Why is it that one of life’s greatest pleasures – sleep – can sometimes be so impossible to achieve? While the reasons for restlessness vary, there are countless tips and tricks (this side of the pharma world, that is) that’ll have any trip to the land of Nod thoroughly expedited.

Hit the gym before work, instead of after.
While exercising may sometimes feel exhausting (especially at the end of a long day), the increase of blood flow will actually keep you from falling asleep. Try to get that workout in at least four hours prior to your bedtime.

Read a not-so-thrilling book.
Remember all those nights when cramming for exams put you to sleep? Exactly.

Make your bed in the morning.
Come nighttime, your bed will look (and somehow feel) fresher and more primed for collapsing into.

Condition a physical stimulus.
Further proof that the human brain is a crazy thing: If you give your mind a specific physical cue – some tiny movement that you’d never do otherwise (this article suggests rubbing the bridge of your nose) – it’ll only take two or three weeks for your body to recognize this cue and begin the go-to-sleep process.

Keep a consistent bedtime.
Why is Sunday night always the most difficult night to fall asleep at a decent hour? Because you’ve spent the past two nights with weekend-style bedtimes. Get your body into a routine, and sleep will be more likely to arrive on time.

Count something. (Anything.)
Be it sheep, your breaths, or backwards from 300 (by 3s), the rhythm and monotony of counting will calm your mind right into a sleepy state.

The Rue Sleep-In: Whit & Alex, Villa 408, & coza Boutique opens Tuesday, October 23 at 8PM ET.

By Sarah Stanley, Staff Writer

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