Juggling work and home life robs many of us of restful sleep and leaves us feeling like the walking dead, alternating cups of coffee with cans of Diet Coke — a routine that can definitely unravel a healthy sleep pattern. Here are a few simple tricks from The Mind-Beauty Connection that will get your sleep back on track, so you can get the rest you need to refresh your cells and prepare you for the next day.

Don’t take your to-do list to bed. Jot down tomorrow’s tasks early in the evening, and stick the list in your bag or on the fridge. This can keep you from anxiously making mental notes the minute your head hits the pillow.

Take something. Sometimes, to kick insomnia and get back on a better sleep cycle, all you need is to break the pattern. One cheap, simple method: Take an antihistamine 30 minutes before bed for 1 to 3 nights (regular Benadryl — not a nondrowsy formula — works fine, says Dr. Amy). It makes many people sleepy, and no prescription is needed.

Other people swear that melatonin, the sleep-regulating hormone you can now find in an over-the-counter supplement, helps. But Dr. Wechsler’s not a fan. Why? The amount in different products can vary wildly, despite what’s on the labels. And its long-term safety has yet to be determined. (It’s also highly unlikely that you have a melatonin deficiency; you simply need to establish better sleep habits.)

Try a bedtime snack. The best sleep-inducing nighttime nibble is one that has both complex carbohydrates and a little protein, plus some calcium, which helps the brain use the amino acid tryptophan to manufacture melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods.

Get out of the bedroom. You may think that if you lie in bed long enough, sleep will come. Instead, your mind gets busier and your muscles get tenser as you stress over being awake. Give it a rest. If you can’t get to sleep within 20 minutes, slip out of bed and go to a safe haven — a place that is comfy, has dim lighting, and has no distractions like e-mail, TV, or other electronics. Just sit comfortably. Or do your breathing exercises. Or read. You want to give your mind and body a respite from trying so hard to nod off. After 20 minutes or so, go back to bed, and see what happens when you’re more relaxed. Repeat once or twice if necessary.

Make like a corpse. Try doing the yoga corpse pose (savasana). It’s a little like playing dead. Basically, you lie on your back on a cushioned surface, legs slightly rotated out, arms at your sides but not touching your body, palms up. Then, slowly s-i-n-k into the pose, breathing naturally while letting your whole body go limp. Stay in this position for a few minutes, or for as long as you like.

R-e-l-a-x. Progressive relaxation is a simple and effective technique that’s been used since the 1930s. What to do: Stretch out in bed; one by one, squeeze and release all the muscles in your body, starting with your scalp and working down to your toes. Ironically, tightly tensing up your muscles before relaxing them helps muscles relax more than just plain relaxing does.

Let scent send you to sleep. Aromas widely considered to be relaxing are rose, lavender, vanilla, and lemongrass, but different ones work for different people (some people find lavender stimulating). If one calms you, keep a sachet near your pillow at night to whiff at will, or use a scented hand lotion.