Seven Alternatives to Sleeping Pills for Insomnia

Many people don't actually need a full 8 hours of sleep each night. Studies suggest that many adults only sleep for 6 or 7 hours a night. If you sleep somewhere between 5 and 7 hours and wake up feeling rested and ready to start your day, don't force yourself to stay in bed for a specific length of time.

Try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day of the week. If you stay in bed longer on the weekends because you don't need to get up and go to work, you are actually throwing off your internal body clock. This can make it more difficult to fall asleep the following night.

Turn off any sources of light in your bedroom, including televisions, computers and phones. Use room-darkening shades to make your resting place as dark as possible. Blackout shades also have an added benefit of insulating your windows from cold and heat; this can help keep you at a comfortable temperature for sleep.

If you regularly hear traffic, barking dogs, noisy neighbors or other outside noises, mask the sounds so your bedroom is quiet and peaceful. Look into white noise applications for your smartphone or a standalone white noise machine. For a less expensive solution, you can turn on a fan or tune a radio into static to drown out distracting noises.

Eliminating both caffeine and alcohol before bedtime can help you get a more restful night's sleep. Simple as that.

Try to avoid all caffeinated drinks (don't forget that tea, many sodas and even chocolate can contain caffeine)from noon onwards, anddon't drink alcohol within 4 hours of bedtime. Alcohol may make you feel drowsy but once the alcohol levels in your blood begin to fall it creates a stimulant effect.

Large or heavy foods at night can make it hard to go to sleep and stay asleep. Try a smaller meal at night and follow-up with a healthy small snack before bedtime to avoid indigestion that can rob you of your sleep.

If you lie down to sleep and thoughts keep swirling around in your mind, try to relax. Some people find stretching, reading a book, or light exercise such as yoga or meditation clears the mind. Above all, do not lie in bed looking at the clock and worrying about the sleep you're missing. This causes even more stress that can make sleep more difficult.