This is the basic of all insomnia tips. Budget to get seven or eight hours of sleep each night. Not giving enough time for your body to rejuvenate is stressful to your body. Even the mere thought of not getting enough sleep is probably as bad!

If you are not doing shift work, try to get into a routine of a regular sleep pattern. Go to bed around the same time each night and awake in the morning at the same time.

Make sure the bedroom is dark, cool and quiet when you are sleeping.

Avoid eating heavy meals before bedtime. Light snacks consisting of whole grains biscuits or crackers along with a warm glass of water or milk can be helpful.

Milk contains an amino acid called tryptophan which the body can convert into melatonin. Melatonin is useful to treating insomnia. But remember to keep away from sugary foods.

Too much sugar can give your body an energy boost, not something that will help you sleep at night. It may also affect your sleep during the night as your blood sugar levels falls.

Do not use excessive alcohol or drink caffeinated beverages prior to bedtime. Alcohol should be avoided 4 to 6 hours prior to bedtime.

Magnesium seems to have some sedative properties. A low level of magnesium is linked to insomnia, muscle cramps, anxiety and constipation.

Foods rich in this essential mineral include whole grains, green vegetables, wheat bran, legumes and seeds, cashews and brewer’s yeasts.

Don’t exercise too late during the evening. Avoid exercising within 3 to 4 hours of bedtime. It can make it difficult for you to fall asleep as your body is “pumped up”.

Several minutes of stretching exercises just before bedtime can help promote circulation and induce a relaxed state in your mind.

Listening to soothing music during the evening or even while falling asleep is helpful. This is a very useful insomnia tip that can be very effective. This area of treatment is known as music therapy.

This may be easier said than done. Put beside your bed a notepad with a pen. For some people, trying to remember the next day’s tasks can create insomnia. By writing it down, you take away the stress of having to remember what you needed to do tomorrow.

Tobacco contains nicotine, a stimulant, which can keep you up. Avoid smoking or don’t smoke too late into the evening (if quitting is not possible).

If stress is causing insomnia, find ways of eliminating or at least reducing it. Consider yoga, massage therapy or meditation.

Students are known to do “crazy” things in bed. They can talk on the phone with their friends, watch television and even do their homework and study for exams in bed. The bedroom should be reserved for sex and sleep only.

Don’t do any type of work in bed or even think about work. Why? By doing this, you subconsciously get your mind to associate working in bed with sleep. So when it’s time to sleep, you mind can be still in gear for the work to be done. This is one of many insomnia tips that many people may not be aware of.

Do not discuss work or family problems with your significant other during bedtime. Reprogram your brain to link bedtime to sleep or sex and nothing else.

It may be necessary for you to set aside 30 minutes to go from “whatever you are doing” to bedtime to help fight off insomnia. This gives your body and especially your mind time to “wind down” prior to sleeping.

Using an example, you won’t finish your last sentence to an important email, click send, run up to brush your teeth and wash your face and then jump straight to bed. (We know some people can do that quite easily but many will find this in itself stressful!)

Take a bath, watch television or read a relaxing book. These activities provide a transition time to allow you to fall asleep faster when bedtime arrives. But avoid watching the news (usually depressing) or thought-provoking or highly stimulating TV programs.

If you can't fall asleep within 30 minutes, get up and move to a different room. Don't stay in bed. When you are tired, then go back to bed. Many people lay in bed "trying hard to fall asleep". This creates anxiety and stress, something you want to avoid at all cost. This is not a commonly known insomnia tip.

Don't take naps during the day. This can affect your body's natural sleep-wake cycle. This can make it much more difficult for you to sleep at night.

There are many home remedies as well as natural remedies that can help with insomnia. These are better choices than using prescription sleeping pills.

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