If you have trouble sleeping because the room is not dark enough, or you can’t stop looking at your digital alarm clock, then a sleep mask may be the answer. Many times when we are looking for ways to fall asleep we overlook the obvious, like blocking out all light. Even with light blocking shades or drapes this can be a difficult task.

There are nighttime light distractions everywhere, from streetlights and floodlights outside our home, to all of the lights from electronics we have in our own bedrooms today. And if you are a night-shift worker trying to sleep during the day, this might be a way for you to fall asleep faster.

Sleep masks are all basically the same shape, however they come in a variety of materials and price ranges. You do not have to spend a lot of money, just as long as you find one that does the job.

Nylon sleep masks are among the most inexpensive and easiest to find, usually being light with little padding and a plain elastic strap – you can find them for as little as $5. From there you will find sleep masks made out of fleece, foam, silk, and a variety of other materials, along with varying amounts of padding.

More expensive varieties include designs where there are contoured pockets built into the mask, leaving enough space to for you to open your eyes and blink without having any contact with the mask. If you have the tendency to feel claustrophobic, then this type may appeal to you.

Look for a sleep mask that will block out all forms of light – one that is designed to prevent light from creeping in around the sides and top and especially around the nose (this is where a lot of the cheaper masks fail). Second to light blocking, would be strap comfort – it is important to find one that is adjustable without having an irritating fastener. The last thing you want is to have your hair pulled or head poked when moving around in your sleep.

Now, if you have never worn a mask to bed, it might take some time to get used to something on your face. Try covering your eyes with a light hand towel or t-shirt to see what it might feel like, and if you think that it will tend to bother you, then you may want to opt for a lighter mask to start.

Whether you fly occasionally for vacations, or frequently for business, if you are crossing into different time zones, you are likely to have your sleep patterns disrupted for a few days. Taking melatonin during these times of air travel may help you sleep better.

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone secreted by the pineal gland, which helps to induce sleepiness. When traveling into different time zones, your body’s time clock is thrown off and melatonin can help regulate your sleep rhythm so that you can get to sleep faster.

The key is in knowing when to take melatonin. For instance, if you were flying from California to New York, you may want to take a dose of melatonin in the early evening (your normal time), and when you get there you will take it about an hour before bedtime at the new time zone. When you returned back to California, you would then go back to taking it about an hour before bedtime, and if you wake up again before 3:30-4:30 a.m., then you would take another tablet. This should only be necessary for a few days on either trip.

Also, when you are traveling and trying to find ways to fall sleep easier, you may want to cut back on the amount of alcohol and caffeine you consume, as this interferes with the body’s natural production of melatonin. Smoking is also a no-no.

The plus side if taking melatonin for the purpose of jet lag, is that you should only need it for a few days, so being a short-term solution, it is relatively safe. However, if you are on any medication that you have to take every day, you should always check with your physician before taking sleep aids.

Most of us have heard that a warm cup of milk before bedtime can help you to feel sleepy, and even though we may not know exactly why, it has been one of the oldest home remedies for insomnia. In fact, there has been no medical basis to support the theory of warm (or cold) milk inducing sleep. It may be that it has been part of your routine since childhood and provides comfort. There’s nothing wrong with milk before bedtime though, so if it works for you then go for it.

The belief has been that tryptophan found in certain foods (like the milk) can help promote sleepiness. You know, the old urban legend of the Thanksgiving turkey putting everyone to sleep. The question is, “Does it really work?”

Actually, the amount of tryptophan found in foods is probably not enough to induce sleep. Okay, maybe it would be better said that the amount of food that you would have to eat in order to get enough of the enzyme is way too much. The only way to get enough tryptophan to the brain to aid sleep would be through a supplement.

Tryptophan is an amino acid found in proteins – foods like dairy, bananas, soy foods, and turkey. In order to induce sleepiness enough tryptophan needs to get to the brain, which is a difficult task, because it has to get past other blocking amino acids to succeed. Without going into a long explanation about brain function and blood chemistry, which is way above my head anyway, it boils down to eating a combination of protein-rich foods and complex carbohydrates.

Following are some ideas for a small pre-bedtime snack, starting with my favorite:

Slice of whole grain bread/toast topped with peanut butter and sliced bananas, washed down with a glass of milk. Sometimes I trade the bananas for a little honey.

Whole-grain cereal, with or without bananas, and milk.

A Small slice of apple or pumpkin pie and a cup of chamomile tea.

Oatmeal-raisin cookie and milk or herbal tea (non-caffeine).

Peanut butter sandwich.

A cup of yogurt with a little cereal or granola on top.

A couple slices of chicken or turkey on a piece of whole-grain bread.

Tuna or egg salad on whole-grain bread with sesame seeds.

A handful of pretzels and milk (hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it)

Oatmeal with bananas or strawberries.

You get the idea, right? Choose what you like as long as you keep it light, stick with these kinds of foods and stay away from alcohol, caffeine and anything spicy.

Every one of us goes through a period of having difficulty sleeping at some point in our lives. The cause of our sleep troubles usually has to do with stress or anxiety of some sort, whether the source of the stress is work or family related – or both. When we go to bed we may be physically tired, but our mind is still filled with the concerns of the day so much that we cannot relax enough to fall asleep.

Okay, having ‘been there and done that’ with a schedule consisting of a 60-80 hour work weeks, as a single parent with school-aged children, I have managed to come up with a few tricks that have helped me to fall asleep faster. Some of these things are unconventional and against the recommendation of so-called ‘sleep experts’ (TV in the bedroom) but they work for me.

Set a regular time for bed – establishing a routine and sticking with the same time every night will help your body to develop a pattern.

No exercise three hours before bedtime – if you take an evening walk or work-out at the gym, do it before dinner.

Wind down after dinner – This means no arguing with the kids/spouse – have your important discussions before dinner and try to start the relaxation process at dinnertime. Make it your goal to have any homework, bill paying or any other stress inducing activity done before dinner, so that you can have some relaxing family time after. Granted, sometimes this will be impossible, but if you try, it can happen more often than not.

Shut down your computer and start your evening routine an hour before you go to bed. If you have kids, start their routine too – bathing, brushing teeth, etc.

A warm bath or warmer shower works wonders for relaxing at night. It helps to relax tense muscles and gives you some ‘alone time’ to unwind.

Eating or Drinking – A cup of chamomile tea, or a glass of milk (warm if you like it that way) is okay, as well as a small snack consisting of protein and complex carbohydrates. Just keep it light and stay away from caffeine or sugar, and of course no alcohol.

The general rule about TV in the bedroom is not to turn it on, or remove it from the bedroom if you have trouble sleeping. Personally, I have found that turning on a boring station (nature channel, weather channel, or classical music) and setting the sleep timer for 30 min sometimes helps.

If complete silence bothers you, or if you need to block out some outside noise, try an oscillating fan, or something that plays soothing nature sounds. A little white noise can lull you to sleep.

Tip for Clearing your mind – Sometimes it just cannot be helped; a thought will enter your mind after you have gotten into bed, and nag at you relentlessly. It could be something so minor, like you forgot to add milk to the grocery list, or you can’t remember if you paid the phone bill. Whatever it is, it will bother you all night unless you get rid of it. An easy solution is to keep a notepad and pencil on the nightstand so that you can easily jot down the concern, and free your mind from worry.

Bedroom temperature – Try to keep you bedroom between 65-70 degrees, cool is best for sleeping. If your cold feet bother you, then wear a pair of socks!

One more thing about your bedroom – it needs to set the scene for sleeping, which means that it should look relaxing and comforting. If necessary, give your room a makeover – get rid of clutter, books, computer, junk and any other distractions. Make sure your bed is comfortable – if you know your mattress is in need of replacement, consider making that a priority. Aromatherapy, fresh linens, a comfortable quilt, comforter and enough good pillows make your bed something to look forward to at the end of a long day.

The average person will usually sleep at night, when it is dark outside, and awake in the morning, when it is light outside (that is unless you work the night shift).

This “normal” sleep pattern is due to our circadian rhythm, which is a chemical/physiological cycle that occurs in living beings every day. It is basically a 24-hour cycle, which affects our internal processes like body temperature, sleep, alertness, hormones and digestive functions.

The circadian rhythms may be thrown off by outside factors such as travel, shift-work and sleeplessness. Jet lag is a common example of a disruption in the circadian rhythm.

Melatonin to the rescue! Melatonin is a natural hormone produced by the pineal gland, and it helps to regulate many hormones in the body. It has been touted as a powerful antioxidant, however its most notable function is controlling the body’s circadian rhythm, helping us fall asleep faster.

You can find Melatonin in most grocery and health food stores in the United States. It is inexpensive to buy and the dosages vary from 300 mcg to 5 mg. At this time there is no recommended dosage, so you need to use some common sense when trying something for the first time. Most people are advised to start out slow with one tablet at the lowest dosage, and see how that works. It is usually best to take it 30 minutes to one hour before bedtime, but depending on how quickly it works, you may want to make adjustments.

You may not need to take Melatonin for a long time either – give it a rest when you establish a good sleep pattern, so you don’t risk diminishing its effects.

Side effects in people taking no other medications are minimal. There have been some reports of dizziness, headaches, vivid dreams, irritability and stomach cramps in those taking higher doses.

If you are taking any kind of regular medication, you should ask your doctor before taking Melatonin, as it may interfere or interact with drugs such as anti-depressants, blood thinners, blood pressure medications and anti-inflammatory medications (just to name a few).

Also, if you suffer from chronic insomnia, Melatonin is not the solution – you should see your doctor for treatment.

Sleep is sleep, correct? Not really. There is good sleep – and well, the other kind. Restorative sleep is a term for the good kind, where you have spent enough time in each stage of sleep to feel good and refreshed in the morning. By the way, there are five stages of sleep, each lasting approximately 90 minutes.

Sleep – or the lack of it – affects many areas of our well-being. A good sleep helps the brain with memory and learning functions, as well as your mood and behavior. Waking up grouchy is probably the result of non-restorative sleep. Inadequate sleep can impair the nervous system and weaken the body’s immune systems.

There may be a number of reasons why a person is not getting adequate sleep, some physical, some psychological or emotional. Physical pain, illness, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome are just a few of the physical factors. Many times we cannot go to sleep fast because of stress or anxiety and end up lying awake worrying all night. Depression is also a known cause of insomnia.

Aside from affecting your productivity at work, sleep deprivation can have serious health consequences. If this is an issue for you, Stop, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200! Call your doctor immediately. Even if you have a good idea what is causing your sleep problems, you can help your doctor out by keeping track of your daily routine – this could help to further pinpoint any other possible causes.

Start keeping track (in a notepad or journal) of each day’s events, stress levels, any medications taken, food, drinks and physical activity. Note whether or not you slept well that night. Before long, your sleep diary may reveal a trend.