The Science Of Sleeping Well

Meditation, when carried out twice a day - in the morning and before going off to bed, has major positive effects on your sleeping patterns. Try to empty your mind for a few minutes and stay still. This greatly helps to relax your body and mind. During meditation, try not to engage your brain towards anything specific.

Coffee, which is rich in caffeine, greatly hampers your sleep patterns and can induce insomnia or sleep deprivation. Additionally, something that much Research suggests, is that you should ideally cut down on caffeine intake almost 5-6 hours before sleeping, lest it affects your nighttime sleep.

Re-assessing how you spent your day and listing out how you plan to spend the next day can often help you be more organized and decrease stress levels, especially if you pen it down in your diary or journal. This sense of calmness has proven to be a good sleep inducer.

Reading before sleeping (off a printed book) may often be a very wise thing to do; as it may improve cognitive functioning of the brain and avert mild mental-health problem such as depression. However, reading off electronic devices such as e-book readers or iPads can prove to be very harmful for your circadian rhythm and have adverse effects on your daytime alertness and overall health.