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| She's sleeping well because she read this article!!! |
Wild women often have sleep issues. Either we neglect it and sacrifice it, or
when we finally get to bed we can’t turn off our brains to get to sleep, or we
wake up in the middle of the night, brains still whirring and can’t get back to
sleep. Unlike the flowers that gently
fold their petals as the sun goes down to rest their beautiful heads, we lie
with eyes wide open staring at the ceiling, contemplating everything from how
can we be responsible for world peace to what will I make for lunch tomorrow.
Personally, I tend to get what I call the “Sunday
Night Sleep Factor”, where I inevitably find myself annoyingly awake at 2am on
Sunday into Monday, and just as I finally drift off to sleep, I am jolted out
of bed by the screaming of the alarm clock welcoming me to a new morning with
all the nails-on-the-blackboard auditory horror of Howard’s mother as she
screams at him (from the Big Bang Theory). "Lin-ddaaaaaahhhhh – GET UP!!!!!" Ugh
– like a jagged lightning bolt right down the spine… is it any wonder Mondays have such a bad
reputation?!?!? There I am on the floor with a major case of bed head,
wondering where I am, what day is it, where the night went and how can I get back into bed and
squeeze in just a few more precious minutes of the illusive butterfly of sleep??? (Ah, maybe that’s why that drug company uses
a butterfly for their sleep aid ads.)
Truly, today’s women suffer from the sleep poverty.
Today I’d like to share with you an article from Prevention
Magazine that offers some tips on ways to sleep better at night. My hope is that one or two of these tips will
enable you to find a better sleep for yourself this week. It’s one of the best beauty regimes going,
improves your health and makes the world a bit brighter each day. (Oh, and #17 does NOT include hairy husbands!) So before you go out and spend a ton of money
on a bed that has numbers or gel or moves in 52 different positions (although
investing in a good bed is a great idea), try some of these ideas first. Say it with me…. “Now I lay me down to sleep…”
zzzzz
“There is no pillow as
soft as a clear conscience.” ~ John
Wooden
Blessings and sweet dreams,
20 Ways To Sleep
Better Every Night
All-natural, sound-sleep secrets tailored to your nightly
needs
By Teresa Dumain
Sound slumber results in increased energy and productivity,
improved heart and immune system health, a better mood, even a longer life. And
hey, you just feel so much better after a satisfying 8 hours of rest. But
chances are, you're not getting it. "Sleep issues are epidemic among women
today," says Michael Breus, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of The
Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan.
Not surprisingly, women tend to get less sleep than men do
overall, says Marianne Legato, MD, FACP, director of the Partnership for
Gender-Specific Medicine at Columbia University. Even if you don't have
children, levels of sleep-promoting estrogen sink regularly during menstruation
and then permanently in menopause. And symptoms related to both—cramps,
headaches, hot flashes, and night sweats—also disrupt slumber.
But experts agree that these biological facts don't mean
that sleep deprivation has to be your destiny. "Feeling tired should never
be considered normal," says Dr. Breus. Yet there are no stock sleep
solutions, either: Finding out what works for you takes some trial and error,
but it's well worth it, says Lawrence Epstein, MD, chief medical officer of
Sleep HealthCenters. "Sleep is a basic biological necessity—just like
eating—and it has an impact on every aspect of your health and your life,"
he notes.
1. Set a sleep
schedule—and stick with it
If you do only one thing to improve your sleep, this is it,
says Dr. Breus: Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same
time every morning—even on weekends. A regular sleep routine keeps your
biological clock steady so you rest better. Exposure to a regular pattern of
light and dark helps, so stay in sync by opening the blinds or going outside
right after you wake up.
2. Keep a sleep diary
To help you understand how your habits affect your rest,
track your sleep every day for at least 2 weeks. Write down not only what's
obviously sleep related—what time you go to bed, how long it takes you to fall
asleep, how many times you wake up during the night, how you feel in the
morning—but also factors like what you ate close to bedtime and what exercise
you got. Comparing your daily activities with your nightly sleep patterns can
show you where you need to make changes. For a sample sleep diary, go to
sleepdoctor.com.
3. Stop smoking
Reason number 1,001: Nicotine is a stimulant, so it prevents
you from falling asleep. Plus, many smokers experience withdrawal pangs at
night. Smokers are 4 times more likely not to feel as well rested after a
night's sleep than nonsmokers, studies show, and smoking exacerbates sleep
apnea and other breathing disorders, which can also stop you from getting a
good night's rest. Don't worry that quitting will keep you up nights too: That
effect passes in about 3 nights, says Lisa Shives, MD, sleep expert and founder
of Northshore Sleep Medicine.
4. Review your medications
Beta-blockers (prescribed for high blood pressure) may cause
insomnia; so can SSRIs (a class of antidepressants that includes Prozac and
Zoloft). And that's just the beginning. Write down every drug and supplement
you take, and have your doctor evaluate how they may be affecting your sleep.
5. Exercise, but not within 4 hours of bedtime
Working out—especially cardio—improves the length and
quality of your sleep, says Dr. Shives. That said, 30 minutes of vigorous
aerobic exercise keeps your body temperature elevated for about 4 hours,
inhibiting sleep. When your body begins to cool down, however, it signals your
brain to release sleep-inducing melatonin, so then you'll get drowsy.
6. Cut caffeine after 2 pm
That means coffee, tea, and cola. Caffeine is a stimulant
that stays in your system for about 8 hours, so if you have a cappuccino after
dinner, come bedtime, it'll either prevent your brain from entering deep sleep
or stop you from falling asleep altogether.
7. Write down your woes
"The number one sleep complaint I hear? 'I can't turn
off my mind,'" says Dr. Breus. To quiet that wakeful worrying, every night
jot down your top concerns—say, I have to call my insurer to dispute that
denied claim, which will take forever, and how can I spend all that time on the
phone when work is so busy? Then write down the steps you can take to solve the
problem—I'm going to look up the numbers before breakfast, refuse to stay on
hold for more than three minutes, and send e-mails tomorrow night if I can't
get through—or even I can't do anything about this tonight, so I'll worry about
it tomorrow. Once your concerns are converted into some kind of action plan,
you'll rest easier.
8. Take time to wind down
"Sleep is not an on-off switch," says Dr. Breus.
"It's more like slowly easing your foot off the gas." Give your body
time to transition from your active day to bedtime drowsiness by setting a
timer for an hour before bed and divvying up the time as follows:
- · First 20 minutes: Prep for tomorrow (pack your
bag, set out your clothes).
- · Next 20: Take care of personal hygiene (brush
your teeth, moisturize your face).
- · Last 20: Relax in bed, reading with a small,
low-wattage book light or practicing deep breathing.
9. Sip milk, not a martini
A few hours after drinking, alcohol levels in your blood
start to drop, which signals your body to wake up. It takes an average person
about an hour to metabolize one drink, so if you have two glasses of wine with
dinner, finish your last sip at least 2 hours before bed.
10. Snack on cheese and crackers
The ideal nighttime nosh combines carbohydrates and either
calcium or a protein that contains the amino acid tryptophan— studies show that
both of these combos boost serotonin, a naturally occurring brain chemical that
helps you feel calm. Enjoy your snack about an hour before bedtime so that the
amino acids have time to reach your brain. Some good choices:
- · one piece of whole grain toast with a slice of
low-fat cheese or turkey
- · a banana with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter
- · whole grain cereal and fat-free milk
- · fruit and low-fat yogurt
11. Listen to a bedtime story
Load a familiar audiobook on your iPod—one that you know
well, so it doesn't engage you but distracts your attention until you drift off
to sleep, suggests Dr. Shives. Relaxing music works well, too.
12. Stay cool...
Experts usually recommend setting your bedroom thermostat
between 65° and 75°F—a good guideline, but pay attention to how you actually
feel under the covers. Slipping between cool sheets helps trigger a drop in
your body temperature. That shift signals the body to produce melatonin, which
induces sleep. That's why it's also a good idea to take a warm bath or hot
shower before going to bed: Both temporarily raise your body temperature, after
which it gradually lowers in the cooler air, cueing your body to feel sleepy.
But for optimal rest, once you've settled in to bed, you shouldn't feel cold or
hot—but just right.
13. ...especially if you're menopausal
During menopause, 75% of women suffer from hot flashes, and
just over 20% have night sweats or hot flashes that trouble their sleep.
Consider turning on a fan or the AC to cool and circulate the air. Just go low
gradually: Your body loses some ability to regulate its temperature during
rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, so overchilling your environment—down to 60°F,
for instance—will backfire.
14. Spray a sleep-inducing scent
Certain smells, such as lavender, chamomile, and
ylang-ylang, activate the alpha wave activity in the back of your brain, which
leads to relaxation and helps you sleep more soundly. Mix a few drops of
essential oil and water in a spray bottle and give your pillowcase a spritz.
15. Turn on the white noise
Sound machines designed to help you sleep produce a
low-level soothing noise. These can help you tune out barking dogs, the TV
downstairs, or any other disturbances so you can fall asleep and stay asleep.
16. Eliminate sneaky light sources
"Light is a powerful signal to your brain to be
awake," explains Dr. Shives. Even the glow from your laptop, iPad, smart
phone, or any other electronics on your nightstand may pass through your closed
eyelids and retinas into your hypothalamus—the part of your brain that controls
sleep. This delays your brain's release of the sleep-promoting hormone
melatonin. Thus, the darker your room is, the more soundly you'll sleep.
17. Consider kicking out furry bedmates
Cats can be active in the late-night and early morning
hours, and dogs may scratch, sniff, and snore you awake. More than half of
people who sleep with their pets say the animals disturb their slumber,
according to a survey from the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center. "But if
your pet is a good, sound sleeper and snuggling up with him is comforting and
soothing, it's fine to let him stay put," advises Dr. Shives.
18. Check your pillow position
The perfect prop for your head will keep your spine and neck
in a straight line to avoid tension or cramps that can prevent you from falling
asleep. Ask your spouse to check the alignment of your head and neck when
you're in your starting sleep position. If your neck is flexed back or raised,
get a pillow that lets you sleep in a better-aligned position. And if you're a
stomach sleeper, consider using either no pillow or a very flat one to help
keep your neck and spine straight.
19. Breathe deeply
This technique helps reduce your heart rate and blood
pressure, releases endorphins, and relaxes your body, priming you for sleep.
Inhale for 5 seconds, pause for 3, then exhale to a count of 5. Start with 8
repetitions; gradually increase to 15. To see if you're doing it right, says
Dr. Breus, buy a bottle of children's bubbles, breathe in through your belly,
and blow through the wand. The smooth and steady breath that you use to blow a
bubble successfully should be what you strive for when you're trying to get to
sleep.
20. Stay put if you wake up
"The textbook advice is that if you can't fall back
asleep in fifteen minutes, get out of bed," says Dr. Shives. "But I
ask my patients, 'How do you feel in bed?' If they're not fretting or anxious,
I tell them to stay there, in the dark, and do some deep breathing or
visualization." But if lying in bed pushes your stress buttons, get up and
do something quiet and relaxing (in dim light), such as gentle yoga or
massaging your feet until you feel sleepy again.
Published November 2011, Prevention | Updated January 2013
