5.45pm have your drink
If you enjoy a daily serving of alcohol, have your wine, cocktail, or beer now, before dinner. A late-night cocktail might help you fall asleep at bedtime, but as the alcohol wears off, you’re more likely to have a light, easily broken sleep. And remember: just one drink per day!
This is what happens when you drink a glass of wine every night.
6pm eat a light dinner
One filled with plenty of veggies. Heavy meals mess up your body cycles by drawing blood away to your digestive system, leaving you sleepy in the early evening – when you want to be alert and active. Also, be sure to avoid any food that gives you indigestion. People with chronic heartburn are much more susceptible to insomnia and other sleep disorders, research shows.
8pm dim the lights
In particular, turn off halogen and fluorescent lights throughout the house and flick on softer 45- to 60-watt lamps to promote the production of sleep-inducing melatonin.
Here are some things to know before taking melatonin to help you sleep.