• Humans can survive longer without food than they can survive without sleep.woman sleeping image by forca from Fotolia.com
  
  Sleep is nature's way of recharging the body and brain. It gives us the chance repair cells and neurons that can't be taken care of when the body is awake. Lack of sleep in humans has shown to be a cause of a shorter life span, as well as problems with memory, temperature control, immune system, and mood.
  
  

Eliminate Caffeine

• Drinking something such as coffee in the early afternoon can even disturb sleep many hours later.art of cappuccino image by Mike & Valerie Miller from Fotolia.com
  
  Caffeine is a well-known stimulant known to disturb sleep. Many seem to think that ingesting caffeine directly before bed is the problem when, in fact, caffeine can take several hours to leave your system. Try to eliminate caffeine from the evening hours, or at least 4 to 6 hours before bedtime.
  
  

Elimine Heavy Food and Drink Before Bed

• Eating heavy foods before bed can keep you awake and cause stomachaches and cramping, or even a general feeling of being too full. Just the same, avoid drinking right before bedtime. This will cut down on the number of times you may wake up and need to use the bathroom throughout the night, which will disrupt your sleep.
  
  

Avoid Highly Stimulating Electronic Activities Before Bed

• Television in the bedroom can also disrupt sleep, as it can literally be a distraction if you find that it's bedtime and your favorite program is on.woman holding remote control image by Adam Borkowski from Fotolia.com
  
  Watching television or using a computer has been known to highly stimulate senses that can cause wakefulness. This is because they can potentially produce brain activity that's counterproductive to the sleep cycle. Try to eliminate computer time and television directly before bed. Instead, choose to read or engage in quiet activities.
  
  

Make Your Sleep Area as Dark as Possible

• Even turning on the light to go to the bathroom can highly disrupt your sleep cycle, as it stimulates your brain to wake up. Try using a dim night light instead.bathroom image by nutech21 from Fotolia.com
  
  Sleep in the darkest area possible. If necessary, wear a sleep mask. The presence of light can disrupt your circadian rhythm, as well as the production of serotonin and melatonin from your pineal gland, which is very counterproductive to restful sleep.
  
  

Use a Comfortable Temperature Setting

• Temperature can be the culprit when it comes to losing sleep. Make your sleep area as comfortable as possible by finding what temperature works best for you. It is difficult to be comfortable if you're too cold or hot, and this especially applies to your feet. Because feet tend to have poorer circulation than does the rest of the body, they can feel colder. Wearing socks may help.