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5 Natural Ways to Sleep Better

By Paula Dranov | Posted August 13 2010

True or False: The worst thing about not getting enough sleep is feeling tired the next day. If you chose “true”, it’s time to catch up with the sobering scientific skinny on sleep and your health. Not only can lack of Z’s stress you out, it can lead to heart disease, diabetes and depression. And it can make you fat. Your risk of breast and colon cancer goes up, too (this has to do with a light-induced decline in production of melatonin, a cancer-protective hormone).

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“If you get only five or six hours of sleep a night during the week and then 12 to 14 hours on weekends, you probably need more sleep during the week,” says Matthew Edlund, M.D., an award-winning expert on the subject and author of “The Power of Rest” (HarperCollins, 2010). Here’s his prescription for getting all the slumber you need, naturally:

1. Develop a bed-time ritual: This can be as simple as brushing and flossing your teeth, turning down the covers, listening to music, reading (he recommends books on history, art, travel, biography, poetry, self-help as the best slumber inducing reading).

2. Turn off the TV … unless you can depend on it to help you nod off.

3. Learn not to worry: Set aside a few minutes after dinner to write down everything that’s bugging you and list solutions for each problem. Focusing on solutions trains your brain to be optimistic, explains Edlund. And doing your problem solving early in the evening helps you let go of worries that might nag at you in bed.

4. Take a hot bath before bed: The closer the bath is to bed time, the faster people fall asleep, says Dr. Edlund.

5. Take an evening walk: Time it for three to six hours before bedtime, and you’ll get a better night’s rest.

CONNECT THE DOTS

Some 40 million Americans suffer from insomnia, according to the National Sleep Foundation. And there are many other sleep disorders including sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome that can ruin your rest. Treatment is available. You just have to come to grips with the fact that not sleeping well is unhealthy and well worth a visit to the doctor.

  • Lisa Collier Cool

    Love this post, since I’m a night owl and skimp on sleep. Sometimes I toss and turn. I particularly like the idea about the hot bath and put lavender scented bath salts, which I find soothing.

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