As a victim of poor quality sleep personally, there are some ways I employ to enable myself to enjoy a better night's sleep.

First of all, I try not to take naps unnecessarily. This ensures that I will be sufficiently tired by night time and will be able to fall asleep without much of a hassle. If I really do need a nap, the best time would be early afternoon, and not more than an hour.

Secondly, I will try to wake up and also go to bed at about the same time everyday. This includes weekends, as this will help build up a consistent routine which your body will soon adapt to, and hence more comfortable sleep.

Thirdly, schedule some activities before sleep that will signal to your body that it is time to slow down and prepare for sleep. Some activities can be listening to relaxing music, doing some reading in a relaxing posture, having a warm glass of milk (it contains tryptophan which acts as a natural sleep inducer), or just simply relaxing in front of the television.

Fourthly, I sleep only when I really feel sleepy as this will reduce the tossing and turning time in bed, thereby reducing frustrations. If I did not fall asleep after 15 minutes, I tend to switch on the lights, do some reading at the table or other activities, till I'm ready to sleep again. Otherwise, sitting quietly in the dark and not exposing ourselves to bright light is another way to try, as bright light will actually signal to our brain that it is time to be awake.

Fifthly, I refrain from consuming drinks with caffeine and alcohol at least 5 hours before bed. For others, it's best to prevent smoking hours before sleep too. Caffeine and nicotine acts as stimulants that can reduce our body's ability to fall asleep. Drinks and food that contain caffeine will include coffee, tea, coke and chocolates. Alcohol although slows down our brain activities, however most of the time, we will end up having interrupted sleep instead.

Sixth, I don't carry out rigorous exercises before bedtime. Regular exercises are recommended for sleeping well, but the planning of the workout is important too. Exercising in the mornings or evenings is much preferred, and they will mostly aid in sleeping well at bedtime.

Seventh, I refrain from eating heavy meals before going to bed. Having a light snack is all right, however too heavy a meal will create an uncomfortable feeling in the stomach, and this will interfere with my sleep.

Eighth, taking a hot bath an hour before bedtime can help in getting a good night's sleep as the drop in body temperature may leave us feeling sleepy. Just don't take one right before you sleep, as hot baths will increase our body temperatures first before it drops.

These eight methods will hopefully help anyone with sleeping problems to catch a good night's sleep.

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