Many things can make it hard to get a good night's rest. People who have trouble sleeping often discover that their daily routine -- work stress, anxiety, etc. -- holds the key to nighttime woes.

ISSUE #2 OF 5 IN AN E-MAIL SERIES Tips for more restful sleep Many things can make it hard to get a good night’s rest. People who have trouble sleeping often discover that their daily routine — work stress, anxiety, etc. — holds the key to nighttime woes. There are some simple things you can do to make it easier to fall asleep, and to help ensure that the sleep you get is high quality. One of those is to make your bedroom as quiet as possible. You can reduce or disguise noises that can interfere with sleep by: using earplugs decorating with heavy curtains and rugs, which absorb sound installing double-paned windows adding “white noise” either by purchasing a device designed specifically to provide this kind of steady hum, running a fan, or purchasing CDs or downloading apps that provide soothing sounds. Get your copy of Improving Sleep When you wake up in the morning, are you refreshed and ready to go, or groggy and grumpy? For many people, the second scenario is all too common. This report describes the latest in sleep research, including information about the numerous health conditions and medications that can interfere with normal sleep, as well as prescription and over-the-counter medications used to treat sleep disorders. Most importantly, you’ll learn what you can do to get the sleep you need for optimal health, safety, and well-being. Other ways to optimize your surroundings for sleep include removing the television, telephone, and any office equipment from the bedroom. This gets rid of interruptions and reinforces that the bedroom is meant for sleeping. An ideal environment is quiet, dark, and relatively cool, with a comfortable bed and minimal clutter. Banish reminders or discussions of stressful issues to another room. To learn more about why sleep is so important for your health and well-being and learn other strategies to improve your sleep, buy the Special Health Report Improving Sleep: A guide to a good night’s rest from Harvard Medical School. Featured in this issue Improving Sleep Featured content: • Sleep mechanics • Sleep throughout life • SPECIAL SECTION: Dangers of sleep deprivation • General ways to improve sleep • Medical conditions and sleep problems •  ... and more! Click here to read more » Harvard Medical School offers special reports on over 50 health topics. Visit our website at http://www.health.harvard.edu to find reports of interest to you and your family. PHONE ORDERS - please call our toll-free number: 1-877-649-9457. You are currently subscribed to Focus On as dr.samah.saied.ahmed@gmail.com. EDIT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION PROFILE UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS FOCUS ON SERIES SUBSCRIBE TO OTHER FOCUS ON SERIES VIEW ARTICLE ARCHIVES Visit our website at: www.health.harvard.edu Email us at: healthbeat@health.harvard.edu FOLLOW US ON:  Facebook Twitter Copyright © 2015 by Harvard University. Harvard Health Publications, 10 Shattuck Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02115, USA * Please note, we do not provide responses to personal medical concerns, nor can we supply related medical information other than what is available in our print products or website. For specific, personalized medical advice we encourage you to contact your physician.