1. Create a transition routine. This is something you do every night before bed. It could be as simple as letting the cat out, turning out the lights, turning down the heat, washing your face, and brushing your teeth. Or it could be a series of yoga or meditation exercises. Regardless, it should be consistent to the point that you do it without even thinking about it. As you begin to move into your "nightly routine," your mind will get the signal that it's time to chill out and tune down, dialing down stress hormones and physiologically preparing you for sleep.
1.建立睡前过渡计划。即每晚睡觉前必做的事。这些事可以简单到放猫咪出门、关灯、关暖气、洗脸刷牙，也可以是瑜伽或冥想。不管怎样，记住不要刻意去做这些。当你开始你的 “夜间惯例”时，你的大脑会收到信号，知道是时间放松下来，减少压力荷尔蒙分泌，并做好睡觉的生理准备。
2. Figure out your body cycle. Ever find that you get really sleepy at 10 p.m., that the sleepiness passes, and that by the time the late news comes on, you're wide-awake? Some experts believe sleepiness comes in cycles. Push past a period of sleepiness and you likely won't be able to fall asleep very easily for a while. If you've noticed these kinds of rhythms in your own body clock, use them to your advantage. When sleepiness comes, get to bed. Otherwise, it might be a long time until you are ready to fall asleep again.
2.掌握你的身体周期。有没有发现在晚上十点的时候你特别困，随后这股困劲过去了，在晚间新闻开始的时候你又一点都不想睡了？一些专家认为困意具有周期性。一定阶段的困意消失后，在接下来的一段时间内你会很难入睡。如果你注意到自己的生物钟里存在这种节奏，学着好好利用。当困意袭来，赶紧上床睡觉。不然，你得等上好一段时间才能再次入睡。
3. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water and iron them before making up your bed. The scent is scientifically proven to promote relaxation, and the repetition and mindlessness of ironing will soothe you. Or, instead of ironing your sheets, do the next best thing: Put lavender water in a perfume atomizer and spray above your bed just before climbing in.
3.在洗干净的床单和枕头套上撒点薰衣草香水，熨好再铺上床。科学证实香味可以帮助放松，熨烫床单时无意识的重复动作也能缓和心绪。或者，不熨床单也可以，有个很好的替代方法：把薰衣草香水装进喷瓶，上床前在床的上空喷洒一遍。
4. Hide your clock under your bed or on the bottom shelf of your night stand, where its glow won't disturb you. That way, if you do wake in the middle of the night or have problems sleeping, you won't fret over how late it is and how much sleep you're missing.
4.把闹钟藏在床下，或放在床头柜最下面的格子里，这样就不会受到钟面光的干扰。而且，如果你真的在半夜醒来，或者翻来覆去睡不着，你也不会因为知道是深夜几点而烦躁，恼火自己又错过了不少睡眠时间。
5. Switch your pillow. If you're constantly pounding it, turning it over and upside down, the poor pillow deserves a break. Find a fresh new pillow from the linen closet, put a sweet-smelling case on it, and try again.
5.换枕头。如果你不停地捶打枕头，把它翻过来翻过去，那你可怜的枕头也该歇歇了。从橱里找个新枕头，套上一个好闻的枕头套，再闭上眼睛尝试入睡。
6. Choose the right pillow. One Swedish study found that neck pillows, which resemble a rectangle with a depression in the middle, can actually enhance the quality of your sleep as well as reduce neck pain. The ideal neck pillow should be soft and not too high, should provide neck support, and should be allergy tested and washable, researchers found.
6.选一个合适的好枕头。一项来自瑞典的研究表明长方形、中间有下凹的颈枕能增加睡眠质量，同时减少颈部酸痛。研究指出，理想的颈枕应该柔软舒适，不能太高，能支撑颈部，经过过敏原测试，而且可以清洗。
7. Switch to heavier curtains over the windows, and use them. Even the barely noticeable ambient light from streetlights, a full moon, or your neighbor's house can interfere with the circadian rhythm changes you need to fall asleep.
7.换上厚重的窗帘。即便是街灯、满月，或者邻居家传来的微弱光线，也能干扰入睡所需的昼夜节律变化。
8. Clean your bedroom and paint it a soothing sage green. Or some other soothing color. First, the more clutter in your bedroom, the more distractions in the way of a good night's sleep. The smooth, clean surfaces act as a balm to your brain, helping to smooth out your own worries and mental to-do lists. The soothing color provides a visual reminder of sleep, relaxing you as you lie in bed reading or preparing for sleep.
8.打扫卧室，并粉刷成令人安心的灰绿色，或者其他舒缓的色调。首先，卧室越乱，睡眠就越容易受干扰。平整干净的画面有如香油，能放松大脑，消除忧虑，让你不再去想明天要做的事。当你躺在床上看书或准备睡觉时，温和的颜色也能提供视觉暗示，让你的身心平缓下来。
9. Move your bed away from any outside walls. This will help cut down on noise, which a Spanish study found could be a significant factor in insomnia. If the noise is still bothering you, try a white noise machine, or just turn on a floor fan.
9.把你的床从外墙那边移开。来自西班牙的一项研究表明噪音是导致失眠的重要因素，与外墙隔开便能远离外部噪音。要是还不行，试试使用白色噪音机（能发出诸如海浪声、雨声之类有助睡眠的声音），或者直接开一个落地风扇。
10. Tuck a hot-water bottle between your feet or wear a pair of ski socks to bed. The science is a little complicated, but warm feet help your body's internal temperature get to the optimal level for sleep. Essentially, you sleep best when your core temperature drops. By warming your feet, you make sure blood flows well through your legs, allowing your trunk to cool.
10.在两脚间塞一个装热水的瓶子，或者穿双滑雪短袜。其中的科学原理有些复杂，不过暖脚能帮助身体内部体温达到适合睡眠的最佳温度。基本上，当你身体中心温度下降的时候你睡得最香。通过脚的加温，腿部血液流动加快，躯体的温度就会下降。
11. Kick your dog or cat out of your bedroom. A 2002 research study found that one in five pet owners sleep with their pets (and we're not talking goldfish here). The study also found that dogs and cats created one of the biggest impediments to a good night's sleep since the discovery of caffeine. One reason? The study found that 21 percent of the dogs and 7 percent of the cats snored!
11.把狗或猫咪关在卧室外边。2002年一项研究显示有五分之一的宠物豢养者与自己的宠物一起睡觉（这里不包括养金鱼的）。研究也显示猫狗是影响睡眠的最大障碍之一，仅次于咖啡因。理由呢？研究发现有21%和7%的猫狗打呼噜！
12. Sleep alone. Sure you love your spouse or partner, but studies find one of the greatest disruptors of sleep is that loved one dreaming away next to you. He might snore, she might kick or cry out, whatever. In fact, one study found that 86 percent of women surveyed said their husbands snored, and half had their sleep interrupted by it. Men have it a bit easier; just 57 percent said their wives snored, while just 15 percent found their sleep bothered by it. If you absolutely will not kick your partner out (or head to the guest room yourself), then consider some anti-snoring tips.
12. 一个人睡。当然，你舍不得你的配偶或伴侣，但研究表明睡眠的一大影响因素就是枕边的人。他可能会打鼾，她可能会踢你或者在梦中大叫大嚷，任何情况都可能。事实上，一项研究显示，被调查的女性中有86%承认自己的丈夫打鼾，有一半的人因此睡眠受到干扰。男人们的问题没那么严重，只有57%说自己的妻子打鼾，仅15%觉得自己因此睡不好觉。如果你实在不愿意把你的伴侣撵出去（或者你自己住到客房），想写对付打呼噜的招吧。
13. Take a combination supplement with 600 mg calcium and 300 mg magnesium before bed. Not only will you be providing your bones with a healthy dose of minerals, but magnesium is a natural sedative. Additionally, calcium helps regulate muscle movements. Too little of either can lead to leg cramps, and even a slight deficiency of magnesium can leave you lying there with a racing mind.
13.睡前服用600毫克的钙以及300毫克的镁以补充体内化合物。你不止给骨头补充了必需剂量的钙质，还摄入了镁这种自然镇定剂。此外，钙还能调节肌肉运动。这两者中缺了任一样都会导致腿部抽筋，即使是稍微缺点镁，也能导致你在躺着的时候脑子一团糟，静不下来。
14. Eat a handful of walnuts before bed. Walnuts are a good source of tryptophan, a sleep-enhancing amino acid.
14.睡前吃一小把核桃。核桃富含色氨酸，这是一种能促进睡眠的氨基酸。
15. Munch a banana before bed. It's a great natural source of melatonin, the sleep hormone, as well as tryptophan. The time-honored tradition, of course, is warm milk, also a good source of tryptophan.
15.吃根香蕉。香蕉富含褪黑激素，和色氨酸一样，也能促进睡眠。经久不衰的尝试是喝热牛奶，其中同样含有色氨酸。
16. Drink water before bed, not fruit juice. One study found it took participants an extra 20 to 30 minutes to fall asleep after drinking a cup of fruit juice, most likely because of the high sugar content in juice.
16.睡前喝点水，别喝果汁。一项研究表明，参加试验的人员在喝过果汁后，需要多花20到30分钟的时间才能入睡，很可能这是因为果汁含有高糖分的缘故。
Relax Yourself
放轻松
17. Take antacids right after dinner, not before bed. Antacids contain aluminum, which appears to interfere with your sleep.
17.吃完晚饭，立即服用解酸剂，不要等到睡前再服用。解酸剂含铝，会干扰睡眠。
18. Listen to a book on tape while you fall asleep. Just as a bedtime story soothed and relaxed us when we were children, a calming book on tape (try poetry or a biography, stay away from horror novels) can have the same effect with us grown-ups.
18.听着录音书入睡。就像我们小时候边听故事边沉沉睡去一样，安抚身心的录音故事（诗歌和传记都不错，千万别听恐怖故事）对成年人来说同样有效。
19. Simmer three to four large lettuce leaves in a cup of water for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, add two sprigs of mint, and sip just before you go to bed. Lettuce contains a sleep-inducing substance called lactucarium, which affects the brain similarly to opium. Unlike opium, of course, you won't run the risk of addiction!
19.把四片大生菜叶放在水杯里慢慢煨上十五分钟。然后停止加热，往里面加两小枝薄荷，小口喝完再睡。生菜含有一种引起睡眠的物质，名叫莴苣阿片，对大脑产生的作用类似于鸦片。当然你不会上瘾，这点和鸦片不同。
20. Give yourself a massage. Slowly move the tips of your fingers around your eyes in a slow, circular motion. After a minute, move down to your mouth, then to your neck and the back of your head. Continue down your body until you find you're so relaxed you're ready to drop off to sleep. Another option: alternate massage nights with your significant other. You get Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Your significant other gets Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. You do each other on Sundays.
20.自我暗示。用指尖慢慢在眼眶周围打圈，一分钟后，手指下移到嘴边，再到颈部，最后移到脑后。继续这样一路向下，直到你发现自己足够放松，完全可以入睡。另一个方法就是和你的另一半互做按摩。一三五他/她帮你做，二四六你帮他/她做，星期天互相按摩。
21. Take a hot bath 90 to 120 minutes before bedtime. A research study published in the journal Sleep found that women with insomnia who took a hot bath during this window of time (water temperature approximately 105°F), slept much better that night. The bath increased their core body temperature, which then abruptly dropped once they got out of the bath, readying them for sleep.
21.睡前120到90分钟的时候洗个热水澡.在《睡眠》杂志上发表的一项调查研究声称有失眠症的女性在这段时间内洗澡的话（水温差不多是105华氏摄氏度），当晚会睡得很好。热水澡提高了身体中心体温，在洗好澡后又迅速下降，为她们做好了睡眠的准备。
22. Use eucalyptus for a muscle rub. The strongly scented herb provides a soothing feeling and relaxing scent. You can find eucalyptus oil to mix into a carrier oil, or even a eucalyptus-scented cream.
22.用桉树精油按摩肌肉。这种气味浓烈的草药能减缓疲劳，令人松弛。你可以用桉树精油制成基底油，甚至做成桉树精油味道的精华霜。
23. Spend 10 minutes journaling the day's events or feelings after tucking yourself into bed. This "data dump" will help turn off the repeating tape of our day that often plays in our minds, keeping us from falling asleep.
23.花十分钟时间，在床上把今天一天的事情或者情绪在脑子里过一遍。这种“数据清空”能关闭大脑中的走马灯，然后就能顺利入睡了。
24. Keep a notepad at your bedside along with a gentle night-light and pen. Then, if you wake in the middle of the night and your mind starts going, you can quickly transfer the to-do list to the page, returning to sleep knowing you "caught" those thoughts.
24.床边放一个小记事本，一盏柔和的夜明灯和一支笔。这样万一你在半夜醒来，脑子又闲不住了，你能很快把想到要做的事记下来，然后放心地回去睡觉。
If you're tired of feeling like you're not at your best or like you're not getting the sleep you need, then it's time to take action!
如果你不想自己一直状态不佳或者睡眠不足，就开始用行动改变这一切吧！
本文来源：网易教育频道综合
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