Did you know the way you sleep is directly related to your pain levels? Millions of people around the world make simple, common mistakes on a daily basis which lead to higher pain levels and less time sleeping. Poor sleeping, in turn, can bring on higher pain levels.

The maintenance of your sleeping habits and practices, also known as sleep hygiene, is very important to your quality of sleep. Some sleeping habits, like smoking, drinking alcohol and napping, can contribute poorer sleep quality. Pain and Sleep hygiene are more closely related than you might think– poor health and high pain will leave you with less sleep, while less sleep will inevitably bring you more pain. Researchers don’t know exactly why poor sleep will bring pain, however it has been proven that your sleeping habits and practices affect your pain level. Here are the top 10 best ways to maximize your sleeping time.

• Stop caffeine, alcohol, and cigarette consumption on a regular basis

• • Caffeine can circulate in your blood for hours before dying down. It can fragment your sleep, and really degrade your sleep quality.
  • Remember: tea and soda have caffeine too!
  • While it may seem as though alcohol can induce sleep, new studies have shown that alcohol actually interrupts sleep, and eventually causes insomnia.
  • The addictive properties of a cigarette can keep you up at night, because it leaves your brain craving for more. Try and put a stop to it, and you will see a noticeable difference.

• If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something boring to make you sleep
  • Anything that you find excruciatingly boring will do- just make sure there no bright lights, which will reverse the “sleepy” effect you’re going for.

• Get up and go to bed at the same time every day

• • Regulated sleep cycles have a positive effect on your mindset and body.

• Refrain from exercising 4 hours before you sleep

• • Exercising any other time will not interfere with your sleeping schedule.

• Create sleep rituals

• • Listening to music is a great way to relax before bed. If you keep this ritual up every night, your body will start realizing that music time is also sleeping time.

• Make the bedroom a place only for sleeping and sex

• • don’t use your computer on your bed, don’t watch tv on your bed, try not to even read a book on your bed- your mind will begin to associate the bed with sleeping, not for other activities.

• If you get to go outside often, try to make your bedroom as dark and comfortable as possible.

• • A dark room will let your brain know that it is time to rest, while bright lights will suppress your brain’s ability to fall asleep.

• Keep your stress outside of the bedroom.

• • The more stressed you are while you’re sleeping, the harder it will be for you to fall asleep.
  • Taking a hot shower, reading a book, or doing other relaxing activities will wind down your stress levels and get your brain ready for sleep.

• Limit the amount of daytime naps you take.

• • More sleep during the day means less sleep at night.
  • Try going to bed earlier so that you get a full sleep. This way, you won’t feel the need to nap during the day.

• Take a hot shower 90 minutes before you sleep

• • The drop in your body temperature after a hot shower will leave you feeling sleepy and ready for bed.