1 Fix a bedtime and a waking up time: Most of us stay up too late and get up too early. Try not to make these times too fluid and flexible.

2 Avoid using alcohol as a sleep aid: Withdrawal from alcohol leads to shallow sleep and recurrent awakening.

3 Avoid caffeine up to 10 hours before bedtime: This includes caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea and some sodas, as well as chocolate.

4 Avoid heavy meals or spicy foods two to three hours before bedtime: These can affect your ability to stay asleep as they may cause acid reflux.

5 Exercise regularly, but not right before bedtime: Regular exercise, particularly in the afternoon, can help deepen sleep. Strenuous exercise within the two hours before bedtime, however, can decrease your ability to fall asleep.

6 Use your bed for sleep, not work: It's tempting to fall into bed with your laptop, surfing the Net and facebooking with your friends. But these exciting distractions can prevent you from getting sleepy. Try to let your brain only associate your bed with sleep.

7 Banish the TV from your bedroom: Watching television in bed is often a bad idea because it can stimulate your brain and make it hard to unwind and fall asleep.

8 Block out all distracting noise: Also, eliminate as much light as possible. Dim the lights for a while before falling asleep.

9 Try a light snack before sleeping: Warm milk and foods high in the amino acid tryptophan, such as bananas, may help you sleep.

10 Don't take your worries to bed: Try and deal with work worries and to-do lists long before bedtime. If it helps, set aside worry-time in the evening so that you don't carry it to bed.

Source: Dr Lim Li Ling, director, Sleep Disorders Unit, Singapore General Hospital

This story was first published in the Mind Your Body supplement on Apr 9, 2008.