Our bodies adapt very quickly to our sleeping habits. Notice that if you stay up late and eat, your digestion tends to run amuck.

• Most people require 7-8 hours of sleep to function optimally.
• Your body is much more efficient at sleeping and preparing for sleep if you can maintain a schedule.

What's your sleep schedule?

Your body temperature drops as you near bedtime and is at its lowest during sleep. If the room is too warm, your body won't be able to cool down.

• Sleep quality is improved in a cool sleeping environment.
• You'll have to play around with the temperature to find what's ideal for you.

What's the temperature?

Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but sleep quality is compromised. It has been shown that sleep is less restful and you'll wake up more often during the night, even if you don't remember it. For some reason, the negative effects of alcohol are more pronounced in women.

Do you take a big sip before bed?

Even the light from your alarm clock can compromise the quality of your sleep.

• Remove as much artificial light from your sleeping environment as possible.
• Turn off the computer screen and minimize any ambient light coming from outside the room.

What's illuminating your room?

Sleep the most beneficial amount of time. Studies have shown that sleeping more than 9 hours or less than 6 hours is associated with feelings of anxiety and sadness.

• If you find you need more than 9 hours and can't sleep more than 6, a visit to your physician is advised.
• Even one night of low quality or quantity sleep is associated with insulin resistance, a major cause of type-2 diabetes. Those that sleep less than 6 hours are also far more likely to develop high blood pressure.

How long do you currently sleep?

Vitamin B6 is needed to synthesize melatonin, which is vital to sleep. Calcium deficiency has been shown to increase the amount of time it takes to fall asleep. Magnesium intake is associated with the ability to stay asleep.

• 90% of the supplements on the shelves are low-grade or synthethic (including and especially most big brand names). They have no benefit whatsoever. Choose high-quality only!

Do you get enough high-quality vitamins and minerals?

Even the highest quality mattress has lost as much as 75% of its support after 10 years.

• You probably spend more time sleeping than you do on any other single activity. Be certain you have a good mattress.
• Consider how much you spent on your car and how many hours you use it. Purchase the best mattress you can afford.

How comfortable is your mattress?

Exercise is great for increasing the quality of sleep and decreasing the amount of time required to fall asleep. However, studies have shown that 3 hours is the cutoff point to prevent exercising from decreasing sleep quality.

Do you exercise? What time?