Recent scientific research shows that getting enough sleep can help to boost your body’s ability to fight off infections; help lower your risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease; and may even decrease your risk of obesity.

Unfortunately, if you’re like most Americans, you rarely get the recommended eight hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. Whether you go to bed too late, are unable to fall asleep, or wake up numerous times during the night, research is showing that if you don’t get enough sleep on most nights you may be harming your health. So don’t cheat yourself on sleep — find out what’s keeping you awake, and follow these tips to get the zzz’s you need.

What’s keeping you awake?

Knowing what’s keeping you awake at night can help you develop a plan for getting a good night’s sleep. Here are some sleep interrupters:

• Stresses of daily life. Job-related, financial, and family stresses are common causes of interrupted sleep. It’s best to try and focus on other things besides your worries before bedtime. Another option is talking to your health care provider or a qualified therapist to help get you through tough times.
• Exercise habits. Exercising in the morning or afternoon can actually help you sleep better. However, exercising less than three hours before bedtime can disrupt sleep.
• Eating and drinking habits. If you have a cup of coffee, a nightcap, or a large meal too close to bedtime, you may find it harder to fall asleep.
• Environment. You need a pleasant environment to sleep in. Make sure it’s not too hot, too bright, or too noisy.

5 Tips to help you sleep

The next time you are preparing to get a good night’s sleep, keep these tips in mind:

1. Relax. Try taking a warm bath, listening to soothing music, or reading a good book.
2. Make a list of daily stresses or things you need to do and then put it away. Keep the list out of your mind. You can tend to it the next day.
3. Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Try to go to bed at night and rise in the morning everyday at the same time — even on weekends.
4. Avoid the urge to have that glass of wine or cup of coffee after dinner. Ideally, you should avoid caffeine and alcohol at least four to six hours before bedtime.
5. Create a sleep-friendly environment. Lower the temperature of your room, make it as dark as you can, and keep excess noise to a minimum.