Do not eat or drink right before bed. Cut yourself off from late night snacks and even those extra sips of water right before going to bed, which will give yourself a chance to sleep through the night without being interrupted by the need to use the bathroom. Cut down on caffeine or, if you're a smoker, try to reduce your cravings for nicotine. Avoid big meals during the day, specially in the latter part. When you drink coffee, smoke or eat later in the day, after the effects have worn off in the middle of the night, your body will wake you to alert you to refuel. Rid yourself of these bad habits to get your rhythm back on track. Schedule a bedtime. Avoid falling asleep at any old time and force yourself to wind down regularly at the same time each night. Turn off lights, sounds and any other distractions that will keep you from getting to sleep faster. Stick to a very strict bedtime schedule and commit to it, even on the weekends. Set your alarm to wake you up at the same time every day. As you're retraining your body to get in a regular sleeping cycle, the most important element is giving it consistency. Avoid breaking the cycle so that you don't have to start all over again. Give yourself sunlight and exercise in the morning. Get up, open up the blinds and stretch or go for a walk around the block. The light and blood flow will send signals to your body that it's now time to get up and moving. Getting into a routine like this will help teach your body the difference between a period of rest and that of alertness. Repeat your routine daily for the best results. Commit to changing your schedule if you are serious about changing your sleep cycle and getting back to a state of normalcy. Give yourself a few weeks with your new schedule to notice the difference in your sleep pattern. Source
