How to reach 40 winks in 5 steps

Sleep is essential, all right? No matter how many episodes of Bob’s Burgers or Bojack Horseman you have left to catch up on, pulling an all-nighter just to finish everything is just not a good idea, and we’ve already covered why.

Adults need seven to eight hours of sleep every night, as prescribed by the American Association and Academy of Sleep Medicine. But if you’ve been having trouble dozing off at the right hour to get enough shut-eye by the time your alarm clock rings in the morning, there may be a few simple steps you can take to self-remedy that, as advised by Manila Doctors Hospital pulmonologist and sleep specialist Dr. Rodolfo Dizon.

Caffeine kicks in four to six hours after consumption, so 2 p.m. should be the cut-off time for drinking coffee, energy drinks, and other caffeinated beverages.

Make your bedroom a haven for sleep. Avoid using bright lights in the room, and keep the area television- and gadget-free if possible, as the blue light they emit affects the body’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin.

Put away gadgets 30 minutes before bedtime. This is possibly the hardest part of re-training your body to be more receptive to sleep.

Maintain a sleep-conducive temperature in the bedroom, which is somewhere between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius, depending on your comfort level.

The bed should only be for sleep and for sex, and nothing more. Avoid studying, working, and eating in it. If you’ve been in bed for 20 minutes and still can’t go to sleep, Dizon advises getting up and doing something else that’s not too stimulating, like reading or meditating, until you get sleepy.

Try these sleep-friendly habits for two weeks. Should you continue experiencing insomnia after, then that’s the time to consult with a sleep specialist.