Sleeping advice

Relax before going to bed

• People who sleep badly often have a higher brain activity both during the day and at night than good sleepers. It is important for them to slow down their brain activity. You can do so by doing 'nothing' for some time before going to bed.
•  Making your mind slow down before going to bed will help you sleep well. A late meeting or exercise right before going to bed is not recommended. Relax by taking a hot bath, read a book or try to meditate.
• Try to forget all your daytime worries when you go to bed. If thoughts continue to go through your head, try to write them down on a piece of paper.

Eating, drinking and smoking before going to bed

Food and living habits have a great impact on the sleeping behaviour and on falling asleep.

• Alcohol. Use alcohol with moderation. A small amount before going to bed, for example, a glass of red wine, may make it easier to fall asleep (the famous 'night cap'), but too much alcohol makes your sleep less peaceful and will wake you up more often during the night.
• Caffeine. Caffeine-containing drinks like coffee, black tea and coke can disturb your sleeping patterns. It is also true that the impact of caffeine on sleep is different for everyone: some people hardly notice any effects, while others have more trouble falling asleep.
• Food. Do not eat late in the evening. If your stomach is too full, the body must work hard to digest the food. It will make you sleep less relaxed. This does not mean that you have to go to bed hungry. Take a light meal or snack and a glass of warm milk with a maximum of 200 kilo calories.
• Smoking. Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health, so it is always wise to quit. Nicotine increases the blood pressure and heart rate and stimulates the brain activity, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
• Drink enough before going to sleep, do not go to bed thirsty, but drinking too much may cause you to wake up because you have to go to the bathroom.