Though science is yet to explain the exact reasons why we need to sleep, we all know that sleep is essential for the human body to function properly. However, you always have to make sure that you get the proper amount of sleep, which is about six to eight hours. Yet more and more people sleep less these days not because they choose to do so but because they just can’t sleep early. If you’re one of those people, you should check these remedies.

1. Don’t Nap Too Long

Napping does have benefits especially when you’re working busy. However, doctors say that the best amount of time to nap when you want to be alert is only about 10 to 30 minutes. Napping any longer than that will disrupt your body clock and will cause you to sleep less well at night.

2. Stop Smoking

Doctors say that nicotine has some similar effect to caffeine. Nicotine actually has a stimulating effect that causes the body to stay alert even when asleep. What this means is that while you sleep, your body is not as asleep as you think it is because nicotine keeps it stimulated.

3. Eat less Fatty and Spicy Food

Fatty and spicy food cause acid reflux and will upset your stomach. Of course, when your stomach doesn’t feel good, you won’t get to sleep well.

4. Cut Down Caffeine

The best time of the day to have a cup of joe is during the morning because daytime is when you most need to be alert. At night, you shouldn’t intake caffeine as much as possible because it causes your body to stay alert thus you went be able to sleep faster than you wanted to.

5. Do Less Activities on Your Bed

You should only be using your bed for sleep and for sex. The reason is that if you do other activities on your bed like watching movies or reading books, the body tends to associate the feeling of your bed to that of the activities that need your body to be alert and awake.