How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

When we are camping in the summer I sleep very well. You could cite many factors as reasons for this: the fresh air, the lack of “work” issues on my mind, the natural daylight, the evening firelight, the complete darkness and silence of the night. I’ve often thought that if only I could package all that and bring it home I’d sleep that well all year round.

I read about a study where they taught subjects how to relax themselves so completely that they could fall asleep sitting upright in a chair while the recorded sound of canons being fired was played – in less than two minutes! I was duly impressed and it got me thinking. If I could relax this well, as I do when I’m camping, I’d have a wonderful night’s sleep every night.

I wanted that.

So I began to develop the skill of relaxing my mind and body. I’ve learned that it’s not so much what I do once I get into bed that contributes to a good night’s sleep, but what I do in the evening prior to that. This is what’s been working for me:

  1. Turn off the TV early in the evening. It’s okay to choose one show and enjoy it but one is enough!
  2. Back away from the computer. Create a dividing line between work and relaxation.
  3. Stack up the books I’ve wanted to get to, curl up in a comfortable chair and enjoy!
  4. Meditate in the evening – that’s right – evenings work better for me.
  5. Catch up with friends on the phone or with visits, you know; those things you never have time to do!

When spring comes I plan to add fresh air to this, fitting my weed-the-garden-time in the evenings. In the summer I’ll read outside on the patio. I’ll take my meditation outside too.

This feels so good to me. It allows my mind and body to relax after a busy day and wind down naturally for sleep. Any problems are relegated to my meditation time, entertainment comes not only from the TV (or the computer) but from books and company. The relaxation comes from all of it and a good night’s sleep follows.

Do you fall to sleep easily at night? What are your secrets? How do you get a good night’s sleep?

photo credit: Sister72

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About The Author


I have always loved writing and community building. I’ve written a book about healing and happiness, The Happy Place, as well as a Community Building book, Sounding the Drum: Community Building in the Digital Age,both available at any Amazon store. I’ve been through life changes that I thought were the end of my world, but I’m still here. You never know what will happen next. Isn’t that what makes life interesting?