Getting the recommended amount of sleep, typically 6-9 hours, is difficult enough as is with a busy schedule. However, it is crucial to your personal health and well-being. If stress or other factors prevent you from getting a good night's rest, try following some of these sleep tips.

Take melatonin

Not only does melatonin help you fall asleep quicker, but it also helps you sleep better throughout the night. While you shouldn't take melatonin every single night, as there are studies suggesting it stops your body's natural production of melatonin, if you are feeling stressed out or know you will not be able to sleep well for various reasons, taking melatonin is a Good Idea to ensure a full night of sleep.

Power down

Turning off your electronics before you go to bed is crucial to sleeping well. The light that electronics emit, including your phone, laptop and TV, signal our brains to be alert and pay attention while also stopping the body's natural production of melatonin. Thus, by powering down prior to going to bed, your brain will be more ready for sleep. If this isn't a viable solution for you, most phones have "night mode." This minimizes the amount of blue light your screen emits, making it easier to fall asleep.

It is also a good idea to keep your phone in another room, or somewhere in your own room where you can't reach it. Often times people get tempted to check their phones if they can't immediately fall asleep, or check it when they wake up in the middle of the night.

This is inefficient when it comes to sleeping well.

Exercise

Exercising regularly will help you get a better night's sleep. According to the National Sleep Foundation's 2013 Sleep in America survey, those who exercise regularly and fervently reported that they slept the best. Be careful, though -- if you exercise too close to bedtime, it keeps some people up at night.

Doing yoga before bed can also be helpful. It is a good way to wind down, steady your breathing and clear your mind before you go to bed.

Keep a routine

Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time everyday. If you deviate from your sleep routine too much, it shifts your body's natural clock. So, if you're out late on Friday and Saturday night, it will be much more difficult to go to bed and fall asleep at a reasonable time on Sunday night in order to wake up well rested for your week on Monday morning.

Avoid long naps during the day if possible. These will affect your sleep patterns and your ability to fall asleep at night. Stick to 20-30 minute power naps if necessary.

Watch what you drink

Caffeine can keep you up at night. Try to not drink any caffeine after 2 p.m. to prevent it from keeping you awake in bed. While alcohol does cause drowsiness and can help you fall asleep, it does have negative effects on sleep. After the buzz wears off, it can wake you up in the middle of the night.
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