Step 4

All health improvements benefit from keeping a schedule. Whether that's working out everyday before work, stretching every night before bed or automating your meals, creating a schedule helps you to be prepared, and therefore, less susceptible to excuses, lapses and temptations.

This is your schedule:
Set a bedtime that works with your schedule, both during the week and on weekends, and stick to it
4-6 hours before bed, do not eat or drink anything containing caffeine
2-3 hours before bed, do not eat a full meal
60 minutes before bed, turn off all electronics (unless you are a doctor on call, blackberries, cell phones and pagers should not enter the bedroom) and dim the lights. In the middle of your brain is something called the pineal gland. It releases melatonin, the hormone that readies the mind and body for sleep in response to lowered light levels.
30 minutes before bed, have something to drink. Water is preferable, but warm milk can help soothe you to sleep.
5 minutes before bed, make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet and slightly cool. The ideal sleeping temperature is 65F.
Wake up at the same time every day, during the week and on weekends
Helpful hint: Reserve the bedroom for sleep and sex only. You are strengthening the association between your bed and sleep. Do not bring work into the bed, watch TV, talk on the telephone or perform any other wakeful activities.

***i always thought that reading before bed was a good thing but from reading this i am not convinced. Turning off all electrical things is a challenge, i now get off the computer at 10:30 - 11 shower, pack lunch iron, and then hit the hay, if i am waiting for hubby to get home i might turn on the DS and play a few puzzles (i am thinking that this isn't a good idea) but i am finding that being unplugged is a good thing and No cell phone in the bedroom and we have not turned on the bedroom tv in a few months so now i am use to sleeping without noise ... there might just be something to this preparing for bed thing :)