According to the new Consumer Report, 27% of Americans have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep all night, and 68% of Americans have trouble with sleep at least once per week.

The numbers are high, and they continue to rise. Sleep is essential. Sleep allows our body to heal and repair our vital organs, it increases our productivity during the day, and boosts our immune system.

Poor sleep is linked to weight gain, obesity, hormone disruption, poor eating habits, an increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and depression.

5 ways to improve your sleep starting today!

1. Turn off all electronic devices a minimum of 60 minutes before bedtime and store them away from your bed. The blue light that is emitted from electronic devices, like our cell phones is harmful and disruptive to sleep.

2. Journal for 5 + minutes before you go to sleep. Journaling before bed allows those lingering thoughts and worries to get out of your head and onto the pages, allowing you to have a more restful sleep.

3. Use blackout curtains in your bedroom, and switch your lights to a dimmer. This signals to your body that it is time for rest. The blackout curtains can be very helpful to block out street lights, and can help provide a deeper sleep.

4. Sound machine. Using a sound machine (even a sound machine app on your phone) can help to block out excess noise, and soothe your mind and body into a more restful sleep.

5. Cut off your caffeine by 2:00pm, at the latest. This will allow your body to absorb and utilize the remaining caffeine before you hit your pillow.