make it much easier to fall asleep at the desired time.

The Bottom Line—If you wear earplugs, wear a sleep mask, or have blackout curtains, avoid or reduce your consumption of caffeine, alcohol, and sugar, and have a regular sleep-wake pattern, I guarantee that you’ll be doing the most essential things to boost your sleep quality.