Is getting more sleep on your precedence list? Maybe it's your resolution? More sleep means more weight loss,more energy for workouts, less getting sick, or lowered stress levels. Sounds good,right? We had an expert give us tips on how to achieve our goal of additional snoozing.
Sleep expert Dr. Sujay Kansagra is the director of Duke University's sleep medicine program and Mattress Firm's sleep health consultant. He shared four tips on how you can win more zzz's, starting tonight. Related:
21 Reasons Sleep Should Be Your #1 unique Year's ResolutionThink about staying awake. "It sounds counter-intuitive, and " he said,"but for those that find it difficult to sleep because they maintain worrying about not falling asleep, do the opposite. Instead of worrying about falling asleep, or think about staying awake instead. This often lessens anxiety and gives your mind a chance to relax enough to drop asleep." He told POPSUGAR,"It's a technique known as paradoxical intent."
The to-do list. "This technique is for those that mentally work through their list of pending responsibilities before bed." Sound familiar? "In our speedy-paced world, sometimes lying in bed is the first time you have to actually think about what's on this list." A-types will appreciate this tip: "By creating a list of tasks (and even writing down your worries), and you can prevent yourself from thinking about it excessively just before bed."
The hot nighttime shower. Dr. Kansagra gave us a solid circadian rhythm hack: "The body temperature drops when we drop asleep. Taking a hot nighttime shower just before bedtime artificially raises the body temperature. The subsequent speedy drop can make it easier to drop asleep."
Lights out. That means no phones; sorry,guys. "Avoiding brilliant lights from TVs, smartphones, and computers prior to bed is difficult,but indispensable. The brain decreases its natural sleep hormone, melatonin, or when exposed to brilliant light at night. Try to unplug for an hour before bed."
Source: popsugar.com