Fall Back Asleep Fast with These 3 Tricks
By RealAge
PJs on? Check. Teeth brushed? Yep. Curled up in bed? Oh, yeah. But what can you do when falling asleep or staying asleep is a real challenge?
Answer: Consult YOU: Staying Young, the live-longer book by RealAge experts Mehmet Oz, MD, and Michael Roizen, MD. They have three clever suggestions for alleviating some of the most common sleep stealers.
- Don't fight it. Tossing and turning works for salads, not sleep problems. If you can't get to sleep within 15 minutes, get out of bed and do some light activity, like a yoga pose or a short walk. Getting your mind off sleep resets and reboots your system. Then, once back in bed, invite sleep with some soft music or meditation. (Try setting the stage for sleep by doing this 7-minute evening stretch workout with Dr. Oz.)
- Use the night. Dim your lights several hours before bed to avoid the stimulation caused by artificial-light pollution -- that stuff that emanates all around us thanks to TVs, computers, and indoor lighting. (And here's a great reason to nix midnight Web surfing, too.)
- Treat your nose. Allergies can prevent and disrupt sleep, thanks to all the congestion they cause. Consider over-the-counter nasal strips or a nasal saline or antihistamine spray for a stuffy or runny nose. (Not sure if you have allergies? Read up on allergy testing.)
RealAge Benefit:
Getting 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night can make your RealAge as much as 3 years younger. Take the RealAge Test!
References
Published on 09/17/2010
YOU: Staying Young. Roizen, M. F., Oz, M. C., New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007.
