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Rest Assured
Is a good night's sleep the first thing you sacrifice when life gets too full and busy? If so, this is your wake-up call: You are not just impeding your next day's performance, you are actually harming your health! Sleep deprivation is a serious medical risk. Studies are indicate links between inadequate sleep and obesity, as well as several related conditions: heart disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. For example, people who typically get fewer than seven hours of sleep per night are more likely to be obese than their well-rested peers. The good news is that with adequate sleep, these conditions may be reversible. Drawing on studies of what robs us of quality sleep, Drs. Allegra and Ummat have devised strategies that can help you get the rest you need. Here is a lineup of the most insidious sleep thieves - and the latest recommendations on how to bar them from your bedroom forever. Sleep Thief #1: Daily DistractionsThe reason you sometimes obsess over a tricky work project or an argument with your best friend when you're trying to fall asleep: You can't refocus your thinking at the edge of slumber the same way you can when you're alert. People have little control over their thoughts, because they may be going in and out of a light stage of sleep, even though they think they're awake. Rest easy When fretful, get up and go to another part of the house (but leave the lights off). Your anxious thoughts will usually stop right away. Then you can go back to bed and fall asleep. This well-studied strategy, called stimulus control, also prevents you from associating your bed with anxiety. Sleep Thief #2: Weekend Catch-upLate nights followed by extra sack time the next morning throw off your internal clock, which is controlled by a cluster of nerve cells in the brain that also regulate appetite and body temperature. When Sunday rolls around, you're reprogrammed to stay up past your bedtime, and you feel like a zombie on Monday morning. Rest easy Even if you've been up late, don't sleep in more than an hour longer than usual. To make up for lost slumber, take an afternoon catnap (no more than 30 minutes, though, because an extended daytime snooze can keep you awake at night). Sleep Thief #3: A BedmateA snorer's sawing can reach 90 decibels--as loud as a blender. Even if you can get to sleep, their snoring will likely wax and wane through the night and wake you up during REM sleep, the most restful phase. Rest easy Ask your partner to sleep on their side instead of their back. If that doesn't work, consider looking into treatment. Sleep Thief #4: HormonesFluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone before or during your period or throughout perimenopause can sabotage sleep. You may notice problems--mainly waking up during the night--long before you start having hot flashes, she says. Rest easy A hot bath a couple hours before turning in and, if you're often awakened by cramps, an over-the-counter pain reliever at bedtime may be all you need to counter premenstrual insomnia. During perimenopause, stay on a consistent sleep-wake schedule, exercise at least 20 to 30 minutes a day, and avoid caffeine after lunch and alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime. For hot flashes and night sweats, try sleeping in a cool room and wearing light clothing (several companies make pajamas that wick away moisture). If you're still tossing and turning, consider hormone therapy. Sleep Thief #5: HungerGoing to bed hungry interferes with sleep--hunger pangs simply wake you up--and some evidence suggests that people trying to lose weight may wake up frequently. Rest easy Try saving some of your calories for a high-protein bedtime snack, such as a small serving of cheese or a hard-boiled egg. Protein produces greater satiety than carbohydrates and fat.
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