If you lie awake, tossing and turning all night, take heart. You are not alone. Just in America, approximately 60 million people suffer from insomnia each year. While there are many causes of this sleep disorder, some general guidelines can help you get the sleep you need.

Any parent can recall the advice given to help their children fall asleep. This advice works just as well for grown up children. Create a bedtime routine. This clues your body in to the fact that it is now time to fall asleep. Common parts of a routine may be to take a warm bath in low lighting. Read a few chapters of a predictable, non-exciting book while sitting in your easy chair. Drink a glass of milk (cold or warm). Play some soft music on the stereo. Mix and match these elements as you see fit, but do the same things before every sleep event. Your mind will learn to relax and let sleep happen.

Another good piece of advice is to save the bed for two activities only. Sex and sleep are the only things that should occur in the bed. Get rid of the television set, do not read while laying in bed, and certainly do not eat a snack while in bed. All of these activities will make your brain wind up again just when it is time for it to shut down for the night. Sex, however, can be very helpful in helping one fall asleep.

Ensure that the room is the right temperature and that it is dark enough. Optimum sleeping temperatures differ just as people do. Some like it cool to cold with plenty of warm blankets or a quilt on, while others would like it to be warm in the room with no covers at all. If you are part of a mis-matched sleeping couple you will have to work on some compromise that may include sleeping in separate rooms.

Stop worrying about the day's events, or the events that are to come tomorrow. There is nothing that you can do to solve or preplan things right before you fall asleep. Try to empty your mind of things that take concentration. It may be helpful to meditate or do yoga breathing exercises before bed.

If you try these simple hints, you may start having that good night's sleep again. If you are still unable to get to sleep, visit your physician to see if there are alternate therapies that will help. He or she may refer you to a sleep therapist, a sleep center, or may just prescribe medication to help you fall asleep.

Remember that sleep is critical to your health. You must get an adequate amount in order to function properly. Most people need 7 to 8 hours per night. Many people try to suffice with only 4 to 5 hours per night. This results in lower cognitive function during the day. Please get help if you cannot sleep.