REM Alert
Turn over a new leaf for better
sleep. Start now on the train
How many times has the Acela passenger next to you nod- ded off in his seat? Or you felt yourself stealing a few
cherished winks, having had yet another
sleepless night the night before? Would
it make you feel better to know you have
company? Forty million Americans have
some type of sleep disorder, according
to the National Institutes of Health. The
good news: Simple lifestyle changes are
often the cure. For the 27th year, the
Better Sleep Council designates May as
Better Sleep Month, shining a night light
on our sleep habits and offering tips for a
better night’s sleep.
“Two major disrupters of sleep quality are overconsumption of caffeine and
overexposure to artificial light,” says
Pete Bils, a sleep researcher and vice
chairman of the Better Sleep Council.
Caffeine can be a roadblock on your journey to the deepest stages of sleep. Exposure to artificial light—from TVs, mobile
phones and computers—can suppress
the release of the sleep hormone melatonin. Consider stopping the caffeine drip
at noon and turning off the computer
and TV an hour before hitting the sheets.
Adults need seven to eight hours of quality sleep each night.
“Any less and you are impaired in
some fashion,” Bils says. Lack of quality sleep is associated with weight gain,
immune deficiency, cardiovascular
disease and depression. The ideal sleep
zone should be quiet, dark and free
of distractions, with a temperature
between 65 and 72 degrees. If your mattress is more than 7 years old, it may be
time to trade it in. Test-drive the latest
models; the right mattress should fit
your body like a custom suit or perfect
pair of shoes. bettersleep.org and nhlbi.nih.
gov/sleep —Michael Hammett
Power Nap
To catch a little shut-eye en route
to your destination, slip on a sleep
mask (or dark sunglasses) and
sound-blocking earphones. Just
20 to 30 minutes to avoid that
groggy feeling.
