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I have not become an A student by simply wishing. I have used every single one of these hacks to help me be successful. After the first few weeks of school it becomes difficult to concentrate and getting up early starts to take a toll on your body; being more prepared in the morning and getting a better night's rest definately will help increase your prouctivity in class. Music can be an essential tool to helping you focus on homework and/or studying; it has made focusing a million times easier for me due to my inability to sit in one spot and concentrate on one subject for hours at a time. Eating healthy has been the hardest task for me, no one wants to give up their chips or candy. Sometimes it is needed for success and will increase your capability of attaining information.  Setting goals has worked for me tremendously; if I study for an hour on one subject, I'll allow myself an hour break to watch tv or just relax as a sort of reward for focusing.

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Music Can Increase Productivity While Trying to Concentrate 

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Music Can Increase Productivity While Trying to Concentrate 

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Listen. What's that in the background? Is it rock, country or classical music? Did you know that certain types of music can help you focus?

March is Music in Our Schools Month, which was created to increase awareness of the importance of music in student's lives.

"Music has the potential to take a person from the Beta brainwave state to deeper Alpha, and then Theta brainwave states, depending on the music," explained Dr. Masha Godkin, a professor in the Department of Marriage and Family Sciences at Northcentral University.

"Music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory," says Dr. Masha Godkin

According to Godkin, it's good to stick with classical music. One reason this genre works well is that there are no lyrics to distract you. You can also branch out into meditation music, which is ideal for concentration as it is meant to relieve stress and relax your mind.

Music has a profound effect on our mood, blood pressure, and heart rate. For the best music to focus and study, choose tunes that keep you awake but won't cause you to start tapping your body to the beat.

Instead of relying on the radio or a random mix on Pandora or Spotify, it can help to create a playlist of the best study music for concentration. You can plan a set amount of uninterrupted music, which serves as a built-in timer for studying. When the music is up, you've earned a break.

Everyone's taste in music is different, but when it comes to creating the best study music playlist, here are some genres and tips to consider:

Go Classical
You may not want to go to a symphony concert, but the soothing sounds of classical orchestra music seem to increase mood and productivity, which makes it great for studying.

Consider Tempo
Music with 60-70 beats per minute like Beethoven's Fur Elise appears to help students study longer and retain more information.

Spa Music
Ambient sounds that you would expect to hear on a soundtrack during a spa treatment can help you relax.

Nature Sounds
Like ambient music, the sounds of babbling brooks, birds, wind and rain are very calming and make great background noise. You can even create your own mix with websites like Noisli.

Electronic Music
New Age and ambient EDM music are a good choice for those who don't like classical. Any music with little to no lyrics is best.

Sound Control
The volume of your study music is key. Don't drown out your own thoughts. Remember, it's supposed to be in the background.

We would love to know what's on your study playlist. Follow Northcentral University on Facebook or Twitter and let us know what music helps you get through school!

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Listen. What's that in the background? Is it rock, country or classical music? Did you know that certain types of music can help you focus?March is Music in Our Schools Month, which was created to increase awareness of the importance of music in student's lives.

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Spending Less Time on Your Phone and More on Studying

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Spending Less Time on Your Phone and More on Studying

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The secret to curing your Instagram addiction might be simpler than you think.

Former Google designer Tristan Harris and founder of Time Well Spent, a non-profit which combats technology misuse, believes he might have the golden tech-free ticket when it comes to convincing us to spend less time looking at our phones.

Speaking to US television host Anderson Cooper on CBS, the Silicon Valley native suggested enabling the grayscale mode on your phone, explaining that apps like Snapchat and Twitter will be less enticing and fundamentally less click-able if we see them exclusively in black and white.

In order to access grayscale mode, for Android it's typically processed via the "Accessibility" menu, whereas for iOS 10 it's simply a case of Settings>General>Accessibility Shortcut>Colour Filters. Next, press the home button three times and you'll suddenly see the world through black and white-coloured glasses. Triple-click once more to revert to colour.

It's about time someone came up with a life hack to cure our Valencia-filtered obsessions. A recent study conducted by GFK found that over a third of internet users across the globe struggle to tear themselves away from their phones, with the average user checking it every 15 minutes or less.

This jumped to nearly half (44 per cent) for teens, with those aged between 20 and 39 coming in closely behind.

From fear of missing an important message to unconscious scrolling sessions to the ambivalent "phantom buzz", we are a nation obsessed with our phones - despite hardly any of us using them to make actual phone calls.

It's no surprise that the medical world are paying attention too, with entire departments dedicated to technology addiction at the Nightingale Hospital and The Priory.

"There are studies that demonstrate that colours not only attract people to websites but can affect how much they remember from them", Dr Hayley van Zwanenberg, Group Associate Medical Director at the Priory explains.

Though Harris's claims might not be backed up by research ("there are inadequate studies at present to demonstrate a grayscale display would significantly dissuade users from using their phones altogether", she points out), Zwanenberg does recognise the importance of branding when it comes to being seduced by colour and the consequences of taking that branding away when we go grayscale may make our phones seem less enticing.

"Decisions to purchase or stay on a website are made by a quick scan, so a visual strategy is important and ensuring you have a logo which will allow quick recognition enhances branding".

For more information on technology addiction and how to seek help, visit Nightingalehospital.co.uk.

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technology; phone addiction; nightingale hospital; tristan harris; anderson cooper; google; twitter; instagram

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This simple life hack will cure your phone addiction

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The secret to curing your Instagram addiction might be simpler than you think. Former Google designer Tristan Harris and founder of Time Well Spent, a non-profit which combats technology misuse, believes he might have the golden tech-free ticket when it comes to convincing us to spend less time looking at our phones.

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For many professionals, getting out the door in the mornings fed, dressed, and on time can seem like a constant battle.

A recent Today Show/AOL survey found that women spend an average of 55 minutes each morning on their appearance - or a total of 6.4 hours each week - while men spend a total of 4.5 hours a week getting ready.

How can you get out the door faster? Here are a few easy adjustments that will significantly shorten your morning routine:

The Night Before

1. Write the next day's to-do list.

By planning out the following day, you can go to sleep with less on your mind and wake up on the right track.

2. Pack your bag.

Don't spend the next morning scrambling to make sure you've got everything for work.

3. Make lunch.

Preparing lunch the night before for yourself or your kids frees up your time. It's also good for your wallet, since going out for lunch every day costs you about $1,000 each year.

4. Check the next day's forecast.

Knowing the weather will help you prepare your clothes, as well as plan your commute. For example, if there's going to be a snow or rain storm the next morning, you should probably get out the door sooner than usual.

5. Pick your outfit.

You can cut down a significant amount of preparing for the day if you wake up knowing what you're going to wear. (Don't save any ironing for the morning, either.)

6. Get to bed at the same time every night.

By getting into a strict sleep schedule, you'll wake up feeling more refreshed and focused. Studies have shown that " better sleep is better than more sleep."

7. Prepare your coffeemaker.

If you need a dose of caffeine in the morning, you're better off setting up the coffeemaker the night before and coordinating the brewing time with your alarm. A Keurig machine will save you even more time because it brews individual cups in under 30 seconds, and you can also set a time for it to turn on and warm up.

In The Morning

8. Lay off the "snooze" button.

Any time you hit snooze and drift off, you're restarting your brain's sleep cycle, which will make you feel even groggier when you finally roll out of bed. If you consistently wake up tired, you may need to go to bed earlier.

9. Do some quick stretches.

If you don't have time for a full-blown exercise routine, it's worth setting aside a moment for some easy stretches. You'll get your heart pumping faster and get the excess fluid out of your joints, ridding you of some lethargy.

10. Let the sun in.

When light hits your eye in the morning, it taps into your brain's circadian rhythm and helps you wake up. Research suggests that the sun's orange light and the sky's blue light have a greater impact than the light bulbs in your ceiling.

11. Drink a cold glass of water.

A glass of water first thing in the morning will give your metabolism a boost - and thus your energy level - without affecting your digestion. Some dietitians believe the energy used to process cold water enhances this effect.

12. Play some music.

Not only can music improve your mood and energy level, but it can also serve as a way to track how much time has passed, especially if you use a playlist you made for the morning.

13. Ignore your phone, computer, and TV.

If you're trying to save time, don't get caught up in emails, texts, or a TV show.

14. Set a strict time to leave the house.

Determine a time to leave your home that has proven to get you to work early. Set an alarm if you have to.

15. Cut your personal-care products down to the essentials.

Women, for example, can save time by using beauty products that multitask, like stick foundations that act as both concealer and foundation.

16. Have a fast, nutritious breakfast available.

If you want optimal energy, then you need to eat breakfast. Foods like Greek yogurt, granola, and fruit are quick and nutritious, and you can take them along for your commute if you're running late.

17. Have set locations for things like your keys, bag, and coat.

There's no need to spend 10 minutes hunting down your keys. Adding some order to your life will free you up each morning.

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For many professionals, getting out the door in the mornings fed, dressed, and on time can seem like a constant battle. A recent Today Show/AOL survey found that women spend an average of 55 minutes each morning on their appearance - or a total of 6.4 hours each week - while men spend a total of 4.5 hours a week getting ready.

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Healthier Eating to Help Mind Production 

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Healthier Eating to Help Mind Production 

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12 Healthy Eating Hacks Nutritionists Use Every Day

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How registered dietitians sneak in more vegetables, satisfy sweet cravings, lighten up happy hour drinks, and even DIY their takeout.

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I once fell dead asleep during a high level college chemistry class. Not drowsy, not just blinking really slowly, but straight out asleep. I slept so hard that I only woke up when other students were climbing over me to leave after class. And it wasn't until later that day that I looked in the mirror and saw blue pen on my face from falling asleep on my notes. I was cool. So cool.

Don't be me. Don't fall asleep in class.

So honestly though, falling asleep in class was never really my thing. I did it that once because I had a bazillion things going on and I hadn't slept and yada yada, but staying awake was never really an ongoing struggle for me. But knowing how to stay FOCUSED in class is different, and that is something that everyone struggles with at some point during school. And I'm assuming that might be you if you're reading this.

So what I'm referring to here is the common problem of "zoning out" when the teacher is talking - when your eyes are open by nobody is home, as the expression goes.

There are so many reasons why you might zone out during class. A big one would be that you don't find the material interesting. And I get that. Even as an adult I find it challenging to focus on something that isn't my favorite. If you're in middle school or high school, it's unlikely that you have too much control over the classes you take, with some exceptions in high school, so the harsh truth is that you're going to have to make it work. You're going to have to figure it out. You're going to have to find a few tricks that you can resort to over and over again that will help you concentrate when you're just about to check out. Oh hey, I'll give you 7 tricks in just a second!

But before I give you my tips for how to stay focused during class, I just have to say that if your concentration difficulties are due to diagnosed ADD or ADHD, then my advice might not be enough for you - you might have to work with a specialist to find strategies that are specific to your needs. Or, you might find that a few of my ideas even complement whatever approaches your specialist has taught you. It's worth a shot!

So here we go - 7 tips for staying focused in class
1. SIT IN THE FRONT.
It's not earth-shattering to know that sitting in the front of the classroom can increase your concentration due to a) hearing the teacher better, b) not being allowed to goof off, c) less distractions in front of you and d) a zillion reasons more. So find a seat in the front and get comfortable. For some reason this simple strategy can be really effective at helping you stay focused.
2. TAKE DETAILED NOTES.
If you're not confident in your note-taking skills, then watch my video/read about how to take notes during a lecture class. But even if taking notes isn't required for a class, take notes anyway as a way to stay awake, alert and focused. If your goal is to take solid, clean, neat notes, then you'll be forced to concentrate on what your teacher is saying.

Participate in class whenever you can - either by raising your hand to comment or to ask a question. (Tip: You can even ask a question you already know the answer to if you're desperate for a way to participate and don't have a real question!) Aim to contribute at least three questions or comments during the class, and keep track (by writing it down) of each time you do so. Even just the act of keeping track of your comments/questions is sometimes enough to keep you alert. If you have trouble thinking of questions to ask, then you can always resort to asking why, how or what?
4. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
Make sure you're sleeping enough, eating good clean food, and drinking plenty of water. Dehydration can suck the life out of you, so don't get to that point. Also, try drinking a full bottle of water throughout class. The act of drinking will help you stay focused, but also you'll eventually have to use the bathroom, and sometimes that little trip down the hall can revive your energy just enough to get you to the end of the class.

Some of you may rely on caffeine, and I'm not going to comment too much on that because I certainly like my coffee more than anyone (seriously - more than anyone), but I will say that caffeine is not a healthy way to fix your concentration issues. If you like coffee because you like it, then fine. But if you depend on caffeine to get you through class, the danger is that you're really masking a bigger underlying issue. It's like putting a band-aid on a stab wound - not going to work.
5. BE PREPARED FOR CLASS.
Also, exercise! Try to get some regular physical movement in every single day. Maybe you can arrange your schedule so that you have a class that's difficult to concentrate in right after you have PE, so that the adrenaline rush from PE keeps you awake during class. Or if you don't have that type of control over your schedule, take the stairs or walk the halls as many times as possible before class starts. You want to know what I do? Bathroom squats. Oh yes, they are exactly as they sound. Go into a stall and do as many squats as possible in 1 minute (not as you're going to the bathroom, of course!). Works like a charm every single time. Don't judge me.
6. MAKE EYE CONTACT WITH YOUR TEACHER.
This one is not always possible, but when it is, it works so well at helping you stay focused in class. If you know what your class is going to be on, then try to get ahead by reading up on the material beforehand. For example, if you know you'll be covering chapter 4 in Biology, then skim over chapter 4 the night before so you have a framework for the class. If you know you'll be talking about the Civil War in history class, then do a little research (Google is fine) the night before. There's something about understanding the material a bit before you hear it from your teacher that reduces the likelihood of zoning out. We perk up and pay more attention to things that are familiar because they take less effort to process. (That's like, science.)
7. DUMP YOUR BRAIN.
This may sound a little creepy, but there's a scientific explanation here. Here goes: Eye contact can be a stimulant. Sounds odd, but when we look into another person's eyes, our bodies release chemicals that increase focus, adrenaline and energy. (There are also some scenarios when eye contact can actually have a calming effect, which is cool, but that's not really relevant here.) When my babies were, well, babies, I would sneak into their rooms and check on them at night. If they were awake, I would deliberately avoid looking deeply into their eyes because I knew that doing so would stir them up. So you don't have to gaze into your teachers' eyes, but just make contact every few minutes and let your body do its chemical thing.

I talk about "brain dumping" in many of my other videos, so I'll just give you the gist here: Write down absolutely everything that's on you mind, from all the little stuff to the big stuff. Write down reminders, questions, tasks, things that are bothering you, everything. Once it's on paper, it's out of your head (at least temporarily). With less loose ends floating around your head, you'll free up mind space to concentrate in class. Keep all your mind dumps in a designated notebook. During class, if a random and distracting thought pops up, write it down and quickly get back to focusing on class. If you're fancy, you might like this notebook. If you're not fancy, you might like these pocket-sized ones.

Listen, the bottom line is that we all zone out once in a while. Heck, I even lose focus when people are talking directly to me, like five inches from my face. Ha! But obviously you have to make some changes to your school habits if you find yourself zoning out all the time - and especially if your lack of concentration affects your grades. Try the 7 tips I talk about here - and let me know how they work for you in the comments below! Or if you already know how to stay focused in class, share your own tips below, too!

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links from Amazon to products that I recommend. If you purchase any item from Amazon by clicking to its site through an affiliate link, the cost will be the same to you - but I will receive a small commission. Your purchase helps support SchoolHabits, and is much appreciated!

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How to stay focused in class: 7 tricks to avoid zoning out - SchoolHabits

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I once fell dead asleep during a high level college chemistry class. Not drowsy, not just blinking really slowly, but straight out asleep. I slept so hard that I only woke up when other students were climbing over me to leave after class.

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Back to School: How to Organize Your Backpack

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Do you ever nod off at your desk in the middle of the day, so tired and drowsy that it almost hurts?

You know the feeling. Your eyelids have giant weights attached to them, and the words on your computer screen start to blur. Maybe you could close your eyes for a few seconds, and no one will notice.

That feeling is even worse when you're sitting in one of those after-lunch meetings that drag on for so long that the seconds feel like hours. If you close your eyes during one of those meetings, someone is bound to notice!

You long for quitting time so you can go home and snuggle up in your warm, comfortable bed for a long night of blissful sleep. But then, once you're in bed, you stare at the ceiling, wide-awake, and thinking of everything that happened today. You even come up with some witty one-liners that you wish you'd thought of during the weekly production meeting.

It seems like no matter how much sleep we get at night, we all wake up in the morning saying, "just five more minutes!" And yet, when we're finally able to go to bed after fulfilling the responsibilities of our hectic, daily lives, our minds race as we think about all the things we have to do tomorrow.

What if there was a way to wake up energized, maintain that feeling throughout the day, and then float effortlessly off to sleep each night?

With a few easy and simple adjustments to your daily routine and bedroom environment, anyone can experience vast improvements in the quality of their sleep and could even find ways to reduce your overall need for taking that five extra minutes in bed.

In this article, we share our 48 favorite sleep hacks, so that you can learn exactly how to get the best night's sleep of your life without dramatic lifestyle changes.

A lot of us use the weekends and vacation time to catch up on sleep. It turns out that this habit is ineffective, and can even be harmful. While we may initially feel better rested, the effects are only temporary. Further, this technique can backfire when it's time for bed.

Here's why: our bodies have an internal 24-hour clock, or circadian rhythm, that dictate when we're drowsy and wide-awake. It's based on the earth's cycle of sunlight and darkness. So, when it's daylight, we're likely to feel awake, and when it's dark, our bodies send signals and release melatonin, indicating that it's time for bed.

If we've deprived ourselves of shuteye during the week, it's tempting to snooze in on a day off. But, doing this throws off our internal clock, so it can be more difficult to fall asleep that night. When that happens, we get less sleep, and when the alarm goes off the next morning, the cycle of feeling like we haven't gotten enough sleep perpetually continues.

Over time, this cycle of sleep deprivation combined with trying to catch up leads to an increased risk of health challenges, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, and can even cause type 2 diabetes.

The solution is to wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. It may seem like getting up early on your day off will be extra challenging, but you'll notice after a couple of weeks of trying this bedtime hack that you feel better rested.

Almost 100 years ago, scientists discovered that humans sleep in cycles of 90 minutes. These cycles have five stages, including light sleep, deep sleep, and REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.

The stages of a 90-minute sleep cycle look like this:

Stage 1 - Sleepiness

Stage 2 - Light Sleep

Stages 3 & 4 - Deep Sleep

Stage 5 - REM/dreaming

The key to this sleep cycle hack is to remember that each sequence is 90 minutes long, and if you can schedule your bedtime so that you wake up at the end of a 90-minute interval, you'll feel more refreshed when the alarm goes off. This is because Stage 1, the start of a cycle, is the lightest stage and it's much easier to wake up from a light than a deep sleep.

If you try waking up in the middle of a cycle, you'll feel groggy, and the temptation to hit the snooze button will be overwhelming. What's interesting about this is that you can feel better rested by sleeping 6 hours in a night than for 7 hours. This is because 6 hours is equal to 4 full sleep cycles, while 7 hours fall short of five full cycles.

The main challenge people face when implementing this hack is if they have difficulty falling asleep quickly. Taking too much time to fall asleep, or not being able to predictably fall asleep within a set timeframe, can throw off your ability to plan waking up at the start of a new sleep cycle. For tips on how to fall asleep quickly, see Hacks 33 and 35.

Imagine what you could accomplish if you could have two extra hours per day of productive time. You'd be able to get more work done, spend quality time with your family, or enjoy a hobby.

The most obvious thing to cut out of our schedules to have this bonus time is sleep. The problem with this idea is that if we don't get enough sleep, the extra time we have each day isn't productive.

But what if we could sleep less AND have enough energy to get more done?

There are two ways I've found that will allow you to cut up to 2 hours per day out of your sleep schedule without feeling fatigued.

Exercise to increase strength and stamina

Regular exercise (three to five times per week) builds up your body's strength and stamina. Our cardiovascular systems improve, and we're able to run at peak performance without expending as much energy.

To get the most out of this technique, opt for exercise in the afternoon, at least 4 to 6 hours before your scheduled bedtime. This allows the body to come down from its endorphin rush and get higher quality sleep at night which also reduces the overall need for shuteye.

Gradually reduce the number of hours you sleep

Each week, gradually delay the time you go to bed or get up slightly earlier. For example, let's say you want to go from sleeping 8 hours a night to just 6 hours. Deciding to set your alarm clock two hours ahead of your normal schedule isn't going to work, at least not sustainably.

Instead, implement this hack in weekly 20 to 30-minute increments. For your first week, either go to bed 20-30 minutes later or set your alarm for 20-30 minutes earlier. Continue cutting back by this same interval each week. By the third week, you'll be able to cut your sleeping by 60 to 90 minutes.

4: Keep a Sleep Log

I picked up this tip from Tim Ferriss, best selling author of multiple books including " The 4-Hour Workweek " and the "The 4-Hour Body." Tim keeps journals and logs of just about everything he does each day, from what he eats, to how he trains, and even what he's grateful for. He's explained that this helps him to pinpoint exactly what makes him successful in any given endeavor.

For example, when Tim see's a past picture of himself in peak physical condition, he'll check the date on that photo and then reference back to his journal entries to see what he was eating, how he was training and what else was happening in his life. Armed with that information, he'll recreate those habits so he can repeat his success.

The same principle holds true for sleep logs. To start a log, you can either make your own sleep diary in a spreadsheet or get any number of pre-made sleep journals. Which variables you track are ultimately up to you, but here are some ideas to get you started:

The time you went to bed

How long it took to fall asleep

The time you woke up

Whether you got out of bed or woke up in the middle of the night

How many times you hit snooze in the morning

If you took a nap that day and how long it lasted

Whether you consumed caffeine or alcohol

If you exercised

What you ate

A rating of your sleep quality that night

A rating of how you felt in the morning

Whether you felt hot, cold or comfortable that night

After tracking a number of these variables over time, you may notice patterns about experiencing better quality sleep when you exercise, or worse quality of sleep when you eat certain foods.

5: Explore Polyphasic Sleep

Polyphasic sleep simply means breaking your sleep into two blocks instead of time. This is in contrast to monophasic sleep, in which you sleep only once per day. Most of us sleep monophasically, where we go to bed at night, wake up in the morning and that's the only time we rest.

In several countries, it's the norm to be a polyphasic sleeper. We've all heard of Latin nations who take afternoon siestas (naps), and this is a common form of polyphasic sleeping. In fact, it's becoming common for more progressive American companies to have nap rooms, where employees can go at any time during the workday to rest and recharge.

This type of slumber, in which you sleep for 5 to 8 hours at night and then take a 15-90 minute nap during the day, is technically called "biphasic" sleep, and it is considered a healthy and natural alternative to monophasic sleep.

In recent years, the concept of polyphasic sleep has evolved into a true way to hack your sleep, where experimenters bio hack their nocturnal patterns so they only need 2 to 4 hours of bedtime per night.

Polyphasic sleeping is typically structured one of two ways:

You nap for 20 minutes every 4 hours, for a total of 2 hours of sleep per day

You have a 3-hour "core sleep" at night with three separate 20-minute naps during the day

While this type of polyphasic sleeping can help you temporarily get more time in your day, it's not recommended for the long term. First, it creates a sleep deficit, which, when chronic, puts the body at risk for long-term health consequences. Second, the schedule must be adhered to strictly in order to be effective. Unless your days are flexible, you're bound to run into challenges that will throw off the schedule.

Instead of adhering to a 7-day week consisting of 24 hours per day with the rest of the planet, you can explore the concept of a 6-day week that has 28 hours in a day. The 28-hour concept pushes your clock forward, so you can no longer predictably rely on external factors like light and darkness to cue your body when it's time to sleep.

The advantage of this schedule is that allows you to enjoy late evenings and going out on the weekends without experiencing a sleep deficit. The disadvantage is that your routine will be completely thrown off and if you have a 9 to 5 corporate job, you'll never be able to negotiate this schedule with your boss.

Here's an illustration of how your new 6-day week would look like:

Because our circadian rhythms are so strong and linked to our outside environment, any light that we let into our bedroom can disrupt our sleep and negatively affect its quality.

In order to have a restful bedtime, our bodies rely on the production of melatonin and serotonin from our pineal gland. The pineal gland is shaped like a pinecone (hence the name) and is nestled in the center of our brain. It's often referred to as our "third eye" because it's also associated with supernatural occurrences like telepathy and psychic vision.

This gland is sensitive to any type of light, including LEDs from alarm clocks and computers, as well as a glow from your phone or television. Exposure to light, including and especially turning on the light to go to the bathroom at night will cease the production of melatonin. So, if you do get up in the middle of the night to relieve yourself, do so with the light off.

If you're unable to get rid of all lights in the bedroom, try using a sleeping mask over your eyes to block out all artificial light.

It may seem obvious, but the more congruently we live to how nature intended, the better. This extends to the way we sleep. As humans, we did not evolve with the benefit of having central heat in our homes. Added to that is the fact that both our body's core temperature as well as the external nighttime temperatures tend to drop, which are biological cues that signal our internal clock that it's nighttime. If we keep our bedroom warm, this throws off our natural balance.

It's better to keep our sleeping environment cool to mimic how we would sleep in nature. A word of caution here: don't sleep with the room too brisk because being uncomfortably cold can also cause you to wake up and disrupt your otherwise restful sleep.

This may seem obvious, but even the slightest bit of noise can jar you from a peaceful sleep and make your rest and restoration period subpar. Noisy neighbors, a snoring partner, and street traffic can cause a cacophony that prevents you from falling asleep or regularly wake you throughout the night.

I recommend two ways to eliminate noise.

Noise canceling headphones

Look for noise canceling headphones that are lightweight and comfortable to sleep in. My favorite is the Bose Quiet Comfort 20 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones. The earbud is perfectly designed to seal in the near and block out noise while having super soft tips that you can barely feel.

They even have an "aware" setting that allows you to hear a small fraction of external noise, which is helpful if you're worried about hearing your alarm clock in the morning or you need to listen out for your kids.

This is a low-tech but more cost-effective solution if you simply want to block out the noise.

Music is powerful. The right song can bring us back in time, make us feel intense emotion and even provoke our sense of smell by causing us to recall a memory. Imagine, then that music can also help stimulate dreaming.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, "adults who listen to 45 minutes of relaxing music before bed fall asleep faster, sleep longer, wake up less during the night, and rate their nights as more restful than when they don't listen to music."*

Studies further show that calming music has a biologically relaxing effect on the body, slowing down the heart rate and breathing, lowering blood pressure and also relaxing the muscles.

If you make listening to calming music before bed, the effects can multiply. Over time, the habit of hearing relaxing music can cue your body that it's time for sleep and help you fall asleep even faster.
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Sometimes the right solution might not be to eliminate noise ( Hack 9) but to actually increase the noise. This can be done with the magic of a white noise machine, which soothes you to sleep with sound waves that range a wide range of frequencies. The white noise drowns out the sounds of your external environment, masking them with a whooshing sound similar to the soothing sounds parents make to their newborns.

Some white noise machines also come with settings called "soundscapes," that include a variety of nature scenes like ocean waves, rainfall and forest walks.

It may come as a surprise that the color of your bedroom can significantly influence your sleep. According to a recent study conducted by Travelodge, people who sleep in a bedroom that's painted blue get the most sleep at night. On average, they get 7 hours and 52 minutes, which is significantly more than other colors.*

Blue is a prevalent color in nature. It's the same hue as our skies and oceans, and it inspires a feeling of calm. Other colors that help promote sleep include earth tones and muted shades of green, yellow, orange, gray, coral and beige.

Avoid the temptation to paint your bedroom in bold and bright colors. While intense colors like red can increase the energy of the room, they're counterproductive to sleep.
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13: Try Aromatherapy

Our sense of smell is triggered through the olfactory nerve, which sends signals to our brain. These signals can trigger a response from either our autonomic nervous system (fight or flight), or our parasympathetic nervous system (calming and relaxation).

Essential oils have a variety of benefits, and in the form of aromatherapy, they can be powerful aids to help you fall asleep and stay tranquil throughout the night. The most popular essential oil to aid in sleep is lavender. Lavender aromatherapy oil calms the nervous system by lowering blood pressure, heart rate and skin temperature. It also changes brain waves to a more relaxed state.

Other beneficial aromatherapy oils include, lemon, bergamot, ylang ylang, clary sage, and jasmine.

14: Eat Breakfast Every Morning

Just like light and darkness are environmental cues that signal when it's time for waking and resting, mealtime also serves a similar function.

Our bodies come equipped with something called a " food-entrainable clock"*, which is directly linked to our body's sleep clock. To keep this clock on schedule, it's ideal to eat breakfast soon after waking, and it should be the most substantial meal of the day. By having an adequate breakfast, we signal our bodies that we have enough energy to get through the day. By contrast, large meals should be avoided at night, when it's time to power down.

Eating breakfast also helps regulate our hormones, including cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone, and too much of it will cause us to stay awake and disrupt our bedtime (more on this in Hack 15).
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Cortisol is a stress hormone that gives us energy throughout the day. This hormone should be at its highest level in the morning, which helps us wake up and get moving. As the day goes on, it should gradually decrease and hit a low point in the evening when it's time for bed.

Cortisol and melatonin are inversely related, meaning the more cortisol we have in our system, the less melatonin, and vice versa. We need melatonin to sleep, so if cortisol production continues at a steady pace all day long, we're going to have difficulty falling asleep at night.

Having a stressful day will trigger too much cortisol production. Deadlines, arguments, and chronic stress all contribute to elevated cortisol levels. Here's what you can do to keep your cortisol in check:

Engage in moderate exercise (mild exercise will increase cortisol in the short term, but will still decrease it at night for optimum sleep).

Be more aware of your thoughts and minimize negative and stressful thinking.

Try relaxation techniques like deep breathing, yoga, and massage.

Do more things that make you happy, especially a fun hobby.

Maintain healthy relationships and spend time with those you love. Eliminate toxic individuals from your life.

Consider adopting a pet. Animal companionship is known to decrease stress.

Mind your diet and seek out foods that decrease cortisol levels, including dark chocolate, bananas, pears, green tea, probiotics, and water.

Take supplements like fish oil and ashwagandha.

Avoiding caffeine is an obvious tip because caffeine is a stimulant, and therefore, will make falling asleep more difficult. While it's okay, and even beneficial, to consume caffeine in the morning, avoid it within 6 hours of bedtime.

Even though alcohol can make you sleepy and fall asleep faster, it should still be avoided before bedtime. According to a recent study, drinking alcohol reduces the REM (our dreaming stage) sleep in your sleep cycle.* Disrupting or reducing REM sleep will cause drowsiness the next day and prevent you from feeling rested when you wake up.
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A big meal before bed overly stimulates your digestion and prevents optimal sleep. It takes a tremendous amount of energy to process food as our body directs blood flow to our digestive system instead of to our brain. Since the brain controls the sleep process, a lack of blood to the brain means it has less energy for sleep.

Large meals right before bed can also trigger acid reflux, heartburn and even choking. Further, if you eat a particularly big meal right before bed, you're more prone to feel overly full and uncomfortable.

18: Avoid Snacks Before Bed

It's generally not recommended to eat before bed, but if you're hungry, that's not going to help you fall asleep or stay asleep, either. Something very light (under 150 calories) can keep you satisfied throughout the night. Carbohydrate-rich snacks like toast, a small muffin, or a handful of cereal are more likely to increase the level of tryptophan in the blood. Tryptophan is an amino acid that helps induce sleep, much like turkey.

If you do opt for a pre-bedtime snack, remember to avoid the caffeine found in coffee, soda, caffeinated tea, and chocolate.

In Hack 17, we mentioned that digesting food takes tremendous amounts of energy and diverts blood flow away from the brain. Processed foods, cooked foods, and animal products take more energy to process than raw and natural foods. This is because the body does not as easily recognize processed foods and take more effort to break down.

Raw foods require less energy for absorption and digestion. In particular, raw cherries, guava, raw almonds, leafy greens, kelp and seeds like sesame, sunflower and pumpkin can promote a restful night of sleep.*
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Having to get up in the middle of the night to use the restroom is highly disruptive to a good night of sleep, so it's recommended to limit water intake before bed. On the other hand, proper hydration is necessary for health functions, including sleep, so where does one draw the line?

My recommendation is to make sure you drink enough water during the day and avoid drinking water or any other fluids two hours before bed.

21: Limit Your Nap Time

When planned carefully, a nap can help you feel more rested and alert. Naps should be practiced with caution, however. If you're an insomniac, avoid napping at all costs. Studies show that people who suffer from insomnia and take naps have much more trouble falling asleep.*

But because naps are so enjoyable, I'd like to share some helpful tips that will allow you to have a nap that will deliver all of the benefits of a nap without negatively affecting your nighttime sleep. After all, naps have been linked to increased productivity, better decision-making and even weight loss.**

Most important is to limit your naps to 25-30 minutes. This type of nap, called a power nap, is ideal for when you didn't get enough sleep the night before and you need a bit of a boost. If you find you need longer, then opt for a full 90-minute sleep cycle. Anything in between or longer will leave you feeling groggy and interfere with your sleep later in the evening.

Whatever you do, don't nap after 4 pm. Even though it may be tempting to take a short nap when you come home from work at the end of a long day, you're more likely to have trouble falling asleep that night. If you're feeling extra groggy, try taking a walk outside. Getting fresh air and sunlight can stimulate your energy levels and negate the need for that nap after all.
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22: Try a Coffee Nap

This sounds counterintuitive, but don't knock it until you try it.

Here's what you do: right before it's time to nap, drink a cup of coffee. Then go to bed and take a 20-minute power nap. It sounds nuts, right?

Here's why it works: it takes about 20 to 30 minutes for caffeine to enter your bloodstream and take effect. So, by the time your nap is over, you'll be starting to feel the first effects of caffeine. You'll wake up more refreshed and energized than you would have without the caffeine boost.

If you try this tip, make sure you don't nap beyond the 20-30 minutes. Set the alarm if necessary to avoid going into deep sleep. Remember, if you wake up in the middle of a sleep cycle, you're going to feel disoriented and groggy.

Read More: Opposites DO Attract: Coffee Naps, The Bulletproof Power Nap, Explained

23: Meditation Nap

A meditation nap is like a nap without actually falling asleep. It has the rejuvenating and stimulating effects of a nap, while still maintaining a level of alertness. There are guided nap meditations available on YouTube, or you can do a meditation nap on your own.

Find a comfortable spot and either sit or lie down. Clear your thoughts, relax your muscles and take slow, even deep breaths. 15 to 20 minutes later, you'll find as refreshed as if you'd been asleep.

You may already know that sleeping on an excellent mattress is the key component of quality sleep. In fact, a poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that 92% of people say a comfortable mattress is important for them to get a good night's sleep.

The wrong mattress can cause a host of problems that wreak havoc on your sleep, including allergies, sweating and back pain. If you're experiencing any of these discomforts, it's likely time to invest in something new.

The quality of a mattress is highly subjective, and the price is not necessarily an indicator that one bed is better than another. Some people prefer softer, "plush" mattresses, while others want something firm and hard. Our advice is to opt for something more in the middle.

Having good sheets is also a critical component for optimal sleep. The same poll (referenced above) found that 86% of respondents also believe that comfortable sheets and bedding are important, too. I recommend getting a sheet material that works best for you. Some people prefer flannel sheets in the winter and satin sheets in the summer to help regulate temperature. Others find that t-shirt sheets have a soft and cuddly feel.

25: Use an Appropriate Pillow

Finding a great pillow is similar to the mattress scenario. It's a highly personal choice based on your preferences. However, there are a few universal rules to follow when selecting a pillow to make sure that you get the best night of sleep possible, depending on your sleep position.

People who sleep on their back need a pillow that supports the natural curve of their spine. This will be a lower profile pillow that still provides proper support under the head, neck, and shoulders. It can also be helpful to put another pillow underneath the knees to prevent back strain.

Side sleepers should use thicker pillows to support the head and neck, ensuring that the spine maintains a natural line. Placing a firm pillow between the knees also helps to keep the spine in a neutral position. I also recommend a latex pillow rather than a foam or feature pillow for optimal comfort and support.

For stomach sleepers, a flat pillow is necessary to avoid putting excessive stress on the back and neck. If you sleep on your stomach, avoid the fluffy, high loft pillows. You may also want to get a second pillow (also flat) and place under your stomach or pelvis to keep your lower back in line.

A cooling bed pad is like a thermostat for your bed. Some even have the capability of heating one side and cooling the other.

It can keep you cool or warm all night long with the simple push of a button. What I particularly love about this technology is that you set the exact temperature you want, and the pad will maintain that temperature all night long. This puts an end to waking up drenched in sweat or shivering with cold because the temperature of your bedroom changed during the night.

These pads have other unique advantages. First, they're ideal for couples. How many times have you been hot or cold while your partner is equally uncomfortable, but for the opposite reason? With a dual pad, you can set your own preferred temperature, and your partner can set theirs. Not only does this end an argument, but it also prevents you from waking up due to their excessive tossing, turning and complaining about the temperature.

Another big advantage (and something that will definitely help you sleep at night), is how much money you'll save with one of these. Think about it this way: if your bedroom is too hot or cold, you typically use an air conditioner or heater to regulate the temperature of the entire room. With a cooling/heating mattress pad, on the other hand, you control only where you sleep - the bed! Now that you don't have to worry about exorbitant electric bills, you can sleep even more soundly.

27: Use sleep trackers

Business guru, Peter Drucker, is credited with the quote, "If you can't measure it, you can't improve it." This quote is particularly true when it comes to sleep. If you're interested in improving and optimizing your sleep, you have to measure it.

But how?

We recommend a sleep tracker to measure your everything throughout the night and learn what needs to improve. A tracker works by monitoring how much (and how well) you sleep each night. Most trackers do this by tracking your movement throughout the night to see how much of the night you spend sleeping. Some of the more advanced trackers also measure your heart rate, skin temperature, and breathing.

Not only do these devices keep track of your sleep, but they also provide detailed analytics so you can see reports of how well you slept and got tips on what you can do to improve. Some even include coaching programs, as well as special lights and sounds to help you fall asleep, and wake up refreshed.

Sleep trackers can even alert you at the end of a sleep cycle (see Hack 2), so you can automatically wake up without having to pre-plan and calculate your cycles before going to bed.

There are two main types of sleep trackers: wearable sleep trackers (including the Fitbit) and bed-based trackers that usually include a sensor that fits under your mattress or sheet. Wearable sleep trackers tend to be more costly, but they have the bonus of including overall activity trackers.

28: Use a sleep mask

Sleep masks are the best way to ensure that you sleep in total darkness. If you have any type of light in the room (even the LED from an alarm clock) it can interfere with how well you sleep and even inhibit melatonin production, which is required for proper bedtime.

Sleep masks also referred as eye masks, are effective at blocking out all light. It's important to look for a mask that doesn't allow any light to creep in from underneath the mask. Comfort is also important, as you don't want something that feels heavy, tight or restrictive on your face while you're trying to sleep. You can opt for an adjustable sleep mask to guarantee a proper fit.

Another factor to consider is the material of the sleep mask. If you have sensitive skin or a complexion that is prone to acne, you should seek out a mask that is made of natural fibers like cotton or silk.

The Purefly Sleep Mask is a top choice because it's adjustable and super soft. Alternatively, you can make a DIY mask without many issues.

29: Use noise Canceling Headphones

In sleep life hack 9, I briefly mentioned noise-canceling headphones and recommended the Bose Quiet Comfort 20 Acoustic as a top choice. They're expensive, so if you'd prefer a more economical solution, I'd also recommend the Meidong Bluetooth headphones. They're a fraction of the cost of the Bose and still perform well for the price tag.

The sound quality (or lack thereof) is premium and they're lightweight enough to be comfortable when sleeping.

Some people would rather not have something inside their ears while sleeping. The protrusion of the earbuds can be uncomfortable for side sleepers, for example. Because of this, I also recommend padded fabric headphones that wrap around your head like a headband. The only negative aspect of the fabric headphones is that users complain that the headband can get hot. That's why I appreciate the CozyPhones Sleep Headphones with a Cool Mesh Lining.

If you're feeling whimsical CozyPhones also makes a kids' version that comes cute designs like unicorns, bunnies, panda bears, smile emojis, and dinosaurs.

30: Use a 5-Minute Journal

I recently purchased the 5-Minute Journal and had given one to every person I care about. I didn't specifically buy it to improve my sleep, but I found it to be one of the most tools in my arsenal.

Thousands of successful people use the 5-Minute Journal as a way to adjust their mindset and focus on daily gratitude exercises. It takes only five minutes a day and goes something like this:

Twice a day you write in the journal. Immediately upon rising, and again right before bed.

In the morning, you write down three things you're grateful for, three things that would make today great, and a confidence-boosting affirmation.

In the evening, you write down three amazing things that happened during your day and a statement about how you could have made the day better.

The reason this works so well is that it helps you jumpstart your day on a positive note and keeps you energized toward the goal of making each day great. And when you go to bed, you review your day and focus on what went well.

You also have a chance to reflect on what you did each day and what you could have improved. Instead of stewing over conflict and obstacles, you take a proactive and positive approach. By the time your head hits the pillow, your mind is clear and the stress of the day is wiped away.

31: Use Bright Light Therapy

Bright light therapy is a common treatment for SAD ( Seasonal Affective Disorder), which tends to affect people in the winter, but it's an effective sleep hacking tool that you can use year round.

Here's why it works: we require sunlight to stabilize our circadian rhythm, but extensive use of artificial light along with long winter nights can throw us off track. This also affects our energy and sleep. A therapeutic light box simulates sunlight by producing a wide spectrum of light, much more so than artificial light.

To get the most out of therapeutic light boxes, use them for 30 minutes to an hour in the morning at your desk. The exposure to this natural light will balance your circadian rhythm, which will boost your energy during the day, benefit your mood and ultimately, increase the quality of your bedtime.

Light boxes are also particularly valuable in the winter and on cloudy days. If you're not getting enough sunlight in your daily routine, try the Sun Box therapeutic light box for more energy, an improvement in your alertness and an overall better outlook on life.

If the repetitive sounds of a buzzer or the blasting of frenetic music tunes are not your preferred wake-up methods, I recommend a bright light alarm. Just like the name suggests, this is an alarm that wakes you up with light rather than sound.

It mimics the way the sun rises, but if you're getting up before sunrise (or at another dark time), you might benefit from the bright light alarm. The light gradually increases in intensity until you're in a brightly lit room.

33: Use Meditation Apps

Years ago, I used to scour YouTube looking for guided meditations to help me sleep. Now, it seems, there's an app for everything, and there are numerous choices for meditation apps.

My favorite, at the moment, is an app called Calm. There's a free version and a paid version. This app has something for everyone, from the beginner to seasoned practitioners. Sessions range from three to 25 minutes, so whether you want something brief or would rather go deeper, there are options to fit your schedule.

Another valuable feature of this app is that they divide the meditations into different themes. This is helpful because you can choose a meditation that's specifically designed for sleeping or work on another aspect of your life while also getting the benefit of drowsiness. Current topics include:

Deep sleep

Calming anxiety

Managing stress

Focus and concentration

Relationships

Breaking habits

Happiness

Gratitude

Self-esteem

Body scan

Loving and kindness

Forgiveness

Non-judgment

Walking meditations

Meditations for kids

34: Quit Smoking

The nicotine in cigarettes is a stimulant, which will keep you awake. If you smoke close to bedtime, it will most definitely affect your ability to sleep. Smokers are also more prone to sleep apnea and getting up in the middle of the night.

Nonsmokers experience deeper and more restorative sleep than non-smokers, so if you've got this habit and need better sleep, consider dropping it.

Stress, in general, will negatively affect your bedtime. After all, it's difficult to relax and shut out the world if you're constantly worrying about your day or what's going on in your life. If you're feeling stressed in the evening, that's even worse because it will prevent you from winding down sufficiently at the end of the day.

A small amount of stress can indeed be helpful in keeping us alert and energetic, but too much of it makes us anxious and can lead to insomnia.

If you've had a stressful day at work, try to do something in the evening to take your mind off of it. Enjoying a hobby, spending time with loved ones, and taking your pet for a walk are just a few ideas. Think about what triggers your stress responses and make an effort to avoid them. If you're the type to check your email before bed, take a break from that habit and see if it makes a difference.

Another evening stress trigger is thinking about what we need to do the next day. They can be mundane worries like what we're going to wear to work, to more serious ones like an upcoming presentation we're nervous about or a meeting we're going to have that we don't anticipate going well.

Depending on the source of your stress, I recommend taking steps before bed to eliminate or minimize these stresses. Plan your day as best you can the night before, write down what you hope to accomplish the next day and utilize the 5-Minute Journal from Hack 30 to help you finish the day and prepare for the next one.

This might surprise you because a lot of people use reading to fall asleep at night. Many sleep experts have said that if it's time for bed and you're not tired to climb into bed with a book, especially a boring one, and you'll be lights out in no time.

And if you decide to pick an exciting or stimulating book to read, you might find that you say to yourself, "just one more chapter!" and before you know it an hour or more has passed that you should have spent asleep.

However, reading before bed is a bad idea. It causes you to be in bright, artificial light, right before sleeping. This delays your melatonin production and can affect how well and deeply you rest once you're asleep.

Another reason that it's terrible to read right before bed is that it untrains your mind about what your bed is for. I recommend using your bed for sleep and sex only. Over time your body will cue your mind that it's time for rest when you go to bed. If you read, eat, watch television or work while you're in bed you've confused your body, and it's less likely to be ready for bedtime when you lie down.

Just like reading, watching television before bed emits artificial light that will affect your natural circadian rhythm. Further, the blue light from the television is known to delay REM sleep, so even if you doze off during your favorite shows, your rest-time will still be less than optimal.

Another issue is that the availability of on-demand, streaming television and movies has made almost everything watchable at the touch of a fingertip. It's easy to get sucked into a binge-watching session and then have to wake up in 3 hours to go to work. And with movies, you're delaying your sleep by approximately two hours. If you do enjoy watching television and movies and night, plan your evening, so it's not right before bed.

In terms of intense TV shows, horror movies, and action-packed dramas, there's no official correlation between watching those and having nightmares, but it is known that watching these images on your screen can cause stress, and stress affects our sleep.

I've made the mistake of watching The Walking Dead before bed, and it has definitely affected the time it took for me to fall asleep as well as how well I slept that night. Two other movies I've made the mistake of watching before bed was Tusk and Get Out. Think about the last intense film or show you watched before bed, or better yet, check your sleep log (Hack 4) to see how you've been affected by watching television before going to bed.

Exercising regularly has tremendous health benefits, and improving our daily sleep is just one of those. People who engage in exercise 3 to 4 times per week have better cardiovascular health, lower heart rates, and regular blood pressure. Exercise also helps release stress, take our mind off our troubles and get out off the couch, all key factors that help us sleep.

It's important to note that exercise does increase the amount of cortisol in our blood, but it's a temporary spike that decreases hours after the activity. This is why it's crucial to exercise early in the day, preferably morning, lunchtime or early in the afternoon to avoid having too much cortisol in our system at night.

This ties into sleep hack 38. Again, exercising too close to bedtime doesn't allow for your body to rid itself of the cortisol spike it experienced during exercise. Again, schedule your exercise activities for morning or early afternoon. If you prefer to exercise after work, make sure it's at least two hours before bed.

Another reason this is important is that our bodies should be refueled with food after exercise. If we exercise too close to bedtime, it goes to reason that we would also eat too close to when it's time for bed. And yes, you can technically skip a meal after exercise, but you then run the risk of having your bedtime disrupted by waking up hungry in the middle of the night.

Meditation is helpful for clearing your mind of the stress of your day and preparing it for sleep. It can be tempting to meditate in bed, but again, remember that your bed is for sleeping and sex only (Hack 36).

My recommendation is to find a place where you can sit comfortably for between 15 minutes to an hour. It may be a chair in a quiet room in your house or on the floor. You can use a meditation app or find guided meditations at no cost on YouTube. Another option is to listen to relaxing music or nothing at all.

Do whatever feels comfortable for you as long as you are able to clear your mind and stop thinking. Since this is easier said than done if you're a beginner try a meditation app like Calm.

41: Avoid Snoozing Your Alarm

This is a tough one, and most of us are guilty of it. Whether you snooze your alarm for one 9-minute cycle or an hour or more, you're not doing yourself any favors, and you're not getting any more sleep. In fact, you're likely to wake up more tired than if you didn't snooze at all.

In essence, each time the alarm goes off, the body thinks it's time to get up. But then each time you press snooze, you've signaled that it's a false alarm, and your body has no idea what to expect. When the buzzer goes off each time, you feel groggier. So, again you're not helping the situation or your sleep.

If you're a habitual snoozer, you can do the tried and true technique of putting your alarm clock or smartphone on the other side of the room, which forces you to get up and turn off the alarm. The obvious problem with this approach is that nothing is stopping you from walking back over to your bed and climbing right back in. That's what I can sometimes be guilty of even though I know better.

If that sounds like you, I have something else you can try instead that I've had tremendous success with. You have to retrain your body not to press snooze. It's going to take practice, but it's easy, and once you get the hang of it, it will change your life.

You are going to practice waking up, but you'll do it in the middle of the day when you're not tired.
Here's what to do:

1. Lie down in the afternoon and set the alarm for 5 minutes.

2. Don't go to sleep! Just lie in bed and relax.

3. When the alarm goes off, get up and resume your day.

4. Do not press snooze; do not go back to bed.

Practice this a few times a day (spread apart of course), or once a day as often as you can. Once you've done it a few dozen times, you'll be a pro with a brand new healthy habit.

By far this technique has been the most helpful for me in getting out of bed without wasting hours a week pressing snooze.

We've all experienced a time when we had to wake up early for something important. Maybe it was to catch a flight, take an exam or be at a job interview.

If you sleep through your alarm clock, you're in big trouble. So what do you do?

You set alarms all over your house, maybe even schedule one of those fancy wake up call services.

And then what happens? You wake up five minutes before any of your alarms are set to go off. How did you do that?

It turns out that our bodies have built-in internal alarm clocks that respond to the stress hormones of ACTH and cortisol. We're so stressed that our brain signals the pituitary and adrenal glands to spike ACTH and cortisol to wake us up when it's time.*

As you can imagine, this is not an ideal or sustainable way to live out our days. However, you can use this technique to your advantage and maybe even throw away your alarm clock.

You do this by psychologically prepping yourself before bed. Visualize the time you want to wake up, see the time on your clock or smartphone, picture yourself getting up energized and on time. You can even set a morning reward to help make this more of a reality (Hack 44).

There's another type of internal alarm clock you can use that's a bit different. It's relying on your own body's circadian rhythm to wake itself up when it's ready and go to sleep when it's tired. I tried this technique while I was on a long vacation, and this is by far my favorite way to sleep. It's not for everyone, but with a little bit of practice, it can be.
This practice is called free-running sleep, and it works like this:

1. Go to sleep when you're tired

2. Wake up on your own without an alarm

Before alarm clocks were invented, this is pretty much how we slept as humans. We were cued by the internal alarm clocks that follow circadian rhythms to wake us up as it starts getting light. And then, as night sets in, our internal alarm clocks tell us that it's time to rest.

This is by far the best way to ensure that you're getting enough sleep, and you go to bed and wake up on your schedule and on your own terms.

The only challenge with this approach is if you have an annoying boss that expects you to be somewhere at a certain time, and your internal alarm clock is not on that schedule. However, it can be worth trying when you're on vacation to see if it's something you can realistically maintain.
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If you're a busy person (who isn't, right?), you know you have a million things to do tomorrow. Do you ever lie awake in bed at night and run through your task list for tomorrow?

Or worse, do you even try to block out all the tasks into time increments, and you end up scheduling your day in your head? Do you worry that you're going to forget to do something?

All of those things will keep you awake at night, and perhaps worse is that they'll be the first things you think of when you wake up. When that happens, it can be hard to get out of bed because you're thinking of your endless to-do list, and frankly nothing on it sounds fun.

The solution to this is simple:

Write down your to-do list for tomorrow the night before. Once it's on paper, it's out of your head, and you can rest easy knowing that everything for the next day is planned out.

You can use a simple notebook, calendar or piece of paper to plan out your list, or you can try a tool like Brendon Burchard's 1-Page Productivity Planner that will even help you plan out your tasks step by step and cue you to list resources and people you need to make your day a success.

44: Set a Morning Reward

This hack is one of my favorites because it's the most fun.

You can implement this sleep hacking method by picking a reward to give yourself when you stick to your daily sleep plan.

Each morning when you get up without pressing snooze, for example, you can reward yourself. Maybe it's something simple like taking five extra minutes in the shower or having your favorite treat for breakfast.

For me, it's treating myself to a cup of coffee at my favorite coffee shop on the way to work. If you have a partner, you can try adding morning sex to your routine as a reward. It'll be the most fun part of waking up each morning!

This hack can also be applied as a longer-term reward system. For example, you can give yourself a reward for reaching a goal. Whether it's to go to bed by a certain time, wake up without snoozing or resisting the urge to watch television right before bed, pick a goal, pick a time period you're going to measure (one week, one month, etc.) and if you stick to your plan reward yourself.

Maybe a new pair of shoes, a spa treatment or a couple of hours of "you" time, pick something meaningful and work toward it.

If you're feeling extra ambitious, you can even set a consequence for missing your daily goal. For example, if you press snooze, maybe you have to buy a co-worker a coffee.

Not so fun for you, but you may just become the most popular person at the office!

First thing in the morning is when we tend to have the least amount of willpower. And when we're groggy and just waking up, our cognitive abilities are at their lowest. It's important to set the tone for our day by focusing on small wins that will boost our mood and make us happier, healthier individuals who sleep like champions.

Whether the small win is noticing that your shirt is already ironed, the sunrise is particularly beautiful or you had all green lights on the way to work in the morning, acknowledge each one and express your gratitude. It will go a long way in helping you sleep and feel happy in general.

The power of positivity is key in elevating our moods and overall levels of happiness. When we're in a better mood, we naturally sleep better and even need less time spent in bed.

Think about what happens when someone cuts you off on the freeway. Do you get mad, curse their driving, and consider rushing ahead to cut them off? Or, do you think to yourself, "they must be in a big hurry? I hope they get where they're going in time."

Or maybe you've been interviewing for jobs and you didn't get an offer for a position you desperately wanted.

You were certainly the most qualified. Instead of focusing on the fact that you didn't get the job, try to turn around your thinking and instead realize that the company did you a favor by not hiring you because there's something better out there.

It takes practice to find the positive in every aspect of your life, but I can assure you, there is always a positive. By focusing on the positive rather than the negative, you can lead a life that is much more fulfilling that leads to better sleep, too!

Waking up to buzzing alarms and talk radio isn't the most pleasant way to start the day. Rather, music can be the most uplifting and a fantastic soundtrack for your morning wake-up routine.

I'd caution that you don't want just any music for waking up. Jarring or loud tunes can startle you. Instead, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic recommends euphoric music upon rising to help you feel alert and positive instead of disoriented and groggy.

Further, Chamorro-Premuzic derived a formula to predict how much serotonin your brain produces in reaction to the music you hear. It looks like this:

Serotonin levels = Pitch + % of positive lyrics + Tonality + Beats per minute + Images/Memories associated with the music *

As you can see, even though there are constants that are universal to all humans, the last variable is individual and is affected by our own images and memories. Find a song to wake up to that is positive and sparks positive associations and images and you'll feel on top of the world.
Sources:

The single best way to set and calibrate your body's internal clock is to expose yourself to sunlight in the morning. The bright, natural light signals your body that it's daytime. This, in turn, stops your body from producing melatonin while setting it up to produce it again at night. That's why some people take artificial melatonin. Even though it works, nothing substitutes a real thing and you need to watch your dosage to be safe.

Another reason to soak up some sun in the morning is that it helps combat depression, especially in the winter when there are fewer daylight hours to experience sunshine. If you find that you absolutely can't get natural sunlight in the morning, whether it's due to the time you wake up or your location, try using a therapeutic lightbox as a substitute in your home or office.

Conclusion

Whether you try just one of these sleeping hacks or dozens, you're bound to find that your sleep improves. Some of these are instant fixes, and some require you to train your body and develop healthier habits.

Making a lifestyle change can be difficult. Just know that you are not alone. With 50-70 million US adults suffering from some type of sleep disorder, it's important to take a proactive approach and improve your bedtime habits. It's a crucial component of your overall health, and the better you sleep, the healthier you'll be.

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48 Sleep Hacks - How to Get the Best Sleep of Your Life, Every Night!

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After 300 hours of research, writing, and tweaking we are proud to present our 48 sleep life hacks e-book. We hope that these techniques and tips will help you sleep less, feel better and wake up full of energy every day!

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Our team of professional photo organizers deals with chaos on a regular basis. Whether it's building organized digital photo and video libraries or going through analog photos and videos to get them prepared to be digitized, they've seen it all. Our team is masterful at sorting through clients' gigabytes of digital photos and videos scattered across devices, as well as helping downsizing clients sort and organize generations worth of aging photos and videos so they can pass along digital files to future generations.

Given their vast organizing experience and the fact that many of our organizers are also parents, it's easy for them to know what tips and tricks will get your through the frenzied back to school season. These top hacks are sure to get you through another successful school year stress-free(or at least more organized!)

School is back in season and while you may be thrilled to get the kids out of the house, you're probably also dreading some of what comes with them being back in school. Managing the schedules; homework; paperwork; artwork; lunches; field trips, and everything in between can feel impossible at times, but there are ways to control the chaos, we promise. Our list of hacks will help you get your life organized once and for all. We don't have to remind you that the holidays are fast approaching, so now is the time to put in place systems you can stick with to make the whole year as easy as possible, right?

Organize your summer photos and capture those Fall moments!

Ah, summer. Once it's gone, who doesn't think back fondly to the memories of the hot sun on your face, your toes in the sand, and the sound of your children laughing as they splash in the cool water and build sandcastles? We know we do (but fall colors, pumpkin flavors, and sweaters give us the warm and fuzzies too).

You're three-quarters of the way through the calendar year, you've taken hundreds - more likely thousands - of pictures and you're only going to take more now that the school year is in full swing. Then there's Halloween, Thanksgiving and the winter holidays, and as a result, you have tons of photos to deal with on top of what you already had. We swear, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to take some time to assess your digital photo collection. Get them off your phone, review, and archive. Every single one of our organizers swear by this to prepare for the rest of the year. If you want more in-depth advice on this topic you can check out our post about it here.

"This is the most important thing I do all year. The end of the summer is the perfect time to make sure all my photos from the last 6 months are off my phone and on my computer because the couple hours I spend doing that gives me a good idea of what I already have for Holiday cards and gifts. Then I know what I still need, or what I can't find. We receive monthly Chatbooks Photobooks and they're great to look through, but for a yearly book, I know I need to make sure all my photos are in one place so I can go through and select the best. Otherwise, that book isn't happening."

One of our favorites school organization hacks: The Command Center

Adults tend to stay organized and on track with mobile calendar apps, Google spreadsheets, and other digital means but how do you translate your Google calendar to your kids? Our organizers all have dedicated command centers in their homes and recommend them for parents to keep all of the members of the family on track. There's a way to make it work for any family, whether it's a full and structured section of your house or nook in the kitchen where everyone drops their important paperwork and school assignments, establish a dedicated area, and check in with the kids to make sure they're using it each day.

Build Your Own Daily System Components | Pottery Barn. Aside from being completely beautiful, the ability to mix-and-match the different components offered by Pottery Barn allows you to completely customize an area that works for your family.

Command Center | One Creative Housewife. This command center was totally customized and a great, budget friendly and functional center for it all to come together. If you have young ones, the baskets towards the bottom are perfect for school papers. Follow the link to see how she put it all together.

"Our whole system runs in Google docs. We print out a spreadsheet for morning routines to be checked off that also lists all the events that day, like piano lessons and basketball practice. Our command center has cubbies for important papers that get thrown away after we add them to our calendar - or put back into the cubby to return a signature to school. Important items to keep or share get filed for the end of the school year."

Kitchen Station | At Charlotte's House. A command center for back to school organizing may seem like a huge project, or require a lot of space, but this is a perfect example of how to make a small space work for you and your family!

Back to school organization DIY: For all that paper!

We know we don't need to remind you that there are piles and piles of paper and artwork headed your way and it multiplies with each kid. It's what you have those back to school command centers for! Some of it's precious, like artwork; others require immediate attention and others are just extraneous. What do you do with it and how do you decide what to keep?

You can't keep everything, so before it starts coming in decide now what you need to keep. Here's a get organized checklist from our team to keep track of what may (or may not) want to hold onto:

Certificates

Poems/short stories

Special projects

Memorabilia from events like concerts and plays

Artwork - We wrote a whole post on different things you can do with artwork besides letting it pile up in a closet or basement.

"I always file the leftover school photos after I've shared them with family, but I am now requesting the digital files! If your school photographer doesn't offer the option to purchase digital files, scan the photos on your home computer or use the Google Photo Scan app to make your own file for your digital library."

We're going to make this as simple as possible because once you commit to a system it's easier than you'd think!

Purchase a hanging file box for each child. Don't get one that doesn't allow for hanging folders or you could fall into the trap of just tossing papers in the bin. Try this tote from the Container Store, they have even bigger ones as well.

Get a box of hanging file folders. You'll need enough to have one folder for each year for each child.

Label them by school year. You can find printable labels online like these.

Keep what you already decided was important. As the paperwork comes in, file it right away and you won't have to go through piles of paperwork at the end of the year.

The best part of creating and sticking with a system like this is that you'll be able to make incredible keepsakes for your child at the end of the year, or even when they're ready for college, and it will be a breeze. You'll even have more than just photos to include because you've kept all the really important memorabilia along the way. Think about how great it will be for your kid to read their 3rd-grade teacher's account of them or see their artwork from kindergarten.

Expert level paperwork system from Martha Stewart

Mini Office in a Chest | Martha Stewart. We really mean expert level, but we couldn't leave this one out.

Keeping routines routine with school organization printables & projects

For children (and adults) consistency can make a huge difference. Who doesn't have a board full of a hundred different free printables to get organized on Pinterest? These are our favorites.

Morning Printable | I Heart Organizing. She also has a great matching Bedtime Routine printable!

Dry Erase Clipboard Chart | The 36th Avenue. For the true DIY lover, these are a creative way to keep track of what needs to be done.

Organizing Checklists! | WhipperBerry. Keep their homework on track with this great checklist by subject.

Dedicated stations make organizing school supplies at home easy

We could write a whole post just on back to school organizing for homework. It just keeps getting more involved than the year before and you inevitably need markers, glue, calculators and other supplies for them to do their best. Lugging all their supplies back and forth also means things get lost or broken. So, we advise that you set up a homework station and get a school supply organizer for home where all the traditional items live and get used.

DIY Homework Station | Design Improvised. Not only is this a great way to give your children a space that feels like their own, this DIY tutorial shows you how to pull it together and how to create that great supply storage cart.

Homework Area | Postbox Designs. We have words other than 'WOW, let's just move in here.' If you've ever wondered how a professional interior designer would put together a homework area to keep back to school projects and homework organized, look no further. We'd recommend some storage under the table for school supply organizing, and this is, of course, an area better suited to older children or high schoolers.

School Supply Station | Sprinkle Some Fun. You don't always need a whole area just for doing homework, sometimes the biggest win is keeping all the supplies in one place for easy access. This is a great DIY tutorial for just that. Not all school organization ideas have to be complicated!

Over the Door Supply Organizer | A Bowl Full of Lemons. If you consider yourself DIY-challenged but are open to a DIY closet organization idea, consider this incredibly easy way to keep everything together!

Interested in our digital organizing services? Let us know!

Our team loves organizing photo and home movie clutter to make sure family memories are easy to find and easy to share. We hope this list of best back to school organizing tips help you get on track for the school year and carry you through the holidays. We'd love to hear what works for you and your family to stay organized when school starts. Leave us a message in the comments or send us an email about how you handle back to school time.

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13 Powerful Back to School Organizing Hacks to Change Your Life

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Our team of professional photo organizers deals with chaos on a regular basis. Whether it's building organized digital photo and video libraries or going through analog photos and videos to get them prepared to be digitized, they've seen it all.

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Back to School

School Hacks: How to Stay Motivated and Get Organized

Watch the study tips and organization tips for school with YouTube's Alisha Marie!

Below is a recap of her study tips and advice for staying motivated in school until the end of the year! I hope you enjoy, PI girls, and I pray you do well on your upcoming midterms!
10 Tips for Staying Motivated in School
1. Make studying fun: Get a study buddy or study outside, at a coffee shop or at a library. Meet up with a friend and do some work together!

2. Make a study nook/corner: Make a fun study area with blankets and a desk, a candle, music...oh, and let's not forget coffee! ; )

3. Make a music playlist: Listening to music while studying (especially instrumental or classical music) has been proven to help boost brain activity.

4. Gather everything you need BEFORE you sit down to study: If you don'tdo this prior to your study time, then it is likely you will have to keep getting up for either supplies or snacks, and so forth.

5. Make a flashcard of the day: Weeks before your midterms and final exams, make sure to do a flashcard per day and use different colored markers to make certain words stand out. Have a "know" pile and a "study" pile for terms or material you still need to learn.

6. Use highlighters: Highlighters and markers are lifesavers when it comes to making your notes stand out and/or interesting. Make sure to have different colors so you can brighten up your study time!

7. Invest in a planner: Calendars help us all stay on top of our to-do lists and our busy schedules. You can design, create and/or even scrapbook your planner to make it more fun to look at.

8. Use a dry erase marker on your mirror: If you want to remind yourself of what you need to do, a dry erase marker comes in handy for mirrors for those extra vocabulary words or those final reminders you to need tell yourself while you do your makeup or hair, or when you walk by. It is easy to see either on your vanity mirror or in your restroom. Make sure it is erasable and that if you share a restroom with a roomie, sibling or someone else, ask or tell them beforehand.

9. Don't procrastinate: Study hard before your exam weeks ahead little by little. You can do it!

10. Reward yourself: If you want to reward yourself AFTER studying, this is a great idea! If you decide to reward yourself between long projects, it can help refuel you for the long haul (see Alisha Marie's video). Remember, you worked hard and you earned it! Motto in life: work hard and play hard.

Watch the video below and subscribe to Alisha Marie's channel for more life hacks and fun videos:
PI Girls, what are your study habits and do you have any tips or advice regarding staying motivated and being organized?

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School Hacks: How to Stay Motivated and Get Organized

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Watch the study tips and organization tips for school with YouTube's Alisha Marie! Below is a recap of her study tips and advice for staying motivated in school until the end of the year! I hope you enjoy, PI girls, and I pray you do well on your upcoming midterms! 10 Tips for Staying Motivated in School 1.