Struggling to get to sleep?

Sick of waking up tired instead of refreshed?

We all know how much a bad nights sleep can affect the remainder of the day, the need to rush whilst juggling about a dozen other tasks makes life that much more difficult.

A good nights rest can also encourage faster calorie burn as well as being a vital ingredient to overall happiness.

If you're struggling to catch those Z's at the moment, give some of these simple tips a try..

Prepare your Bed:

While your bed probably isn't the primary cause of insomnia, snoring, or other sleep problems, it can certainly contribute to your comfort at night. Make sure you're using the right pillow based on your sleep type, and when it comes time to buy a new mattress, make sure you shop smart (and don't get fleeced). Once you know it isn't your bed, you can start getting to the bottom of your sleep issues. 

Your Diet:

What you eat can greatly affect how you sleep, even during the early half of the day.Eat breakfast first thing in the morning to sleep better at night, and make sure it's a big one. After eating well throughout the day,avoid eating spicy or junk foods at night, and instead choose something that will help you drift off. And remember: no booze! Not only will it not help you get to sleep, it'll cause you to snore all night, too. 

Your Wake-Up Call:

The days of the ever-annoying *bzzt*-*bzzt*-*bzzt* alarms are over. Instead of being jerked awake by an old clock, consider getting a smart alarm app for your phone, like soothing ones for iPhone and Android. Then, try waking yourself up more comfortably. And, whenever possible, do it without stimulants—caffeine can wreak havoc with your brain and body.

Early Exercise:

Exercising in the morning or afternoon—not at night—can help deepen your sleep and make sure you fall asleep quicker, according to a study by the National Sleep Foundation. If you aren't much of an exerciser, there's no better time than now to upgrade your health and fitness routine than now. 

Your Temperature:

Cooling down your body temperature makes a huge difference in how easy it is to fall asleep, but that can be hard to do when it's hot outside (or when your significant other has body temperature nearing the surface of the sun). From DIY air conditioners to cooling pillows to more extreme methods, we've got the lowdown on staying cool while you sleep. Just make sure you don't wake up freezing in the morning—that's never a fun way to start the day. 

Your Amount of Sleep:

Not everyone needs the same exact amount of sleep, but with a little trial and error, you should find your sweet spot pretty easily. Count back 7.5 hours from when you need to wake up, and make sure you get to bed at that time—then adjust accordingly. Of course, you could also try a webapp like Sleepyti.me to help you calculate the perfect number of hours, too.

Your Evening Routine:

As the end of the day rolls around, you should be winding yourself down for bed to get the best sleep possible. If you really want to fall asleep easily, take some time to cultivate the perfect evening routine—some light reading, a nice bubble bath, and something that doesn't involve a backlit screen—to fall asleep quickly and keep your energy up the next day. 

Sweet Dreams..

http://lifehacker.com/5876083/top-10-tricks-for-better-sleep