Discover Yahoo! With Your Friends

Explore news, videos, and much more based on what your friends are reading and watching. Publish your own activity and retain full control.

To get started, first

YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Simple Steps to Improve Your Sleep Habits

    By Redbook | Work + Money – Tue, May 18, 2010 7:52 PM EDT

    If you're not getting as much sleep as your body needs - say, you're constantly yawning, irritable, unfocused, and physically exhausted - then it's time to tweak your habits. Women's wellness experts Susan Love, M.D., and Alice Domar, Ph.D., reveal a few healthy solutions.

    Start with these tried-and-true tips, which we've ordered from easiest to more challenging:

    • Keep your bedroom cooler.
    • Watch television, work, and read somewhere other than your bed.
    • Don't eat a big meal just before bedtime.
    Sleep Lesson: Why Am I So Tired? 7 Causes of Fatigue

    If your sleep still needs improvement after a few days, add these steps, one at a time:
    • Expose yourself to 30 minutes of sunlight every day, whether you're outside or just near a window.
    • Don't drink caffeine after 4 p.m.
    • Limit yourself to one glass of alcohol in the evening. (Alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, but it disrupts your sleep later on.)
    • Exercise during the day - not before bed, because your body temperature will be too high to induce sleep.
    • Avoid disturbing books or television shows before bed, including the news. (We won't tell you not to stay up late watching TV. This seems unfair. After 16 straight hours of working and caregiving, women aren't allowed to unwind in front of The Daily Show?)
    Sleep Lesson: Learn the 5 Stages of Sleep and How They Affect You

    Then, if you need to, move on to the hard stuff:
    • Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
    • Get out of bed when you can't sleep.
    Sleep Lesson: Weight Gain, Heart Disease Risks, and More Hazards of Skimping on Sleep

    Do You Really Need Eight Hours of Sleep? How much sleep you need can also change over a lifetime. You may need a lot of sleep during adolescence, less in your 20s and 30s, and even less after menopause. During early motherhood and perimenopause, outside forces such as crying babies and hot flashes might limit how much sleep you get. But these phases don't last forever, and most women do not develop serious health problems as a result of going through them. In fact, keep in mind that if you have insomnia on one particular night, or even for a whole week's worth of nights, research shows that the number of sleep hours we get over the course of the year usually averages out to a normal amount. (Tip: After nights of insomnia, find out how to feel rested on too little sleep.)

    You're the only person who knows what it's like to inhabit your body. If you've always needed 10 hours of sleep and feel terrible without it, use that information. Don't stumble around exhausted and miserable because a study tells you that eight hours is best. Conversely, if you feel great on six hours of sleep, go for it.

    What's your ideal amount of sleep? What bedtime habits help your get a restful night's sleep?

    More from REDBOOK:


    Connect with REDBOOK:

    Permissions:
    Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

     

    10 comments

    • Craig
      Craig  •  7 months ago
      Go to http://www.InsomniaDoc.com to get real advice on how to treat insomnia from a Cleveland Clinic-trained Sleep Doctor and Neurologist, Dr. Craig Brooker, M.D.
    • THE ID THEIF CRUSADER
      THE ID THEIF CRUSADER  •  2 years 0 months ago
      First thing is find that someone special the one your Really cmortable with youll know when you find them! iMay juust be poppin off but really that special someome and your prayers.The movie the Nighmare on Elm St scared me half to death buy like joy from seatlle The HARD Stuff but also something soft like velvet( its the most wonderful i love it) works for me big cushy and nice. OH the prayers 1 2 freddies comin for you!3 4 better lock the door !5 6 Grab a Crucifix 7 8 gonna stay up late! 9 10 NEVER SLEEP AGAIN! just kiddin i know Freddie KRueger isnt REAL but i say the prayers anyway it gives me Peace and Joy At least it used to. Sorry to those who know me i been acting kinda strange so im sorry to those i have been crazy too im just missing some,well that all for now take care all.
    • Just Me
      Just Me  •  2 years 0 months ago
      sleep number bed
    • doreen
      doreen  •  2 years 0 months ago
      All these facts may be true, however it depends on the underlying cause of the insomnia i.e. whether it worry, stress or harassment. I am pretty sure for the insomniac, sleeping is easier said than done. Probably the best way is if the underlying cause is dealt with.
    • Joy in Seattle
      Joy in Seattle  •  2 years 0 months ago
      The hard stuff????? The absolute first thing you should do if you're having troubles is set a sleep and wake time. Remember the words circadian rhythm? It's not some crazy voodoo. If you start going to bed every night at the same time, you will find that you wake up around the same time without an alarm clock. It's biochemical. Mess up your biochemistry and you will find that it bites you back.

      And weekends? Sleeping in? You'll find you don't "need" it and when you do it's really only 30min-1hr.
    • topguy10
      topguy10  •  2 years 0 months ago
      I'm a creature of habit. Since I live in Florida, A/C is on all the time and I need it to sleep. Other than that, what works best for me is going to bed and getting up around the same time every night. I know I need at least eight hours to feel rested and ready for another day. As for watching TV to go to sleep, my hubby and I do not have a TV in our bedroom and never had one there even when I lived alone. I think it's best to define that the bedroom is a place for sleep, not distractions like a TV. What helps me to sleep is listening to classical or other really relaxing music.
    • sun2go
      sun2go  •  2 years 0 months ago
      The ability to sleep is mostly a mental function. You can control your hormones, and you can control your imbalances, if you think this is your issue. If you rely on drugs or alcohol to sleep, you do not value the true path to sleep. You have created an unnatural system for yourself which typically perpetuates the root cause of your lack of harmony.

      If you have peace of mind and the strength to quiet yourself, you will sleep. You choose to give yourself this gift, or you choose to deprive yourself of it. If you believe that your worries are so crucial that they must dominate your sleep time, then you lack the ability to prioritize. Release yourself from such feelings of self-importance. Because your oh-so important life really isn't, and neither are your worries. Accept this, and you can sleep anywhere under any circumstances.
    • Des
      Des  •  2 years 0 months ago
      Besides keeping the room cool, I always drink a glass of cold water before bed. It relaxes me and keeps me from having such a hard time breathing when I'm trying to sleep (without the fan on and air conditioning on 78, I get really hot during the night). I also keep a few water bottles beside my bed as well. This way if I wake up and my mouth is really dry, I can take a few sips then head right back to bed. I would also suggest making sure everything feels comfortable. Make sure your pillows support your head properly (very important for me), you mattress isn't too hard/soft, ect. Over time these things wear down and such, so just make sure everything feels fine or can at least still support you. Very nice article. I've been having some trouble sleeping lately and these were some nice tips. However, the personal suggestions I offered always work for me.
    • Cars Helping Veterans
      Cars Helping Veterans  •  2 years 0 months ago
      so does the sleep number bed really work?
    • Cars Helping Veterans
      Cars Helping Veterans  •  2 years 0 months ago
      I like to stick to at least 6 hours of sleep.If I do not get 6, I tend to struggle. I also take melatonin from time to time. It is a herb that is harmless. It seems to help calm me down. But I try to stick to a consistent sleep cycle and I usually do ok. Drinking caffeine before bedtime can not help for sure! Even eating a balanced diet such as fruit, veggies and wheat can help aid sleep. Sometimes, it is soothing to sleep with a fan. The fan noise can be soothing..
     Post a comment

    Beauty »

    The Thread »

    Join us on Pinterest

    Shine on

    DAILY SHOT VIDEO

    We apologize. An error has occurred. Please try again.