As a follow-up to my post yesterday on meditating in order to cure insomnia, I wanted to write another post on additional ways to get a better night's sleep. I have been surprised to learn how many people take over the counter or prescription sleeping aids to deal with sleeping problems. Instead of relying on a pill to help you sleep, I think it's important to figure out why you are having trouble sleeping.  Are you drinking too much caffeine? Is your body too stressed out to sleep? Are you worrying too much? Is your body out of balance?

Masking a problem with a band-aid approach is not the answer. All too often doctors are quick to prescribe sleeping pills instead of delving into why a patient is having trouble sleeping. Our bodies are meant to fall asleep on their own, not with the help of a pill.

Enough of my soap box speech, here are the five tips to help you sleep better:

1) "Unplug" 2 hours before bed - This means no email, blackberry, or TV. If you don't allow your mind to get in a restful state before bed, you will end up tossing and turning thinking about the most recent email you received or the latest news show. A lot of people I know fall asleep to the TV and I think it's really a bad habit. How can anyone have a good night's sleep after hearing about the latest shooting in the city? Happy Thoughts = Sweet Dreams.

2) Stop drinking caffeine early in the day - My Dad is a perfect example of someone who doesn't follow this tip and then has trouble sleeping. He will drink regular coffee after dinner and then wonder why he was up until 2AM. It takes 6-8 hours for our body to fully process caffeine.

3) Write in a journal before bed - Since middle school I have kept a journal and it's help me clear my head before bed. When I process everything and get it on paper, I empty my mind so it doesn't need to worry when it's time to sleep. As I mentioned in my post yesterday, our minds suddendly start going at 100mph when it's time for bed. We lie in bed worrying about this and that. When we allow ourselves to put things in perspective in a journal, we find our worries aren't so overwhelming after all.

4) Exercise - The human body is meant to exert itself on a regular basis. If we don't expend excess energy we will end up with restless energy at night. I know for myself if I go two days in a row without working out, I have a lot of trouble sleeping. So get out there and get moving! Your body will thank you when it's time for bed.

5) Try natural sleep aids if needed - Instead of popping a Tylenol PM or Ambien, try Melatonin or Valerian Root. If you continue to take synthetic sleeping pills your body will become dependent on them. Do you really want your body to rely on a pill to fall asleep?

Hope these tips help. Here's to a good night's sleep!

Colleen Canney is a Career, Life, and Wellness Coach based in Milwaukee, WI. For more information on Colleen, please visit her website at www.colleencanney.com or contact her via website at colleencanney@live.com. For a FREE 20-minute consultation, contact her today!