Tips to Learn to Sleep Okay, seeing a title of tips to learn to sleep may sound odd since this is something every person does, naturally.  Unfortunately, many people do not sleep, or do not sleep well.  Some people struggle with health issues or insomnia that does not allow them to get a good night’s rest, as other people get.  However, to ensure the health of both body and mind, sleep is essential. If you find that you have a difficult time falling asleep or staying asleep, then you need to learn to sleep.  Keep in mind, this problem is shared by more than 100 million people in the United States so you are certainly not alone.  The result is waking only to feel exhausted and fatigued from tossing and turning all night.  The good news is that by making a few lifestyle changes, you can sleep better.  With this, you will feel more energetic, have better concentration, be in a better mood, and reduce the risk of developing health problems. • Naps – If possible, avoid taking a nap during the day.  What happens is that you are getting just enough rest so by the time you go to bed, your body and mind cannot fall asleep.  Therefore, keep to a schedule of going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. • Alcohol and Caffeine – Consuming alcohol or caffeine too close to bedtime will stimulate you, again meaning no or restless sleep.  We suggest you avoid both hour before bedtime.  Interestingly, while drinking a glass of wine actually helps calm a person, during the sleep process, it can be disruptive. • Smoking – While smoking is bad for your health overall, when it comes to sleeping, the nicotine acts as a stimulant, keeping you awake. • Exercise – Another tip to learn to sleep is exercise every day.  Getting just 30 minutes of physical activity daily will promote better sleep, as well as strengthen muscles, help with losing weight, and reduce health risks. • Iron – In women, a deficiency of iron can cause problems with sleeping.  Therefore, if you are female and experiencing sleep deprivation, consider taking iron supplements. • Stress – Another one of our tips to learn to sleep has to do with reducing or eliminating as much stress from your life as possible.  In today’s world, we all have stress but too much can wreck havoc on your life.  Stress will raise blood pressure, increase risk of heart disease, and cause you to get little or no sleep.  Taking appropriate measure to de-stress your life will certainly have a positive impact. • Stimulation – Try to keep your mind calm about one hour before going to bed.  This means turning off the television and relaxing, perhaps with a good book or warm bath.  If the mind is stimulated when you crawl under the covers, it will not allow the body to drift off to sleep. • Meals – You will also find that eating your last meal no later than 7:00 pm and not eating a huge dinner helps.  The problem most likely to develop is heart burn and indigestion, which will certainly keep you awake. • Sleep Aids – The market is flooded with all types of over-the-counter sleep aids.  While some can help you fall asleep, most will have residual effects, meaning you spend the next day walking around in a fog.  If you feel you need something to help you sleep, talk to your doctor. To learn to sleep, you have to understand the things keeping you awake and then make some changes to your lifestyle.  Most often, the changes are minimal but highly beneficial.  You could use visualization while in bed, closing your eyes and envisioning yourself on a beach with the ocean lapping waves up to the shore, and a beautiful sunset.  This form of meditation has been used for a long time and for many people, it works great.  Just remember that sleep is crucial to health so if you have trouble, you need to take action and do something to change it. With the right tools and resources, you can teach your body to again sleep.  It might be something you can do on your own by using some of the recommendations in this article or for severe cases you might need some medical intervention.  Regardless, the most important thing is doing whatever you have to do to make sure you are giving your body time to rest and rejuvenate.  Without this, you will be faced with a number of issues to include feeling tired, headaches, aching joints and muscles, and an overall sense of not feeling well.