10 strategies for a more restful night's sleep
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| Next > By Ginny Graves  Increase darkness
The problem: Even the light level in most living rooms (100 lux) can suppress melatonin, making it hard to sleep, reported researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston in 2005. The solution: An hour before bed, dim the lights and turn off the TV and computer, then make your bedroom as dark as possible, Zee says. If outside light keeps you up, buy blackout shades. Why it works: "We all suffer from light pollution — we have lights on 24/7, which keeps our brains chronically aroused," Naiman says. "Most people don't recognize how essential darkness is for a sound night's sleep." Indeed, in the days before Edison invented the light bulb, people slept ten hours a night. The challenge: An hour before bedtime, we dimmed the lights, switched off our TV and laptop, and transformed our bedroom — normally ablaze from city lights outside — into a cave by putting up blackout shades. We tossed a scarf over our alarm clock … and the next thing we knew, it was 11 hours later. Cut back on caffeine
The problem: Caffeine stays in the body at least four to eight hours, and researchers in Mexico recently reported that in people prone to insomnia, the stimulating effect may be more intense. The solution: Drink half a cup less coffee each day — until you quit entirely. That should minimize the killer headaches that often accompany caffeine withdrawal. If that's too daunting, at least abstain after noon. Why it works: "Caffeine is more stimulating than most of us think," says Meir Kryger, director of research at the Gaylord Sleep Center at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, Connecticut, and author of "A Woman's Guide to Sleep Disorders" (McGraw-Hill). By keeping your brain in a semi-awake state, it can increase the number of times you awaken and decrease your total sleep time. "I've had so many people say, 'Caffeine doesn't affect me,' and yet they're sitting in my office complaining that they can't sleep," Kryger says. "Eliminating it can really help your brain and body relax." The challenge: We scaled back our normal five cups of coffee a day by a half-cup per day as prescribed, but we still had pretty vicious headaches. And although it did help our ability to fall — and stay — asleep at night, we felt tired all day. On the fifth day, the headaches subsided, but the general fatigue did not. After day ten, we chose to go back to two cups per day and not after noon — and our sleep is still better. Limit alcohol
The problem: More people use alcohol to sleep than any other substance, but a nightcap can cause insomnia in the middle of the night, according to Kryger. The solution: "Some people can have one drink before bed; others need to cut it out," says Mark Mahowald, a neurologist and director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorders Center. Why it works: "Alcohol changes your sleep patterns, and once it clears your system — usually four to five hours after you fall asleep — the brain becomes hyperaroused, and you wake up," Kryger says. Plus, this hyperaroused state can persist for several hours. The challenge: Although we missed the dreamy feeling our bedtime glass of wine inspired, we did find that avoiding it helped. We also found we could still have a drink — as long as we finished it in the early evening — without negatively affecting our sleep. Reset your body clock
The problem: Anyone who often lies awake until 2 a.m. has problems with the clock, but not the one ticking on the side table. "If you can't fall asleep until late and have trouble waking up, your body clock may be out of sync with day and night," Maas says. This can be caused by an erratic sleep schedule. The solution: Get 20 minutes of bright light (from the sun or an outdoor-light simulator, such as the Litebook) within 15 minutes of awakening. You should be back on schedule within a week. Why it works: "When bright morning light hits your eyes, it prompts a drop in melatonin, the hormone that promotes sleep," Zee says. Melatonin is typically suppressed for about 12 hours, then it rises gradually until you feel a strong urge to sleep 15 or 16 hours later. The challenge: After using the Litebook every morning for four days, we found we were dozing off almost as soon as our head hit the pillow at 11 p.m. CONTINUED: Take a supplement
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