Trying to get through the day on an hour or two of sleep is tough. Here are a few tips to help you get better sleep:

Reduce Screen Time Before Bed- Stop checking email or watching TV before bed to sleep better. A recent study shows that people who consume electronic media just before bedtime report lower-quality sleep. Using a light-emitting device before bed like a flickering TV or computer monitor stimulates the brain in a different way than the way the body was intended to move towards sleep (gradually as the sun set) That’s why it is so easy to waste sleepless hours flipping from channel to channel.

Exercise to Enhance Sleep- Exercising provides lots of good health benefits—a good night’s sleep being one of them. But make sure you exercise in the morning or afternoon, not at night. The National Sleep Foundation reports that exercise in the afternoon can help deepen shut-eye and cut the time it takes for you to fall into dreamland. But, they caution, vigorous exercise leading up to bedtime can actually have the reverse effects. Another study found a morning fitness regime was key to a better sleep.

Eat to Enhance Sleep-  Some foods are more conducive to a better night’s sleep than others. Warm milk, chamomile tea and turkey are all good, but Yahoo Food lists others, like bananas, potatoes, oatmeal and whole-wheat bread.

Master the Power Nap-  The benefits of the classic, 20-minute power nap are getting more recognition, with big companies installing sleep pods at the office and more software applications like Pzizz helping to set the right power nap aural scene. Here’s how to get the perfect nap from the author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life, and more on how and why power naps work.

Avoid the Soul-Shattering Alarm Buzzer- No one likes starting the day by getting ripped out of bed by that evil buzz of the alarm clock, but some sleepyheads ignore anything gentler.

Set a regular bedtime- Go to bed at the same time every night. Choose a time when you normally feel tired, so that you don’t toss and turn. Try not to break this routine on weekends when it may be tempting to stay up late.

Wake up at the same time every day- If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock to wake up on time, you may need to set an earlier bedtime. As with your bedtime, try to maintain your regular wake-time even on weekends.

Nap to make up for lost sleep- If you need to make up for a few lost hours, opt for a daytime nap rather than sleeping late. This strategy allows you to pay off your sleep debt without disturbing your natural sleep-wake rhythm, which often backfires in insomnia and throws you off for days.

Fight after-dinner drowsiness- If you find yourself getting sleepy way before your bedtime, get off the couch and do something mildly stimulating to avoid falling asleep, such as washing the dishes, calling a friend, or getting clothes ready for the next day. If you give in to the drowsiness, you may wake up later in the night and have trouble getting back to sleep.

Don’t read from a backlit device at night (such as an iPad)- If you use a portable electronic device to read, use an eReader that is not backlit, i.e. one that requires an additional light source such as a bedside lamp.

Change your bright light bulbs- Avoid bright lights before bed, use low-wattage bulbs instead.

When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark- The darker it is, the better you’ll sleep. Cover electrical displays, use heavy curtains or shades to block light from windows, or try a sleep mask to cover your eyes. Use a flashlight to go to the bathroom at night. If you wake up during the night to use the bathroom—as long as it’s safe to do so—keep the light to a minimum so it will be easier to go back to sleep.

Cut down on caffeine-  You might be surprised to know that caffeine can cause sleep problems up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it! Consider eliminating caffeine after lunch or cutting back your overall intake.

Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening- Drinking lots of water, juice, tea, or other fluids may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night. Caffeinated drinks only make things worse.