Getting a good night’s sleep is important for your health. Getting enough quality sleep can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety. Lack of sleep increases your risk of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke.

Here are some recommendations for starting and building a healthy sleep program.

Step One
Start a bedtime routine with three steps you take every night at approximately the same time. For some, that may be a bath, reading a book and then getting into bed. Make it relaxing and enjoyable.

Step Two
Turn off your cell phone, tablet and television 15 minutes before bedtime. You could pick up a book from your local library to read once the screens are dark.

Step Three
Turn off your cell phone, tablet and television 30 minutes before bedtime. You will be surprised how much quicker you fall asleep and how much better you feel in the morning by eliminating the brain stimulation and blue light emitted by devices before bed.