If you’re struggling to fall asleep – or stay asleep – these quick fixes might help.
- Get a red night-light. Red is the wavelength that’s the LEAST likely to mess with your body’s melatonin production. And melatonin is the hormone that helps you drift off naturally.
- Next: Regulate the humidity in your bedroom. Research shows that 50% humidity helps maximize the release of melatonin. So if you’re in a dry climate, get a humidifier. If it’s swampy, get a de-humidifier.
- Then, let’s talk bedroom temperature: The sweet spot for your bedroom is between 60 and 67 degrees, according to the Sleep Institute. If your bedroom is freezing in winter and a sauna in summer – paint the walls with radiant barrier paint. That’s the stuff used in spaceships to insulate them and regulate the temperature year-round.
- Finally, get a “pink noise” machine. It’s like “white noise” – but softer and a perfectly consistent frequency. It’s been shown to slow and regulates our brain waves, which is what we need for super-restful sleep. In fact, 75% of people exposed to pink noise sleep more soundly.
Does city living have your brain feeling fried?
When participants were around greenery and birds, their mood improved significantly — and those benefits lasted for hours.
Water
Sip slowly. Tiny sips are better than gulps.
Bananas
Rice
Applesauce
Toast
Caffeine
High-fiber foods
You cry the second you walk through the door
You pick a fight with your partner over nothing
You hit the drive-through for a comfort meal
You snap at your kids or roommates over something small
Take small breaks during the day
Create a wind-down ritual
Move your body
But when we’re stressed for too long, LTP slows down — and memory suffers.
