Monday, March 29, 2010

Prime YOUR Body for Bed

A few simple changes could give your body a better night's rest!

Give these a go:
  • Soaking: Your body temperature naturally lowers wile sleeping, so the rapid cooling you experience climbing out of a steamy tub can bring on the drowsies.
  • Sweating: End your workout at least 2 hours before you want to turn in. Exercising too close to your bedtime raises your core body temperature just when you should be cooling down.
  • Fluffing: A pillow too large or small can tweak spinal alignment, causing pain that disrupts sleep, says Karen Erickson, a chiropractor in New York City.

If you're a side sleeper, choose a pillow that has a height equal to the distance between the base of your neck and the top of your shoulder.

Back sleeper? Opt for one that lifts the head in line with the spine.

Stomach sleepers: You're overtwisting your neck and back. Train yourself to move onto your side - bend one knee to the side & wedge a pillow underneath it.

Give these a pass:

  • Twitter: The glow from your laptop has an alerting affect, which can postpone the release of hormones that induce sleep. Power down an hour or 2 before you climb into bed.
  • Overlseeping: Hitting "snooze" on your days off confuses your body clock, so you'll be drowsier come Monday. Wakeup with an hour of the same time, every day.
  • Cocoa: We love the sweet stuff, but it contains caffeine, and if you're sensitive to the upper, having it after noon can keep you up nights.

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