Here's another tip on how to sleep better naturally: Aromatherapy is medically proven to help you relax before bedtime.

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You know what happens when you don’t sleep well: You feel sluggish in the daytime, and your concentration suffers. Poor or insufficient sleep has been linked to other problems, too, such as declined immune function and an increased risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. In your struggle to find out how to sleep better at night naturally, you’re willing to try just about anything.

What you might not realize is that you probably can do more to improve your sleep quality just by making certain behavioral changes—what sleep specialists refer to as sleep hygiene.

Modern times force people to put sleep on the back burner, but making sleep a priority would help just about anyone with sleep issues. It’s all about good sleep hygiene. So, educate yourself on what you can do to improve your sleep so you can wake up feeling refreshed, not groggy.

How to Sleep Better at Night Naturally: Improve Sleep Hygiene

One of the key strategies that sleep specialists employ to help patients overcome behaviors that contribute to chronic insomnia is stimulus control therapy. This approach includes tactics such as removing yourself from the bedroom if you can’t fall asleep and not watching television or surfing the internet while you’re in bed. Instead of staring at the clock, get up and do a boring. Only return to bed when you’re sleepy.

Similarly, if you’re having sleep troubles, limit your cell phone use around bedtime. One study found that people who spent more time on smartphones, especially close to bedtime, were more likely to have shorter sleep duration, poorer sleep quality and take longer to fall asleep (PLoS One, Nov. 9, 2016). So, turn off your cell phone, computer and television at least an hour before bedtime. (See the chart for other behavioral changes you can make to improve your sleep.)

Still struggling? Don’t hesitate to seek professional help if you’re consistently not getting enough sleep and for additional tips on how to sleep better at night naturally.

Do Sleep Aids Work?

Prescription and over-the-counter sleep medications might help you sleep better in the short term, but they can cause daytime sleepiness, foggy thinking or, in rare cases, unusual sleep behaviors. These effects may be especially pronounced in older adults, who may be at greater risk of drowsiness, falls, slowed reaction times, and drowsy driving.

Some people turn to “natural” sleep remedies or over-the-counter supplements, such as melatonin, to help them sleep. Melatonin may be helpful if you have insomnia caused by disruptions in your sleep/wake cycle, such as problems related to shift work, jet lag, and delayed sleep phase syndrome, but you should take it about five to six hours before bedtime. Also, some data suggest that taking magnesium supplements can promote sleep, especially in people with restless legs syndrome.

However, for other supplements, there’s little evidence that they actually work.

Find the Underlying Cause

Oftentimes, chronic insomnia is accompanied by an underlying medical condition, such as depression, anxiety, or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Or, sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome may be to blame.

And, particularly in older men, arthritis, chronic pain, or even prostate issues can cause sleep problems. So, look for any underlying root cause. Supplements may not be enough to fix the issue. In that case, seeking medical attention is the best next step if you want to know how to sleep better at night naturally.