COVER STORY


She follows her soak by putting on actual pajamas—not sweatpants or leggings. Having outfits that are solely dedicated for bedtime can help signal to your brain that it’s time for sleep (instead of the gym or running errands).


9:30 PM : Turn Off Your Gadgets 1 hour before bed There are multiple reasons why the latest gad- gets might be hurting your sleep schedule. First, the blue light that emanates from our computer, phone and tablet screens has been shown to stimulate the brain and delay the release of melatonin—making it harder to fall asleep. But for many people, the issue is about more than just the light. Scrolling through news apps or reading work emails can raise your stress levels. While traditional TVs don’t give off the same light as smaller devices, today’s binge-able shows can still keep you awake no matter what screen you’re watching them on. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that binge-watching has a direct correlation to decreased and poorer quality sleep because popular cliffhanger end- ings can produce the corticotropin-releasing hormone, which heightens awareness and makes it harder to go to sleep without finding out what happens next. Avoid these sleep woes by removing the temptation. Don’t keep a TV in your bedroom and end screen time an hour before bed.


9:30 PM : Write A To-Do List For Tomorrow 1 hour before bed


It may seem counter-intuitive: if you’re trying to relax, why start thinking about the long list of things you need to do the next day? But according to a study published in the Jour- nal of Experimental Psychology, sitting down for five minutes and writing a detailed to do list actually minimizes stress and helps you fall asleep more easily. The researchers theo- rized that the act of writing down future tasks makes it easier to fall asleep because it reas- sures your brain that you won’t forget any of


Creating The Best Sleep Environment


« Make sure you’re getting the right support from your mattress and pillow. If you’re waking up with any aches and pains, it’s time to replace your bedding. Finding the right mattress and pillow for you means one less thing to worry about as you try to solve your sleep problems.


« Keep your room dark. Heavy curtains can block out street lamps and even a bright night sky.


« Keep your room cool. Aim to keep your bedroom temperature between 60 and 67 degrees. If sleeping hot is a problem, invest in bedding that promotes “cooling” benefits and features.


« Keep your room quiet. If you live on a busy street or have loud neighbors, a white noise machine or even ear plugs can muffle distracting noise.


them, which in turn helps alleviate stress that keeps people awake at night.


9:35 PM : Read A Book <1 hour before bed According to the research of cognitive neu- roscientist, Dr. David Lewis, nothing relieves stress quite like getting lost in a great book. “It really doesn’t matter what book you read,” he explains. “By losing yourself in a thorough- ly engrossing book you can escape from the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author’s imagination.” If you really strug- gle with falling asleep, be sure to stick to reading material that isn’t too action-packed or engrossing.


10:30 PM : Get In Bed And Turn The Lights Out


It’s finally bedtime! By waiting until you are ready to close your eyes to get into bed, your body will learn that climbing under the cov- ers means it’s time to go to sleep. Dr. Rafael Pelayo, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine explains the phenomenon simply, “The more time you


spend in the bed before you sleep, the more your body gets used to being awake in bed.” Although this is a simple practice, it’s not al- ways easy to adapt to it. If you still find yourself lying in bed and struggling to fall asleep, there are a few tricks you can try. While everyone is probably familiar with “Counting Sheep,” you may not know about its more effective sibling: “Cognitive Shuffling.” To cognitive shuffle, fo- cus on a simple, emotionally neutral word of at least five letters. Then break down the word letter by letter and imagine as many images as you can that start with that letter. Devel- oped by Professor Luc Beaudoin of Simon Frasier University in Vancouver, Canada, this technique helps your brain focus on pictures rather than words, which can minimize the im- pact of your worries.


Before your bedtime ritual becomes second nature, you might have to set an alarm to re- mind yourself to slow down and decompress. Start small by picking one or two steps and really sticking to them—even if you don’t see immediate results. Once those steps start to feel automatic, try to add in a few more. Re- member, for most people, it takes a least 30 days of consistency to establish a habit.


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