• Don’t drink any fluids 60 minutes before bedtime. This is so you don’t have to go to the bathroom and then have trouble falling back asleep.

• No physical activity for at least 45 minutes before bed. Exercising will rev your body up, making it hard to calm yourself and fall into a restful sleep.

• Take 10 deep breaths as you tell yourself you are going to sleep. When you awake you will be feeling great and ready for the new day.

• As you lay in bed ready to go to sleep, reflect on your day. Express gratitude and give thanks for all you have. It helps you look forward to waking up with renewed enthusiasm and the belief that tomorrow will bring you one day closer to your goals.

• Dress in warm bedclothes if you are cold and cool clothes if you are hot. I have taken this to the extreme and love the results.

I wear wool socks, flannel pants, a sweatshirt and a knit hat. It sounds strange, but if you can minimize the stress on the body in this case trying to keep warm your body will be more relaxed.

Healing is always better when the body is relaxed.

• Do some reading. In my work on back pain, I scour the latest resources and reference guides. So let me recommend and urge you to read the best book ever written on sleep.

It’s called "Power Sleep: The Revolutionary Program That Prepares Your Mind for Peak Performance,” by Dr. James B.

NEWomen