Are you sleeping well enough?

Do you find yourself having trouble falling asleep, or are you waking up a lot in the middle of the night? If you don't have a sleep disorder that you know of, the problem might be (more or less) your diet.

One common reason for waking up in the middle of the night is the urge to urinate. You shouldn't be drinking much after 8:00 PM (assuming you go to bed at a normal time). Alcohol is one substance that will disrupt your sleep. You will probably fall asleep quicker, but you're much more likely to wake up tossing and turning. 

What kind of foods do you eat before bedtime? A snack is likely to help you out. Warm milk, yogurt, cereal, nuts, etc is likely to improve your sleeping patterns as long as its just a snack. Stay away from large amounts of protein and high fat foods like burgers and fries before bedtime (maybe avoid burgers and fries otherwise but that's something else.) 

You might be surprised to learn that Vitamins and supplements could be counter productive if taken before bedtime. Ginseng as well as B Vitamins are better off taken in the morning than at night. Its possible that medications you take contain a small amount of caffeine, so check with your doctor or another specialist and see if drugs you might be taking are interfering with your sleep. 

Are you a smoker? If you don't plan on kicking the habit anytime soon, keep in mind that nicotine is a stimulant and may disrupt your sleep. 

From experience, I recommend that you don't think about anything important before going to bed. You may consider making a story in your head, especially one that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Your thoughts will probably blend together at some point and you'll find yourself dreaming. 

Try getting some extra exercise throughout the day and see if that helps. You should be able to fall asleep faster, and less likely to wake up in the middle of the night.