If you've been trying to overcome sleeplessness and haven't had much success, don't give up yet. Other than forcing the little sheep to jump over the fence and popping that sleeping pill into your mouth, there are other ways you can use to overcome sleeplessness and take a trip to dreamland.



Just follow these simple steps:

1. Regularize your sleeping habit. Your body is more prone to following a certain pattern if you set a regular rhythm. Try to establish a certain time for sleep and then go to bed on the same time each night. Set your alarm on the same time everyday, too, regardless of whether it's a weekday, a weekend or a holiday. Once your body recognizes a given pattern, it will follow your initiative and give in.

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2. Avoid alcohol before bedtime. It's best to develop a sleeping habit without resorting to outside triggers. Let sleep come from within and not as a result alcohol or pills. The increase in the number of people becoming addicted to sleeping pills is alarming. They are very addictive.

3. Keep away from stimulants. Coffee is great for breakfast but it's a bad idea to drink a cup a few hours before you go to sleep. Coffee and other stimulants like tea, nicotine or chocolates can keep your body feeling active and wide awake, so best to take them early in the day and avoid taking them before bedtime. Take warm milk instead.

4. Exercise early. If you're getting regular exercise, it's best to do it in the morning or at lunch time, not just before going to bed. Exercise helps stimulate the body, keeping you feeling refreshed and active long into the night. If you must perform a few exercises, keep to breathing and stretching routines that are slow and rhythmic.

5. Don't force it. Thinking about sleep will only make you lose sleep. If you're having trouble with sleeplessness one night, don't try to push yourself into falling asleep because you'll only end up upset and anxious.

If your mind refuses to rest, get up and do some light chores, read a boring novel or practice light tai-chi. Avoid stimulating yourself too much and perform the activity until you feel tired and sleepy.

6. Keep daytime snoozing to a minimum. Studies have shown that 15 minutes of light naps are as restful as one-hour naps. If you must rest during the day, try to keep sleeping time short and don't do it just a few hours before your actual bedtime. When your body has had enough rest, it is energized enough to go on for longer hours, sometimes for the rest of the night, depriving you of much-needed regular sleep.

7. Keep your bedroom as a place for sleeping. Try to minimize putting in stuff that relates to work or other activities in your bedroom. Keep your files, documents, sports equipment and other work/play implements in places other than your bedroom so that you'll learn to recognize it as a place to rest and sleep, not a place to work in to finish that yearly report, send e-mails, correct presentations or fix the racket.

8. Keep distractions away from the bedroom. Try to keep your bedroom nice and quiet. Block out the noise by using thick curtains or carpeting. You could buy earplugs or an electronic device that produces white noise or other pleasant sounds that block away the sounds of traffic, outside music or voices. Keep lights from disturbing your sleep by keeping curtains, blinds or shutters closed.

9. Keep your bedroom clean and your bed comfortable. Nothing spells utter sleeplessness better than a cluttered, dirty bedroom. Keep it tidy and well-ventilated, making it conducive to good night's sleep. If you can't sleep without extra pillows, it can't hurt to have three or four in bed with you. If you have a preferred mattress firmness, then by all means buy the one that helps you sleep better. You can only overcome sleeplessness if you're comfortable in bed.

10. Induce sleep through relaxation techniques.This is the same method that hypnotists and meditation specialists use. Use self-hypnosis or progressive muscular relaxation techniques. You can either do this while in bed or sitting on a chair in your bedroom. When your mind is relaxed and peaceful, it's much easier for your body to give in and fall asleep.

Though not all these methods work for every one, we hope you have picked one out that will work for you. Please, for your own health, avoid addictive sleeping medications.