Are you irritable? Difficult to live with because you are constantly tired? Time to look at your sleep habits and do something about them.

If you are tossing and turning consider these 8 tips:

• Women take an average of nine minutes to fall asleep at night compared to 23 minutes for men. IF you are male, get an early start on winding down!
• The effects of caffeine can last up to 8 hours after you indulge. So maybe skip the after dinner coffee with dessert.
• Adjust your weekend hours of sleep. So many of us stay up later and sleep in on weekends, but this throws our sleep schedule completely off. It is better to keep your sleep and wake schedule the same on weekends.
• There is so much activity in your home that you find yourself eating dinner late in the evening. The problem is that heavy or large meals eaten within a couple hours of bedtime can keep you awake. Eat earlier or eat a very light meal at night.
• If your bedroom is toasty hot, turn down the temperature. A dark and cool bedroom helps you sleep better.
• If you watch TV to try and fall asleep, this may not work as the bright lights can signal the brain to wake up!
• Your schedule leaves very little time for exercise so you do what you can at night. If you exercise too late, your body is wound up, ready to go. Try to get exercise in earlier in the day so it doesn’t keep you awake.
• Too much to think about and remember? Write it down. If you put the issues on paper, you are less likely to toss and turn thinking about them.
• If you nap during the day, it can make you less tired at night and throw off your sleep pattern. Stop the naps.
• Too much on your mind? Try to switch gears and relax, letting go of anxious thoughts. A racing mind keeps you awake. End your day with prayer and meditation. Read the Bible and quiet your mind. Cast your cares on God and settle your mind on His goodness.

Make a few changes and see if your mood improves. The lack of sleep is one of the biggest problems with kids and adults when it comes to irritability. Just a few changes could make you a better family member.