I’ve been struggling a bit with sleep lately. Some nights, I’d have trouble falling asleep; other nights, I’d get to sleep, but toss and turn through the night. Often, I’d wake up with pain in either my neck, my upper back, or my lower back. Sometimes all three.

It’s not just about the joys of aging; there are things you can do to improve the quality of sleep you get, and to wake up without feeling like you aged 30 years overnight. Here are a few tips for getting a better night’s sleep that worked for me!

Tip #1: Get the right mattress for your needs.

If you have a really curvy back, you might need something with a little bit of give, in order to ensure that the mattress is supporting your entire spine, and not just a portion of it. On the other hand, if your spine is flatter like mine is, then a firm mattress might be a better choice for you.

Then you’ve got the choice of material. There’s all kinds of options these days: coils, foam, latex, gel, and hybrid mattresses that combine two or more of these. I can’t say what’s right for you, but I can suggest that you try out your mattress by lying on it for at least 10 minutes before you purchase. If you’re buying online, make sure the company you buy from offers a money-back guarantee, in case your new mattress doesn’t meet your needs.

The bottom line is this: your mattress has a huge impact on the quality of your sleep, and the quality of your sleep has a huge impact on your quality of life. So don’t skimp, and take the time to get a mattress that truly helps you sleep your best.

Tip #2: Avoid drinking tons of booze before bed.

Alcohol can make you feel sleepy when you’re awake, but it also messes with your sleep later on in the night. Having a single nightcap is fine, but avoid overdoing it if you want a better night’s rest.

Before I cut back on my alcohol consumption, I’d get to sleep really easily, only to wake up tossing and turning later in the night. When I cut back on my alcohol intake, I immediately noticed an improvement in my sleep.

Tip #3: Change your sleep position.

Do you sleep on your back? Your side? Your stomach? These positions aren’t all equally healthy for your body. For my entire life, I’ve been a stomach sleeper. Well guess what? Turns out that, unless you’re sleeping face-down in your pillow (which you’re not, because you can’t breathe doing that), you’re craning your neck to one side every night. Over time, that can have a really damaging effect on your spine and muscles – it sure did for me.

I’m not in the process of changing how I sleep, and switching to sleeping on my back. Sleeping on your back provides more support and aligns your body in a better posture than sleeping on your stomach. Not gonna lie: it’s been a tough adjustment for me, but I’m slowly getting used to it, and I can already feel the benefits when I wake up the next morning!

Tip #4: Get the right pillow for your sleep position.

So now that you’ve got a better sleeping position, you need the right pillow for the job. I personally love a good contoured memory foam pillow, like this one available from Amazon. The funny thing is that I’ve used one of these pillows for over a decade, and yet I only recently began using it properly. It’s not made for sleeping on your stomach, but it’s great for sleeping on your side or back!

If you’re a side sleeper, you might also consider a leg pillow to go between your legs and keep your hips aligned properly while you sleep. This one has almost 9,000 reviews and a great overall rating. The big thing is that it’s got a strap, so that the pillow stays in place if you move around during the night.

Tip #5: Shut the screens off before bed.

This might just be the hardest tip on this list for me. We’re all so addicted to our phones and TVs that it can be really hard to unplug right before bed. When you do, though, it gives your brain time to wind down, instead of making it feel constantly stimulated and like it needs to be alert and ready for action.

By shutting off the screens at least a half hour before bed, you give yourself time to physically wind down, and it’ll allow you to fall asleep faster than you would if you’re swiping through Instagram while in bed (no, I totally don’t do that… …).

Wrapping it Up

I neglected my sleeping routine for so long that it manifested with sleepless nights and insane amounts of neck and back pain. If you’re in the same boat, then you already know what you can gain by getting these things right. If you’re not in my camp, then do yourself a favour: follow these tips for how to get a better night’s sleep, and keep it that way. Your future self will thank you for it!