Lack of sleep most notably affects memory and productivity, but it can also make your physical body more prone to ill-health. Good sleep gives your body, mind, and even your emotions a chance to rest, process, and naturally restore. If you are having trouble sleeping, consider the following factors to see if you can get the rest you need by making a few simple adjustments in your life and sleep environment that could dramatically improve your sleep.

Stress

Stress and worry is probably one of the greatest disruptors of sleep. Stress produces cortisol, which is a wake-up hormone that tells the body to get up and get things accomplished.

One of the biggest things that keeps people up at night is financial worry. If you are under stress due to financial issues, meet with a financial advisor, advocate, or coach and find creative ways to consolidate debt, reduce expenses, add income, and in general decrease your stress over money. If credit cards are causing you problems, reduce your number of cards to just one really good low-stress one such as an American Express credit card.

Family and relationship stress is another top stressor for many people. Finding an effective counselor and support circle are essential to overcoming this kind of stress. Self-care and regular exercise are also essential ways you can decrease your stress level daily. Make sure you are prioritizing taking care of yourself through a healthy diet, sufficient physical activity, and engaging in activities that fulfill you.

Light

Light signals natural sleep-promoting biochemicals, primarily the hormone melatonin, in your body to switch off or decrease production. It also affects your circadian rhythm, which regulates when your body is wakeful or restful. Make sure to turn off lights inside the bedroom. Even nightlights and small lights from electronic devices can be disruptive.

Invest in good light blocking curtains for any windows in the bedroom. It may be strange for you to be in such a dark room at first, but after your body adjusts to the new light level you will most likely find yourself enjoying a deeper, better sleep experience. It may take a few weeks for your body's circadian rhythm and melatonin production to shift once you have eliminated sources of nighttime light from your bedroom.

Electronics

While it can be tempting to catch up on work, email, or internet searching before you go to sleep, research indicates that setting phones, tablets, and computers aside at least a couple hours before your intended bedtime will greatly improve the quality of your sleep. Additionally, while the allure of a late-night movie or vegging in front of the television is a common way for many people to wind down for bed, if you are looking for better sleep, switch off the shows and opt for a book or magazine instead.

Some people even recommend unplugging bedside lamps, which can emit a low flow of electric current when plugged in. Some ultra-sensitive sleepers find this makes a difference in quality of sleep. Remove electronics like televisions and computers from your bedroom, or turn them off and unplug them as well.

Brainwaves

Set yourself up for deep, restorative sleep by getting into the right brainwave state before sleep. Guided relaxation and visualization are great ways to enter the relaxed state of mind that will promote the best sleep possible. You can also find binaural beats and other music tracks that utilize frequencies to encourage the best brainwave state for sleep. Dr. Jeffrey Thompson of the Center for Neuroacoustic Research has some excellent recordings that help you achieve the brainwave state necessary for good sleep.

Other adjustments to diet and lifestyle, including regular physical exercise, may impact your sleep in a positive way. You will most likely want to consult with a health professional who is a sleep specialist if you are unable to achieve the sleep you need after making changes that are known to affect sleep quality.