Are you tired of finding it difficult to sleep? If you make a few changes to your routine, you might find it a lot easier to drop off. Here are 20 things you should get rid of to improve how you sleep.
Caffeinated Products

Caffeine sneaks into so many things – from coffees and teas to fizzy drinks and medication. Because of this, it can be easy to accidentally consume caffeine too close to bedtime. You actually need to leave a big gap between your last dose of caffeine and bedtime – Fortune suggests leaving between 6 – 8 hours.
Bright Alarm Clocks

It’s amazing how much a bright alarm clock can light up the room, which can disrupt sleep. One of the main problems with bright alarm clocks is that they often give off a ‘blue light’ because of their LED displays; this disrupts melatonin production, which messes with your sleep cycle.
Electronic Devices

There are so many reasons that using electronic devices close to bedtime can wreak havoc on your sleep. The blue light confuses your sleep hormones, notifications can prevent you from nodding off and watching videos can overstimulate you—not what you want before trying to catch some Zs!
Heavy Blankets

Heavy blankets can cause overheating in bed without you even realizing it. If you find you wake up frequently at night, your bedding might be to blame. Synthetic materials are the biggest culprits, so it might be an idea to opt for lighter, breathable materials like cotton or bamboo.
Noisy Pets

Banning noisy pets from the bedroom is a tough rule to enforce – but it could dramatically improve your sleep. We’re a nation of pet lovers, with over 66% of households owning at least one pet, according to Forbes, but allowing them in the bedroom is ruining our ability to fall (and stay) asleep!
Clutter

Your bedroom environment is so important to the quality of your sleep, and having clutter around can actually make it hard to fall asleep. Clutter can cause anxiety and stress, even if you don’t notice it, so making sure to have a tidy bedroom is beneficial to feeling well-rested!
Bright Room Lights

Do you have your bright ceiling light on right before trying to sleep? If this sounds like you, this could be making it a lot harder to fall asleep. Bright lights make your body think it’s daytime, so you’re unlikely to feel sleepy. Using a dimmer switch or warm lamps can help.
Heavy Meals

Trying to sleep on a full stomach is a recipe for disaster. A belly full of rich food can lead to indigestion, which negatively impacts sleep quality. You should either try to eat earlier so that you have time to digest your meal or stick to lighter foods.
Work-Related Items

Try to keep your bedroom a work-free zone, even if you work from home. This means no laptops, desks, paperwork, or anything relating to work in the room! If you don’t create a strict divide between work and home life, it will be hard to switch into ‘relax mode’.
Watching Movies

Are you someone who watches movies right up until you turn the lights out? This type of activity is way too mentally stimulating before going to sleep—you’ll feel wide awake and have a really hard time falling asleep. Swap movies for books or even meditation.
Loud Clocks

Any persistent noise should be removed from the bedroom – and a clock with a loud ‘tick’ is a prime example of this. Even if you don’t generally notice your clock ticking as you’re trying to sleep, there is a chance it is subconsciously disrupting you all the same!
Alcohol

Many of us enjoy a drink on the weekend, but if you’re finding it difficult to doze off – your glass of wine could be to blame! A study in NLM shows that drinking alcohol is shown to mess with sleep quality, as it leads to “disrupted, poor quality sleep later in the night.”
Artificial Scents

Whilst it’s true that certain smells can help you fall asleep, anything that’s too artificial could have the opposite effect. This means you should ditch the artificial air fresheners before bedtime, as they may be keeping you awake. Opt for natural essential oils if you still want the room to smell nice.
Old Mattresses

Your mattress can make a huge difference to the quality of your sleep, but we probably don’t pay enough attention to it most of the time. If it’s been a while since you considered buying a new mattress, maybe it’s time for an upgrade. Particularly if yours is particularly old and uncomfortable.
Fitness and Sleep Trackers

We know it can be pretty addictive to keep an eye on sleep using fitness and sleep trackers, but did you know this can sometimes cause additional anxiety? The added pressure from wearing a sleep tracker and wondering how the stats will look in the morning can actually lead to sleeplessness.
Drinks Before Bed

It’s simple, really—avoid drinks before bed so that you don’t have to get up to go to the bathroom at night! Of course, it’s still important to stay hydrated, but you should make sure that you’re drinking enough liquids throughout the day; this will prevent you from being super thirsty at bedtime.
Worry and Stress

Removing worry and stress from our lives is definitely easier said than done, but these two factors can have a huge impact on sleep. If you struggle with this, you might find it useful to add meditation or deep-breathing exercises to your evening routine.
Money Talk

Avoid any discussions about finances before bed! Money is one of the main sources of stress, so it’s not a good thing to bring up before trying to get some sleep! Instead of leaving these discussions to the evening, carve out some specific time during the day – then you won’t be worrying!
Over-The-Counter Medications

Certain over-the-counter medications can contain stimulants, which could be keeping you awake. For example, some cold medicines contain caffeine. If you need to take over-the-counter medication, speak with a pharmacist to find the best option that won’t disrupt your sleep.
Exercising Near Bedtime

Healthline advises leaving at least an hour between exercising and going to bed. If you’re trying to go straight to sleep after doing an intense workout, your body is going to find it hard to adjust. Give yourself some more time to wind down or exercise in the morning instead.
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