By Leslie Barrie
You’ve done all the obvious stuff—cut out late-
night caffeine, made sure your bedroom is dark
and cozy, avoided scary movies or struggling with
your to-do list right before bed. So why are you
still tossing and turning?
“Certain habits you’reYou’ve done all the obvious stuff—cut out late-
night caffeine, made sure your bedroom is dark
and cozy, avoided scary movies or struggling with
your to-do list right before bed. So why are you
still tossing and turning?
unaware of could be sabotaging your sleep,” says
Kristen L. Knutson, PhD, assistant professor and
sleep specialist at the University of Chicago’s
Department of Medicine.
Say so long to sleep
And, as you may know, lack of shut-eye doesn’t
just leave you foggy the next day: Chronic, long-
term insufficient sleep ups your odds of diabetes,
depression, cardiovascular disease, even weight
gain. So what to do? Try these unexpected
tweaks, and wake up feeling incredibly well-
rested.
And, as you may know, lack of shut-eye doesn’t
just leave you foggy the next day: Chronic, long-
term insufficient sleep ups your odds of diabetes,
depression, cardiovascular disease, even weight
gain. So what to do? Try these unexpected
tweaks, and wake up feeling incredibly well-
rested.
Halt your afternoon habit
It’s a no-brainer that drinking coffee or tea right
before you hit the sack won’t do you any sleep
favors. But you also need to watch your
afternoon drinks, says Joan Salge Blake, RD, a
clinical associate professor at Boston University.
Love your 4 p.m. peach tea? It’s got caffeine,
and so do some flavored waters and even orange
sodas, Blake warns. Check the labels on your
favorite midday drinks—any that boast energy-
boosting benefits are likely culprits. Then, if
possible, stop sipping them by 2 p.m., so there’s
time for their effects to wear off. Naturally, coffee
drinks pack a real wallop, so stay away from
them after lunch.
It’s a no-brainer that drinking coffee or tea right
before you hit the sack won’t do you any sleep
favors. But you also need to watch your
afternoon drinks, says Joan Salge Blake, RD, a
clinical associate professor at Boston University.
Love your 4 p.m. peach tea? It’s got caffeine,
and so do some flavored waters and even orange
sodas, Blake warns. Check the labels on your
favorite midday drinks—any that boast energy-
boosting benefits are likely culprits. Then, if
possible, stop sipping them by 2 p.m., so there’s
time for their effects to wear off. Naturally, coffee
drinks pack a real wallop, so stay away from
them after lunch.
Choose sleep superfoods
While it’s important to avoid a big, heavy meal
right before bed (a full stomach will disturb your
sleep), some foods may actually help you snooze,
Blake says. If you’ve had a few nights of restless
sleep, make a light whole-wheat-pasta dish with
fresh vegetables, a little diced chicken breast,
tomato sauce, and a sprinkle of Parmesan for
dinner. This meal contains a snooze-friendly
combination of protein and tryptophan, an amino
acid that converts to sleep-promoting serotonin in
the body.
If your stomach’s growling late at night, try a
small bowl of cottage cheese with banana slices,
another dish that serves up tryptophan. Other
combos of healthy carbs and protein, such as
milk and graham crackers or yogurt sprinkled with
cereal, will also do the trick.
While it’s important to avoid a big, heavy meal
right before bed (a full stomach will disturb your
sleep), some foods may actually help you snooze,
Blake says. If you’ve had a few nights of restless
sleep, make a light whole-wheat-pasta dish with
fresh vegetables, a little diced chicken breast,
tomato sauce, and a sprinkle of Parmesan for
dinner. This meal contains a snooze-friendly
combination of protein and tryptophan, an amino
acid that converts to sleep-promoting serotonin in
the body.
If your stomach’s growling late at night, try a
small bowl of cottage cheese with banana slices,
another dish that serves up tryptophan. Other
combos of healthy carbs and protein, such as
milk and graham crackers or yogurt sprinkled with
cereal, will also do the trick.
Sip wine sooner
Even though a nightcap may help you relax and
fall asleep faster, it’ll make the second half of
your sleep cycle restless and unsatisfying. Alcohol
decreases deep sleep and increases arousals from
sleep, says John E. Brown, MD, an assistant
professor of medicine at the University of
Maryland. If you like a glass of wine in the
evening, have it with dinner—around 6 p.m. rather
than 11—and drink in moderation, so it’ll wear off
by the time you lie down.
Even though a nightcap may help you relax and
fall asleep faster, it’ll make the second half of
your sleep cycle restless and unsatisfying. Alcohol
decreases deep sleep and increases arousals from
sleep, says John E. Brown, MD, an assistant
professor of medicine at the University of
Maryland. If you like a glass of wine in the
evening, have it with dinner—around 6 p.m. rather
than 11—and drink in moderation, so it’ll wear off
by the time you lie down.
Take an early soak
Like to unwind in the tub before you snooze?
Surprisingly, a hot bath might make it harder for
you to drift off: Doing anything that raises your
body temperature too close to bedtime may
actually hinder you from falling asleep, because
your body needs to cool to a certain temperature
in order to reach a sound slumber, says J. Todd
Arnedt, PhD, director of the University of Michigan
Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program. That doesn’t
mean you can’t soak after a rough day—when you
get home from work, not right before turning in.
Like to unwind in the tub before you snooze?
Surprisingly, a hot bath might make it harder for
you to drift off: Doing anything that raises your
body temperature too close to bedtime may
actually hinder you from falling asleep, because
your body needs to cool to a certain temperature
in order to reach a sound slumber, says J. Todd
Arnedt, PhD, director of the University of Michigan
Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program. That doesn’t
mean you can’t soak after a rough day—when you
get home from work, not right before turning in.
Stretch for sleep
Getting in a little gentle, restorative yoga before
you hit the sack can help put your mind at ease,
steady your breath, and reduce muscle tension
without revving up your heart.
Try this restful Reclined Butterfly pose from Tanya
Boulton, managing teacher at Pure Yoga East in
New York City:
Lie on your back with the soles of your feet
together and your knees bent and dropping
toward the floor. Place your arms, palms up, by
your sides, keeping your shoulders back and your
chest open. Close your eyes and inhale through
your nose while slowly counting to four, then
exhale while counting back down to one. Continue
for 10 minutes, or as long as it takes you to feel
fully relaxed.
Getting in a little gentle, restorative yoga before
you hit the sack can help put your mind at ease,
steady your breath, and reduce muscle tension
without revving up your heart.
Try this restful Reclined Butterfly pose from Tanya
Boulton, managing teacher at Pure Yoga East in
New York City:
Lie on your back with the soles of your feet
together and your knees bent and dropping
toward the floor. Place your arms, palms up, by
your sides, keeping your shoulders back and your
chest open. Close your eyes and inhale through
your nose while slowly counting to four, then
exhale while counting back down to one. Continue
for 10 minutes, or as long as it takes you to feel
fully relaxed.
Set the mood for slumber
Keeping your room dark while you sleep is a great
start, but bringing the lights down before bed is
also important. “Bright light too close to bedtime
can make it hard to fall asleep,” Arnedt says.
That’s because dimness signals the biological
clock that it’s time to wind down, while bright
light says “daytime!” Swap out überbright
bedroom bulbs for low-watt ones, or install a
dimmer switch and keep it low. Like to read in
bed? Do it in the lowest light that’s still
comfortable.
Keeping your room dark while you sleep is a great
start, but bringing the lights down before bed is
also important. “Bright light too close to bedtime
can make it hard to fall asleep,” Arnedt says.
That’s because dimness signals the biological
clock that it’s time to wind down, while bright
light says “daytime!” Swap out überbright
bedroom bulbs for low-watt ones, or install a
dimmer switch and keep it low. Like to read in
bed? Do it in the lowest light that’s still
comfortable.
Ban your BlackBerry
Need to send out one last e-mail before you
“officially” turn in? Not so fast. Typing in bed can
wind you up, so when you do unplug, it will be
harder to fall asleep, Knutson says. “It’s possible
that even the vibration of a BlackBerry could
disturb sleep if a person is cued to hear or
respond to it,” she says.
For tech-free zzz’s, disconnect an hour before
bed, turn your smartphone off, and put any
gadgets on an out-of-reach dresser or in another
room so you won’t be able to grab it if you get
the late-night urge. Also, invest in a real alarm
clock (using your cell will only give you another
excuse to keep it close)—and get ready to wake
up feeling so refreshed that you won’t even need
to press snooze.
Need to send out one last e-mail before you
“officially” turn in? Not so fast. Typing in bed can
wind you up, so when you do unplug, it will be
harder to fall asleep, Knutson says. “It’s possible
that even the vibration of a BlackBerry could
disturb sleep if a person is cued to hear or
respond to it,” she says.
For tech-free zzz’s, disconnect an hour before
bed, turn your smartphone off, and put any
gadgets on an out-of-reach dresser or in another
room so you won’t be able to grab it if you get
the late-night urge. Also, invest in a real alarm
clock (using your cell will only give you another
excuse to keep it close)—and get ready to wake
up feeling so refreshed that you won’t even need
to press snooze.
It's the cardinal rule of sleep hygiene: Your
bedroom should be a calming, comfortable haven
—designated for sleep and sex only. The more
clutter and distractions you're up against at
night, the harder it will be to transition into sleep.
bedroom should be a calming, comfortable haven
—designated for sleep and sex only. The more
clutter and distractions you're up against at
night, the harder it will be to transition into sleep.
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