Jumpstart Your Fitness: By beating common sleep problems

It's free, it takes no skill or education, and it's one of the #1 things we can all do to improve our health, yet we never seem to get enough of it. Sleep! Despite all those other qualities, sleep, for millions of Americans, is also one of the most elusive things due to time constraints, stress, and any other number of things that keep us from the getting the deep restful repose we all so desperately want and need.

Making the commitment to make sleep a priority is only the first step -- after that, beating all the sneaky obstacles (like finding the time and "getting in the mood" for sleep) becomes a necessity. Follow these tips to beat whatever sleep problems you are facing and get the best sleep possible, and hence, the best results from your healthy lifestyle and fitness efforts!

• Alarms aren't just for getting up Set an alarm for before you want to be in bed -- it will be your cue to start winding down and getting ready to hit the sack.
• Give yourself time to get ready Be realistic about how long it's going to take you to get completely ready for bed. For most people, it's at least an hour. Give yourself about 20 minutes to wrap things up in the house and plan the next day, 20 minutes for your bathroom routine, and 20 minutes to get into bed and read a magazine or just plain wind down.
• Make your bedroom a sanctuary Take a close look at your bedroom. Is there a TV or a computer? Piles of laundry or clutter? Instead of asking "why can't I sleep?" maybe you should switch to "how could I possibly sleep in this environment?" Clear out the clutter, the TV, the computer, etc., and see if you don't have a better night's sleep.
  

PROBLEM: Insomnia
FIX:

• Teach your brain how to sleep again Kids instinctively know how to sleep but sometimes as adults we lose track of those skills and need to retrain our brains. Many people who suffer from insomnia benefit from something called Cognitive Behavior Therapy, or CBT. Click here to find a licensed practitioner near you.
• Use herbal therapy to relax Studies show Valerian Root helps regulate nerve cells in the brain so they don't fire too often and it's effective for many people in helping them relax and get to sleep.
  
• Try melatonin Melatonin is a hormone that your body makes naturally to make you drowsy -- and you can buy it OTC! Just be careful not to overdo it (follow label instructions/talk to your doctor) because some experts believe high doses may decrease the melatonin your body makes naturally.
  
• Aromatherapy Any scent that helps you relax (for me it's vanilla) can do wonders for putting your mind at ease and relaxing your system, but lavender in particular can not only help relax you but sniffing it 30 minutes before bed can also help your body spend more time throughout the night in the most productive and restful stages of sleep.

PROBLEM: Sleep apnea
FIX:

• See a doctor/Try a mask to correct your breathing Sleep apnea is a serious condition that needs to be diagnosed by a doctor in a sleep lab. The most reliable treatment, though, is a mask called a CPAP that uses air pressure while you sleep to keep your airway from closing.

PROBLEM: Snoring
FIX:

• Lose weight People who are overweight are statistically more likely to snore.
  
• Sleep anywhere but on your back On your side is the best position for preventing snoring.
  
• Avoid alcohol Alcohol relaxes the muscles in the airway, making snoring more likely when you've had a drink within four hours of bedtime.