Page 72 - Prevention (February 2020)
P. 72
SCI E NCE
EVENING Write Down What’s
Bugging You
Payne says that without offloading the
day’s events, your brain continues to pro-
Turn Off the cess stressful situations throughout the
night. Improve compartmentalization
Overhead Lights by writing down problems and sealing
them in an envelope—save solutions for
Exposure to bright blue light can reduce
the morning. And if you’re lying in bed
melatonin levels by up to 50%, says
stressing about sleep itself? Tell yourself
Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., a pro-
that rest as such is important, even if
fessor at the Salk Institute and author
you’re not in dreamland yet—or get up
of The Circadian Code. After 6 p.m. or
and do something quiet for 15 minutes.
so, turn to table lamps and floor lamps
“Some people treat the bed like a bus
with warm- or orange-hued lightbulbs.
stop,” Dr. Winter says, and obsess over
Electronic devices should be set to
missing the sleep bus. Adjust your
night mode to warm the screen color.
expectations and start again tomorrow.
Create a Ritual
Any kind of stimulus is problematic— The Ideal Bedroom
even House Hunters reruns. You’ll
experience subtle increases in blood • Temperature Set your thermostat
pressure, heart rate, sweating, and between 60°F and 67°F.
pupil dilation. Instead, take at least • Sound Your bedroom should be
20 minutes to dial it down. Try gentle at least as quiet as a library.
stretching, meditating, or taking a • Bedding Most individuals prefer a
bath. Think of it as a “bookmark” at medium-firm mattress, and bedding
day’s end, Payne says, telling the body should allow you to sleep comfortably
and brain it’s OK to sleep. without sweating.
• Darkness The room should
Stop Eating at Least be so dark that you are unable to see
your hand in front of your face. Can’t
Two Hours Before Bed get to peak opacity? An eye mask
should do the trick.
And keep dinner on the lighter side.
Your body’s digestive and waste func- • Clock position Face the clock
away from you. Clock-watching
tions need rest and downtime and to
makes us anxious and increases
learn when “the kitchen is closed,” Panda
stress hormones, Dr. Mathew says.
says, to prevent midnight snacking.
68 PREVENTION.COM • F E B RUARY 2020
