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I’ve shared what I do when I can’t sleep, but how did I improve my sleep? Here are four tips that have helped me sleep better at night.

I didn’t know for a long time, but the marriage I was in really affected my sleep. This is a relationship that caused severe C-PTSD, and it’s something I’m still working through. The symptoms and triggers have gotten a lot less over recent months, but it’s been a lot of hard work to get here.

But it wasn’t just my marriage. I’ve struggled with insomnia since I was a teenager. I’ve had to develop coping strategies to sleep better at night. I’ve also had to look at what I do that has led to trouble sleeping. Here are four tips that I’ve followed that have really helped.

Create routines throughout the day

The first thing I did was to create a nightly routine, but that’s not enough. It’s worth having routines throughout the day. This helps my brain work a little better normally, but it is also good to sleep better at night.

My brain knows what it’s doing and when. I’m not spending the night wondering what I’ll do the next day.

Even when I’m on vacation, I try to stick to a normal routine to wake up. This is just a way to help me settle into whatever the day has planned as the rest of it isn’t going to be normal. The good thing about vacations is that there’s so much going on, I’m usually exhausted by the end of the night anyway.

Develop techniques to sleep better at night

Stress is the main reason for me not sleeping. That could come from triggers or it could be due to a bad day at work. It could even be financial stress or planning stress.

I’ve found that developing meditation techniques has really helped me sleep better. Before I go to bed, I will spend time writing in my journal about the things I’m grateful for. I’ll also get off the bad things so that my brain doesn’t work through them at night. Then I’ll share some plans for the next day or the week; just something I’m looking forward to.

Then I do some meditation. I send myself to my happy place. We should all have them in our minds. They’re a safe zone that nobody else can enter.

Improving my eating and drinking habits

Before I had my gallbladder removed, I was up a lot because of pain. That doesn’t happen as often on a night now, but it does now and then. In fact, when I was in Florida, I had some of the worst stomach cramps I’ve had since my gallbladder removal because of the high-fat foods.

My diet has completely changed over the last two years. I eat so many fruits and vegetables. It all started because I found a vegetable box that helped me save money, and now it’s because I love the way my skin and hair look and the way I feel.

A change in diet also helped me sleep better on a night. That’s not just because of less pain, but because mentally I feel better.

I also drink more water and get more hydration through iv therapy near me. While I need to pee more during the day, it’s great for improving my overall health and my mental health.

Avoiding exercise on a night to sleep better

I used to do my exercise on an evening. What I didn’t realize was that it was invigorating my body a little too much. My mind would get a boost of energy and then I wouldn’t be able to sleep.

Now I limit the evening exercise I do. Instead, I do my exercise on a morning or during the day. This helps me get the best start and I’m more tired on a night. There are a few nights I’ll still do evening exercises, but they’re fun and somewhat relaxing.

MORE: Why healthy eating isn’t enough to lose weight

Are you struggling with sleep? Could any of these tips help you sleep better on a night? Try them and let me know.