| Saturday, October 09, 2004 |
| THE DO's AND DONT's OF A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP |
(HealthReport from Essence by J.S.R.)
SLEEP experts recommend eight hours of sleep a night to get adequate rest and maintain good health. Yet during workweek, the average person gets less than seven hours of sack time. If you're not getting enough Z's, these tips can ensure sweet dreams---- starting tonight.
DOestablish a routine. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time each day, says Margaret Moline, PhD, director of the Sleep Wake Disorders Center in New York - Weill Cornell Medical Center in White Plains. Hitting the hay late in Friday and Saturday night and sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday morning will prevent from falling asleep at your regular bedtime Sunday evening.
DON'T work in bed. Maintain your bed as your private oasis of calm. That means never bringing office work, and all its stress, to bed. And if reading or watching television tends to stress you out or overstimulating you, confine those activities to other areas of the house as well, say Moline.
DOditch all PM caffeine. Forgoing a cup of coffee with that late night snack is a no brainer. But don't forget that caffeine is also found in chocolate, colas and other sodas, and in coffee flavored ice cream and yogurts.
DON'TTry to to drink and dream. Drinking alcohol at night can shorten the time you spend in the deepest stage of sleep that leave you rested in the morning. If you uausally indulge in a glass of wine with dinner, try to have it at least four hours before bedtime.
DOdesign your bedroom for rest. Choose bedding, drapes and wall color in soothing shades of beige and white or blue and green, suggests Barbara Finch, a professional feng shuiconsultant in Playa del Rey, California. Use table lamps as your main source of lighting instead of harsher overhead lights. To promote sleep, sprinkle a few drops of lavender essential oil on your pillow.
DON'T get overheated. If your bedroom gets stuffy in the warmer months, crak open a window before hitting the sack. Sleeping in a room at cooler temperatures promotes restful sleep, says Amy R. Wolfson, PhD., an associate professor of psychology at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass. and author of the book Woman's Book of Sleep: a Complete Resource Guide. A room temperature of 62 degrees F is optimal.
DOconsider getting a white noise machine. If you're constantly awakened by the sound of neighbors, the house settling down, the traffic outside, Finch advises making the usual rattle and hum with more soothing sounds. |
| posted by infraternam meam @ 4:42 AM |
|
|
|
|
| About Me |
|
Name: infraternam meam
Home: Chicago, United States
About Me: I am now at the prime of my life
and have been married for the past 25 years.
Sickly at times, but wants to see the elixir vita,
so that I will be able to see my grandchildren from my two boys.
See my complete profile
|
| Previous Post |
|
| Archives |
|
| Links |
|
|
| Powered by |
|
|
