Waking up every day in a good mood, feeling healthy, and full of energy would be great. But much of how we feel during the day, depends on having a good night’s sleep. Insomnia can rob us of sleep and good quality of life. It may be a result of stress or a medical condition, such as sleep apnea or chronic back pain.

However, there are some things you can do to improve your sleep and overall health:

1. Take magnesium

A low level of magnesium in our body may cause depression and anxiety, which may contribute to poor sleep and insomnia. Magnesium taken as a supplement reduces stress and helps the body to relax and have better sleep. So, if stress is the cause of your insomnia, then you can take a magnesium supplement to improve your sleep.

2. Replace your mattress

Your bedroom is a place to relax, rest, and sleep. Most importantly there is a bed with a comfortable mattress and pillows to give you better sleep. Apart from the relaxing environment, bed quality can also affect sleep quality and cause joint or back pain. Replace your mattress every ten years with a good mattress for back pain that is comfortable. Plush beds mattresses will reduce back pain, shoulder pain, and back stiffness, and give you improved sleep quality.

3. Use natural sleep aids like melatonin and valerian

Melatonin is an important hormone that triggers your sleep cycle. Daylight stimulates your body to produce melatonin. So, take advantage of natural daylight by getting outside in the sunshine as much as possible. If you are unable to get enough sunshine, then a melatonin supplement can be helpful. It can help you to fall asleep faster, get a better quality of sleep, and have more energy the next day.

4. Use meditation apps

Too often we may be focusing on trying to fall asleep when we should try to relax to allow sleep to come. Relaxation methods can include meditation, breathing control, and mindfulness, exercises among others to ease you into sleep. There are several meditation apps that can aid you in the process. Among them is Calmness for both iOS and Android. It has a sleep stories section with stories read in soothing voices. They induce relaxation and sleep. This app also has a large library of meditations you can unlock with a subscription.

5. Talk to your doctor about underlying health conditions

When no non-medical effort works for your sleep problems it may be time to explore a medical approach. This will avoid worsening health issues. Sleep apnea is one such sleep disorder. It causes you to stop breathing for short periods during the night. Your doctor will decide on treatment based on a test, and recommend other sleep correcting efforts.

6. Eat foods to help you sleep

You can support your healthy sleep habits by selecting the right foods. Select foods with elements to put you in bedtime sleep mode. Foods that help you sleep include almond nuts, walnuts, warm milk, tart cherries, kiwifruit, and chamomile tea. These foods have sleep-promoting nutrients such as melatonin, serotonin, magnesium, and antioxidants.