If you have to force yourself out of bed every day, it's a sure sign of imbalance in your life, says David Simon, M.D., medical director of The Chopra Center for Well Being in La Jolla, Calif. For example, you may be working too hard and not getting the rest you need, he says. Sticking faithfully to our three-part plan can restore your balance and make waking up easier. You'll need to adopt as many of the following habits as you can, including those related to light, like "Simmer Down" on page 58 and "Create a Sunrise" on page 59, which researchers say can help you wake up earlier and faster in only three days.
PART 1 BEFORE BED
Set the Stage for Deeper Sleep
Rethink Sleep. Many of us stay up late to cram more into our day. "We tend to view sleep as wasted time and a luxury," says Scott Campbell, Ph.D., director of the Chronobiology Laboratory at Cornell Medical School in White Plains, N.Y. If sleep is low on your list of priorities, give it the promotion it deserves. Aim for seven to nine hours a night, or whatever amount leaves you feeling fresh and alert the next day.
Choose an Earlier Bedtime. Consider this: Going to bed earlier can help you accomplish more with your mornings. "The benefit to waking up early is that you'll perform better and be more alert at the time of day that you need to be," Campbell says.
Look Hard at Your Schedule. Are there any habits you can alter to get to bed earlier? Tape your favorite 10 p.m. television show and watch it on the weekend. If friends call late, offer to call them back in the morning. Or turn off the ringer on your phone.
Don't Deviate. Hitting the hay at a consistent time is one of the most important changes you can make, sleep experts say. Consistency normalizes your circadian rhythms, your body's internal clock, so you're the most deeply asleep in the first half of the night. This makes waking up in the morning easier. Most people benefit from a bedtime between 10 p.m. and midnight and a wake-up time between 6 and 8 a.m., Campbell says. Whatever you choose, stick to it faithfully, even on weekends and holidays.
Simmer Down. Once you've chosen a bedtime, prepare your body to fall asleep at that time. About an hour before you go to bed, dim your lamps and extinguish strong overhead lights. Lower light gives your brain the signal that it's almost time to sleep, Campbell says. At least an hour before bed, switch to quiet activities, says Edward O'Malley, Ph.D., director of Norwalk Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center in Norwalk, Conn. Read a book or magazine that's not challenging. If you watch television, opt for sitcom reruns; they're lighthearted, short, and not surprising.
Get Sleepy. If you need help becoming drowsy at an earlier hour, take a bath in water as hot as you can tolerate about 45 minutes before bed. This promotes sleep by relaxing your mind and muscles and altering your core temperature. After your bath, drink half a cup of chamomile tea (Matricaria recutita) or half a cup of warm milk (spiked with a teaspoon of honey and a dash of nutmeg). Both chamomile tea and warm milk have sedative properties, and filling your stomach with something warm makes you feel even more relaxed, says Simon. (Limiting yourself to half a cup reduces nighttime bathroom trips.)
PART 2 DURING THE NIGHT
Stay Sound Asleep
Prevent Interruptions. On your way to bed, set the thermostat to a temperature that's not too hot or too cold. Either extreme can wake you up in the night, Campbell says. If you have a television in your bedroom, run it on a timer so it shuts off soon after you do. A television creates sounds and light patterns that your brain continues to monitor even when you're asleep, disturbing the quality of your sleep, says Tom Balkin, Ph.D., chief of the Behavioral Biology Department at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Washington, D.C.
Put a Night Light in Your Bathroom. If you have to get up in the night, flipping on a bright bathroom light makes it harder for you to fall back asleep. Strong light is stimulating and may disrupt your circadian rhythms. A night light's low light helps minimize the disruption.
Author: Steve Calechman
Previous article: 02 December 2007
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