Disclosure: Consideration has been provided for publishing this article. Sleep is elusive to me right now, with a six month old, but these tips are perfect to maximize the rest I’m able to get! 

Have you ever noticed how sleep deprivation impacts your day-to-day life? Your mood, performance, and alertness are all negatively affected when you don’t get enough rest. Your emotional, mental and physical wellness depends on your ability to sleep well. Here are five ways to rest easier:

1. Exercise regularly.
2. Stick to a schedule.
3. Turn off your device.
4. Make your environment sleep conducive.
5. Get a new mattress.

Tire Your Body With Physical Activity

Have you ever noticed that you sleep better when you workout or when you’ve had a day that required a lot of physical activity? Exercise not only helps you sleep better, but it also allows helps you stay focused during the day!

Become a Creature of Habit

Image via Flickr by TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³

Have you ever noticed the number of “I hate Mondays” posts on social media? Perhaps you noticed everyone in your home is pretty bummed out on Mondays. If you are sleeping in and staying up late on the weekends, then going “back” to your regular schedule Monday, you are confusing your body. Keep to a consistent sleep schedule, and your body will naturally help you fall asleep at bedtime.

Put Your Device to Sleep

There was once a time when the only people that carried devices like beepers or phones were professionals, like doctors. We now live in a world where almost everyone has a cell phone. If you are like most, your phone is constantly letting you know that you have a new email, post, or text. It never stops. Put your phone to sleep so you can get rest.

Set the Right Mood

Prepare your environment for sleep. Your room should be a calm, comforting place. Make sure your room is quiet, dark and cool. Do not minimize the power of a warm room to disrupt your sleep. Lower your thermostat at bedtime. If your room is uncomfortably warm, check your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system to make sure it is working properly. Setting the mood will get you in the mood to sleep.

Refresh With New Bedding

If you wake up feeling achy or sore, check your bedding. Your mattress has an expiration date. Your mattress can last up to ten years; however, let your body tell you when you need to get a new mattress. In one study, participants who slept on beds less five years old slept better than those who slept on older mattresses.

As you get older, your body has an increased reaction to sleep deprivation. It affects your mental and physical state. Unfortunately, it also shows up on our face! Here are a few closing tips to help you use these tips to increase your sleep starting today:

• Increase your physical activity a little each day.
• Gradually close the gap between your weekend sleep schedule and your weekday sleep schedule.
• Automatically set your phone to go to voicemail and turn off notification by 8:00 pm.

Make sure your thermostat is no lower than 60 and no higher than 67 degrees.