| There are plenty of observational anecdotes of what works and what does not work. In order to make the best of your sleep cycle, it requires excellent sleep hygiene. 1. regularity is important. Going to bed and waking up at the same times weekday and weekend is very helpful. 2. sleep environment is important. simulating night time including shades, turning off message beeps, comfort, slightly cool temperatures make a big difference 3. eating - avoiding eating at least 3-4 hours prior to bedtime. Your blood sugar levels are easily disturbed and play a large part in your sleep cycle as glucocorticoids are active in sleep cycle. The amount you sleep has a lot to do with your daily stress level, physical activity and damage your body takes. hydrate like crazy, let your body perform its reparative miracles at night including memory consolidation. I have noticed that people who have constant low-level death-by-a-thousand-cuts stress have many problems sleeping and getting quality sleep than those who have short bursts of high level stress. We are victims of our always-on world. As another poster pointed out - Sleep is worth experimenting. Physical activity/exercise during the day helps. |