Sleep Tips Of The Week
Time for another list of our Sleep Tips of the Week. This week we take a look at some tips to help you sleep smarter. A natural and organic way to optimize your sleep (in addition to taking SleepSmart, of course!) See below and have a restful weekend!
1. Reduce Screen Time Before Bed
A recent study shows people who consume electronic media just before bedtime report lower-quality sleep even when they get as much sleep as those who do not. The light penetrating the body stimulates the brain and slows the production of Melatonin, the hormone produced to help you fall asleep. Stop watching TV, checking Email, or looking at any other LED backlit screen an hour before bed to combat this issue.
2. Exercise to Enhance Sleep
Exercise at least 20-40 minutes each day. This provides immeasurable health benefits overall in addition to a better night’s rest. However, refrain from exercising at night as much as possible. The National Sleep Foundation reports that exercise in the afternoon can help deepen sleep and cut down on sleep latency. But, they caution, vigorous exercise leading up to bedtime can actually have the reverse effects. A 2003 study found that a morning fitness regime was key to a better snooze. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center concluded that postmenopausal women who exercised 30 minutes every morning had less trouble falling asleep than those who were less active. The women who worked out in the evening hours saw little or no improvement in their sleep patterns.
3. Eat Healthy, Eat Wisely
Some foods are more conducive to a better night’s sleep than others. Foods such as warm milk, chamomile tea and turkey, bananas, potatoes, oatmeal and whole-wheat bread are all helpful. Warm milk and turkey contain Tryptophan, a key ingredient in the SleepSmart complex (as 5HTP).
4. The Dreaded Alarm
A major reason why many of us are not morning people is due to those annoying, obnoxious alarm clocks that rip us out of a peaceful slumber with a loud BEEP BEEP BEEP. Well until the Glo-Pillow hits retail markets, I suggest either a dual alarm clock (explained below), or an alarm that wakes you up slowly, with light, smell, and sound. Check out the Peacefull Progression Wakeup Clock.
Dual Alarm Clock: (from Lifehacker) Put one alarm clock on your nightstand, the other across the room and make sure they’re in sync. Set the alarm clock on your nightstand to go off at, let’s say, 6:30 a.m., if that is when you need to get up. I set that one to use the radio, and make sure it is loud enough to wake me up, but not too loud (I don’t want to wake my wife on purpose). The second alarm clock on the dresser is set to go off exactly one minute later, but using that dreadful buzzer. So, when my alarm goes off in the morning, it doesn’t startle me like the buzzer. Then, I know I have about 60 seconds to get up and turn the other one off before I hear a buzzing sound. At that point, I am out of bed, and no buzzer.
5. Solve Problems in Your Sleep
Wrestling with a tough decision, stuck in a creative rut or having a hard time solving a complex problem? Studies show that a little shut-eye can help you tackle problems and make tough decisions.
6. Beat Insomnia with Visualization
There’s nothing worse than laying awake throughout the night, watching the clock tick away seconds knowing you’ll be a zombie the next day. When insomnia’s kicking your sleepy butt, use a self-directed meditative visualization technique to quiet the whir of a racing mind.
