The fundamental of sleep is something that people have tried to understand for a long time but the simplicity of it is quite astounding. Sleep is a state of rest in humans when most body activity, except essential ones, completely shuts down. Good sleep is defined as an eight hour shut down at night with no distractions and deep sleep. Ideally, the best way to figure out of you had good sleep is to wake up completely on your own without the help of alarms or being woken up. Getting sleep is rather simple. Your body must want to go to sleep and that is something that is set by a combination of circadian rhythms and light.
There are two hormones that are responsible for sleep in human beings – adenosine and melatonin. Adenosine is a neurotransmitter that is created and the levels of it build up over the course of a day and at a certain point of saturation causes sleep. Melatonin, aids in this process by reducing the core body temperature and thereby facilitating sleep. The most important facet of sleep is the presence of light. When adenosine levels peak out, it should usually correspond to a decrease in the amount of visible light, which is why it takes a monumental effort to fall asleep in bright light. According to the regular clock, melatonin secretions start at around 9 pm and you achieve your deepest sleep by 2 am in the morning. The secretion then stops at 7 am in the morning. The best thing that you can do to get good sleep is to ensure that you consistently stick to a sleep cycle that may not necessarily mirror the exact circadian rhythm but is as close as possible to it. Considering the role that light plays on sleep, it is important that you ensure that you are in absolute darkness when you go to sleep.
There are over the counter supplements of melatonin that you can buy but the bioavailablity of this is questionable. When you are about to go to sleep, ensure that you are wearing comfortable clothes and there is a blanket handy as your body temperature rises and falls during the sleep cycles. The next thing to do is to ensure that the room is completely dark and free of noise, as even the slightest bit of light can disrupt melatonin production. Do not eat or drink too heavily before sleeping either.