New Insomnia Cures
You may feel as though you've tried every trick, from sound-muffling curtains to strange herbs. But you may not be aware of these strategies. Experts say they really work.
Cool your core. Scientists at the Center for Sleep Medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center are studying a new technique to help insomnia: Breathe deep and visualize your hands and feet getting warmer. This will cause blood to go there, away from the core. The combination of warm extremities and a cooler core can help bring on sleep.
Eat foods rich in B vitamins, including bananas, sunflower seeds, and avocado. They help the body produce sleep-inducing tryptophan, says Kathleen Hall, PhD, founder of the Stress Institute in Atlanta.
Teach pets to sleep in a separate room, says Nikos Linardakis, MD, author of Ten Natural Ways to a Good Night's Sleep. A recent survey by the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center found that among patients with pets, 53 percent reported that they disturbed their sleep every night.
Lose the blues. The blue end of the light spectrum suppresses your body's production of sleep-inducing melatonin. "So if you keep the lights on around your house in the hours before bedtime, it can interfere with your ability to get drowsy," says Rubin Naiman, sleep specialist at the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. Install low-blue lightbulbs or wear special amber-lens glasses, which block blue light (both are available at lowbluelights.com), in the evenings.
-- Debora Swaney
More from Your Over-40 Health Guide
Originally published in MORE magazine, May 2008.
