Keep your bed for sleep.

Your bed should only be associated with relaxation and sleep. So ban laptops, newspapers, bills, and TV.

Keep it quiet, cool, and dark.

Heavy drapes help block light and noise. Earplugs and eye masks can help too. And a fan not only keeps things cool, it can also muffle noise.

Eliminate digital glow.

The light from computers, digital clocks, cell phones, and handheld devices can disturb your sleep. Take them out of the room, or turn off what you can and cover the rest for better sleep.

Don't watch the clock.

Before you go to sleep, turn your clock away from the bed. If you're having trouble sleeping, watching the time pass can cause anxiety.

Switch sleeping positions.

When you can't fall asleep, sometimes changing positions will do the trick. Try switching sides or sleep with your head at the foot of the bed.

Keep pets off the bed.

As much as we love our pets, they can crowd our sleeping space and make it difficult to sleep. So give them a comfy bed of their own.

If you're getting anxious, get up.

Obsessing over sleeplessness won't help you sleep. If you're still wide awake after 30 minutes in bed, go to another room and do something relaxing. After a while, try again.