Here are key things you can do to make falling asleep easier and to make sleep more restful. To get personalized recommendations of strategies to address your specific sleep issues, you can take the BWell Sleep Assessment Quiz. 

• Relax before sleep. An alert mind may make it difficult to sleep. Try to slow the pace of your activities in the evening. Do some light reading or watch TV until you become drowsy, and then try to fall asleep naturally. If there's a lot on your mind, try writing down a detailed list and then forgetting about it.

• Avoid or limit caffeine and nicotine, which are stimulants, and alcohol, which can cause unrestful sleep and frequent awakenings during the night.

• Exercise and stay active. Twenty to 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity enhances deep sleep, but avoid exercising in the 6 hours before bedtime since it increases alertness.

• Avoid long naps. Naps of less than 30 minutes can actually be quite refreshing during the naturally occurring mid-afternoon slump, but napping for much longer than this can make you drowsy and interfere with a good night's sleep.

• Stick to a schedule. Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. A regular sleep pattern reduces insomnia, and increases your alertness during the day. It is easier to get sleep each night when you have a more consistent bedtime. It can take up to four days to reestablish disrupted sleep patterns. It is also better for your body when you get up at about the same time every day. While you may sleep in a little on the weekends, it is best to avoid sleeping the day away as this will throw off your sleep pattern.

• Don't let screens interrupt your sleep. Changes in volume and light from the TV or other screen can be disturbing. If you like falling asleep to the TV, try to use the timer function. Or if you’re trying to watch something to tire you out, it is best to get out of bed so as to not associate the bed with sleeplessness.

• Make your bedroom dark for sleeping. Strive to eliminate as many light sources as possible, from both inside and outside. Consider investing in heavier blinds, blackout curtains, or an eye mask.

• Don’t work or study in your bed. If you choose to work or study in bed, your mind may start to associate these activities with bed. Try to work or study elsewhere and leave the bed for sleeping (and sex) only.

• Create the quietest atmosphere possible in your bedroom. Use earplugs, a white noise machine or app on your phone to block out exterior sounds. Add more sound-absorbing fabrics to your room with rugs. Talk to others in your room, suite or hall about establishing “quiet hours”.

• Eat dinner at least 2 ½ hours before bedtime. It is best to allow a couple of hours to digest a full meal before bedtime. If you’re hungry at bedtime, a light snack helps to deal with a growling stomach without disrupting sleep with indigestion.

• Wear comfortable nightwear. Try to wear loose clothing so binding fabrics do not wake you up. If you prefer to sleep with little or no clothing, make sure you have sufficient blankets to keep you warm so being cold does not wake you.

• Keep the room cool. Most people sleep best in a cool, but not cold, room. When it is cold, rather than turning up the thermostat, consider adding another blanket.

• Avoid or limit eating in your bedroom. Odors from food and crumbs in bed can disturb sleep. Try to keep food in the kitchen and dining areas of the house or residence hall.

• Try adding plants to your bedroom. Plants help create oxygen and diminish the carbon dioxide in the room, thus keeping the air fresher while you’re sleeping.

• Try a steady white noise to fall asleep. Falling asleep to the radio or music could cause sleep disruption later due to changes in volume.

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that helps calm you down and is found in most protein-containing foods and dairy products. Adding honey or other carbohydrates helps facilitate the entry of tryptophan into the brain. B vitamins, especially B6, also help in the absorption of tryptophan. Calcium is also a natural calming agent and is found in all dairy products. Some herbal teas are especially calming, including chamomile, lemon verbena, lemon balm, passion flower, peppermint, and red clover.

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by your body during the night. Studies have found that melatonin supplements may improve sleep for 5% of people with sleep disturbances. Valerian, chamomile, kavakava, California poppy, skullcap, St. John's Wort, and hops are some of the other herbal supplements being promoted as sleep aids, but they haven't undergone the rigorous testing required of prescription drugs. When using herbal sleep aids, it's important to use them as infrequently and in as low a dose as possible, and to check with your doctor for possible interactions with any medications you're taking.