I used to have a pretty serious problem with insomnia, which, thankfully, I've nearly nipped in the bud in my adult years by exercising five times a week and donning ear plugs (...and tossing out my alarm clock).

And, as we've recently learned, sleep deprivation can cause some serious problems, from productivity loss, to immune deficiency—it can also put you at risk for physical harm.

To avoid that groggy, brain dead feeling after a night of bad sleep, hack your way to a restful night with these tips from Lifehacker.

Among the list of tips (including alarm clock adjustments), the following have worked for me:

• Reading before bed
• Writing out tomorrow's to-do list before leaving the office (then I don't think about work for the rest of the night)
• Consuming low-cal foods before bed
• Sleeping and waking at the same time every day

If I'm really in a jam or need to make sure and get a good night's sleep, I'll take some Simply Sleep for good measure. What helps you get your Zzzz?