'HOW TO GET THE SLEEP YOU NEED FOR THE DAY YOU WANT'

] SLEEP ONLY AS MUCH AS NEEDED TO FEEL REFRESHED DURING THE FOLLOWING DAY.
EXTENDING SLEEP. RESTRICTING TIME IN BED WILL LEAD TO A CONSOLIDATED SLEEP.

] GET UP THE SAME TIME EACH MORNING, WEEKDAYS AND WEEKENDS.
REGULAR WAKE - UP TIME WILL LEAD TO REGULAR SLEEP ONSET TIMES.

] REGULAR EXERCISE IN THE MORNING DEEPENS SLEEP.
EXERCISING IN THE EVENING IS STIMULATING AND MAY LEAD TO DELAY IN SLEEP ONSET.

] PROPER SLEEP ENVIRONMENT IS CONDUCTIVE TO SLEEP.
AVOID EXTREME TEMPERATURE, BRIGHT LIGHT AND NOISE IN THE BEDROOM.

] LIGHT SNACKS MAY HELP SLEEP ONSET IN SOME PATIENTS.
HUNGER OR EXCESSIVE FULLNESS CAN DISTURB SLEEP. A CUP OF WARM MILK, A BANANA OR A COOKIE ARE SUFFICIENT TO QUELL HUNGER PAINS AT NIGHT.
] AVOID DRINKING EXCESSIVE LIQUIDS AT NIGHT TO MINIMIZE THE NEED TO GET UP TO GO TO THE BATHROOM.
GETTING UP (AT MOST TWICE) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO GO TO THE BATHROOM IS NOT UNUSUAL, AS LONG AS YOU ARE ABLE TO GO BACK TO SLEEP.
] AVOID CIGARETTES, ALCOHOL AND CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES (COFFEE, TEA, COLAS) IN THE EVENING.
CAFFEINE AND NICOTINE ARE STIMULATING. ALCOHOL MAY INITIALLY PROMOTE SLEEP, HOWEVER, IT LEADS TO A FRAGMENTED SLEEP.

] BED IS ONLY FOR SLEEP AND SEX (CONDUCTIVE TO SLEEP).
REMOVE FROM THE BEDROOM ALL STIMULI NOT ASSOCIATED WITH SLEEP. ACTIVITIES LIKE WATCHING tv, EATING, DRINKING, ARGUMENTS, DISCUSSING THE DAY'S PROBLEMS AND WORKING MAY INTERFERE WITH SLEEP ONSET.

] TIME TO WIND DOWN IS CONDUCTIVE TO SLEEP.
ENGAGE IN RELAXING ACTIVITIES LIKE READING, WATCHING tv OR LISTENING TO MUSIC 30 MINUTES BEFORE BEDTIME (AND OUTSIDE THE BEDROOM).

] AVOID WORRYING IN BED ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP.
IF AFTER 10 TO 15 MINUTES YOU ARE STILL AWAKE, GET OUT OF BED AND GO TO ANOTHER ROOM. DO SOMETHING RELAXING. WHEN YOU START GETTING TIRED OR SLEEPY, GO BACK TO TO BED. STAYING IN BED AND FORCING YOURSELF TO FALL ASLEEP WILL ONLY MAKE YOU ANGRY AND FRUSTRATED, FURTHER AGGRAVATING A CONDITIONED AROUSAL (NEGATIVE CONDITIONING).

] IF YOU FIND YOURSELF "CLOCK WATCHING," TURN THE CLOCK AROUND OR COVER IT SO YOU CANNOT SEE IT.