Do you get eight hours of sleep a night? Probably not. Lack of sleep affects your heath, ability to perform your job, attitude and safety (slow response time causes car accidents). A glass of warm milk may help, but here are some other ideas you may not have thought of:
¨ Turn off the gadgets. Light-emitting TVs, smart phones and computers can suppress sleep-inducing melatonin. Don’t take your iPad to bed!
¨ Buy a new mattress and the right pillow. If you’ve had your mattress more than 7 years, it’s no longer giving you the support you need.
¨ Eat a healthy diet that includes cherries (they contain melatonin); bananas (potassium and magnesium) and oatmeal (it raises blood sugar naturally). Avoid smoked meats, chocolate (caffeine!), energy drinks (no Red Bull), spicy foods (heartburn) and alcohol (it dehydrates you). Try natural sleep remedies such as 30-120mg of wild lettuce or hops, or 200 mg of valerian.
¨ Exercise during the day. Commit to 30 minutes of moderate cardio activity five days a week, but don’t do it within two hours of bedtime. At least 10-15 minutes before bedtime, try practicing such techniques as yoga, meditation, visualization and mindfulness.
¨ Be aware of these sleep myths:
- You can make up for lost sleep on weekends. Doing that only upsets your biological clock and prevents deep sleep.
- Older people need less sleep. They often get less sleep due to more physical ailments. They need naps to make up for sleep loss at night.
- The main cause of insomnia is worry. Worrying can keep you awake (set aside time after dinner to make a “to do” list, plan your next day and try to release yourself from your worries), but persistent insomnia may be caused by medications, depression, or a sleep disorder. If you can’t sleep, talk to your doctor or get more information at a site such as www.sleepeducation.com.