Nothing affects your quality of life more than the way you sleep. It’s a simple truth: better nights mean better days. Get the facts to help ensure you wake up refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for the day.

Some of the sleep tips below are from Dr. James B. Maas, Professor of Psychology at Cornell University. Dr. Maas teaches and conducts research on the relationship between sleep and performance. He is the author of the New York Times best seller, “Power Sleep: The Revolutionary Program That Prepares Your Mind For Peak Performance”.

Creating the ideal bedroom environment
There are three things a bedroom should be in order to promote good sleep - quiet, dark and cool.

Quiet
Fans or other noise generators near the bed can help mute sleep distractions. A cheaper alternative is to set the tuner of your FM radio between any two stations. The pseudo white noise you’ll hear will do wonders to mask unwanted sounds.

Light Level
Use room darkening shades or dark fabrics to reduce the amount of light leaking into the room. Eyeshades may also do the trick.

Temperature
65ºF is the ideal temperature for sleeping. A warm room or too many blankets can interrupt your sleep.

Source: Power Sleep: The Revolutionary Program That Prepares Your Mind For Peak Performance.

Simple modifications to your daily routine are an effective way to help your body’s sleep cycle regulate itself.

("Power Sleep" is published by Villard Books, a division of Random House, Inc., and is available in book stores nationwide.)