Post by Kyle St. Romain.

I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It seems like 2013 flew by towards the end there, and now we’re on to 2014: a new year filled with boundless possibilities and opportunities. That is, of course, until 2015…

Given that the tradition of making resolutions is as old as celebrating the New Year itself, I wanted to share with you a handful of my favorite tips that you can use towards fulfilling a resolution to get a better night’s sleep.

• Exercise. Probably the most popular New Year’s resolution is to exercise — even if the effort rarely lasts through February. In addition to exercising for a fitness goal this year, try exercising for better sleep. You’ll still have a chance at fitting in that favorite pair of jeans you wore back in college, and will definitely sleep better.


• Color-shift your computer screen. I’ve written in the past about the benefits of color-shifting your computer screen using a free and lightweight program called f.lux. Without going into too much detail, color-shifting turns your screen from a bright white to a warm red as the sun goes down. The warmer light is easier on your eyes, and also helps prepare you for sleep (light is a stimulus that tells your brain to stay awake). I’ve been using the program for a couple years now and can’t imagine life without it.


• Eat a light snack before bed. While you don’t want to eat a large meal and immediately go to sleep (it would be bad for your digestion), a light snack about an hour before bed can help you sleep soundly through the night. The best snacks are those with a mix of tryptophan (the amino acid found in turkey that we blame for Thanksgiving drowsiness) and complex carbs. A great sleep snack that’s easy to make is peanut butter and crackers. The carbs from the crackers mixed with the tryptophan found in peanut butter helps your brain create serotonin, which helps you feel more relaxed and ready to sleep.


• Get in a routine. Setting a regular bedtime routine can help you sleep better. Easier said than done, I know. In addition to the time you go to bed, there are other nightly rituals that can also help prepare you for sleep. For example, some people find that taking a hot shower or meditating right before bed helps them sleep better. When developing a sleep routine, don’t neglect the other half, i.e., waking up, which is just as important as your bedtime.


• Make your bedroom your sanctuary. The Charles P Rogers blog is filled with tips and tricks for making your bedroom the sanctuary of your dreams. So if you’re looking for design inspiration, don’t be shy about browsing through the archives. Whatever your style, however, a luxurious bed is critical to getting a good night’s sleep and looks great in any décor. Without one you’ll always be missing something in the sleep department. 2014 is a perfect excuse to treat yourself to the comfortable bed you’ve always wanted.

While you may not have thought to make your New Year’s resolution “getting a better night’s sleep,” the above tips are general enough that you may have already resolved to do one of them. Now you have yet another reason to stick to your goals and make 2014 the best year yet!