In the spring of my last year of college, I suddenly found myself having a hard time sleeping and could not figure out why. I would roll around for hours, unable to get comfortable or shut my mind off, getting more and more stressed as the morning came closer. After several weeks of this, I mentioned my problem to a friend who happened to be a counselor. She gave me some great tips about how I could improve my sleep, and I found they worked! If you're having trouble sleeping, try these simple tricks and see if they help:

Sleep in a dark room.

Just before I started having sleeping problems, the manager of my apartment building had installed new security porch lights that could not be turned off. They were so bright I could read in my room with the lights off and the blinds closed! Because the room wasn't dark, my brain wasn't able to fully retreat into sleep mode. If your room is bright at night, try investing in some light-blocking curtains or hanging a thick blanket over your window at night to keep a darker atmosphere.

Wake up with light.

The first thing you want to do after waking up (in your dark room) is expose yourself to sunlight. Pull back your curtains, step outside, or stand by a bright window for a few minutes. This will help your body and mind to wake up more quickly and will make you feel more energized.

Eat a lighter dinner.

Eating lots of heavy, rich foods near bedtime will make your digestive system work harder and longer before it can fully rest. Stick to lighter foods, like fruits and vegetables, and try to eat several hours before you will be going to bed.

Don't exercise right before bed.

My counselor friend told me that exercising right before bed is not a good idea. Even if it makes you feel like crashing right afterwards, it still takes your body about two hours to completely cool down. If you do exercise at night, try to do so at least two hours before you hit the sack. If you're unable to do that, make sure end your workout with a proper cool-down, and take a warm shower rather than a hot one.

Shut off the screens.

The last thing a lot of people do before going to bed is checking some form of technological device. This is not good for your eyes or your brain, and it will take you longer to fall asleep. Try shutting off your screened devices at least a half-hour to an hour before bed. Take a shower, read a book, relax, and give your brain and your eyes a rest.

Install F.lux on your computer.

F.lux is a free program that changes the color tint of your screen based on your sleep schedule. You set the hour you're going to wake up, and f.lux changes the tint accordingly. The hours when you should be awake, the screen is brighter and cooler. The closer you get to the hours when you should be asleep, the softer and warmer the screen becomes. I used to get terrible headaches from staring at a bright screen late at night. Now, with f.lux, I no longer have that problem!

Do some relaxing stretches before bed.

I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of yoga, but there is something to be said about stretching before bed (especially if you've been bent over at a desk all day). I have found this series of stretches from Fitness Magazine to be helpful, as well as other stretches I have learned from physical therapy, ballet, and various PE classes. Do whatever works for you to help your body relax and loosen up from the day's tension, especially your neck, back, and shoulders. I like to do mine while listening to a wind-down playlist of relaxing music.

Pray or journal.

Sometimes it's fairly easy to get my body to relax but nearly impossible to get my mind to cooperate. Instead of letting my spin through all the things I need to remember to do tomorrow, I find it helps to quickly jot it down on paper. That way, my mind can relax because I know I won't forget anything. Similarly, I find that praying helps unwind my mind and relax my emotions while I drift off to sleep. Being spiritually relaxed, along with mentally and physically relaxed, completes the circle and I find myself drifting off to sleep...

Did any of these simple tricks help improve your sleep? Have more tricks that helps you get better sleep? Post your comments below!