Sleep is a mysterious and delicate friend. Many of us take it for granted, so it can be shocking and dismaying when it abandons us for seemingly no reason. Usually there are reasons, however, however strange and seemingly unrelated they may be. One of these reasons can be stress. Today's modern world can be full of stress, from that which comes to us from our careers, and that imposed on us from our families or financial situations. Much of this stress however, is fully under our control.

Perhaps not the sources, but how we let it affect us. If you sense that stress is ruining your ability to get a good night's sleep, try to spend at least thirty minutes before bed thinking about anything other than the causes of your stress. This could include reading a book, watching a movie, or simply thinking about more pleasant things. It is the real world equivalent to counting sheep. Use anything you can to clear your mind and bring yourself peace in the time before bed, and you will be much closer to bringing delightful, untrammeled sleep back into your life.

It is well known that physical exertion is a great harbinger of sleep. If you're life has become exceptionally sedentary, it is no wonder that sleep has abandoned you. You must begin exercising. Start with any type of exercise you enjoy.

? Working out with weights in a gym

? Walking on a treadmill

? Swimming laps

? Doing houseword

? Yardwork

The activity doesn't matter, just as long as you push yourself when you're doing it. This is the kind of thing that will lead to a good night's sleep at the end of the day.

Perhaps most importantly, however, is to make sure you have prepared a place conducive to sleep. Take a moment or two to examine your sleeping conditions and think about a few ways in which you could improve your bed. Is your mattress as comfortable as it could be? Is there any way you could arrange your pillows that would help you sleep better? Is the temperature setting at night as optimal as it should be?

Another tip that can help with insomnia is to keep the bed as a place only for sleep and lovemaking. If you have taken to using your bed to do work, read books, and watch television, try cutting this out and see if it doesn't improve your ability to sleep at night. It is very possible to produce a Pavlovian effect by treating our beds as a place for sleep only. If you only get into bed when you're ready to go to sleep, your body will naturally be ready to do so at that time.