10 Ways to Get to Sleep

10. Take a Hot Bath

Because our body needs to lower its overall temperature in order to fall asleep, taking a hot bath seems like the exact opposite of what we should do before bedtime. However, if you’re careful to follow a few simple rules, a warm bath prior to bed can help you drift off to sleep quickly. First, make sure you don’t stay in the bath too long. While a quick soak will relax your muscles and central nervous system, a long bath will leave you exhausted and make it more difficult to fall asleep. Use bath salts or a combination of Epsom salt and baking soda to release toxins from your muscles. Finally, make sure you finish your bath at least two hours before you head to bed. This will give your body time to cool down before bed and your temperature time to fall sufficiently to make it easy for you to drop off to sleep.

9. Listen to Music or Read in Bed

Whether it’s memories of being serenaded to sleep as a baby or something more sophisticated going on in our brains, many people find that listening to relaxing music is a big help in falling asleep. And there are those who say that reading can also lull you off to sleepy-land, as it is a great way to distract your mind from churing. Basically, music and reading will each help to stop the gears from grinding, and of course, while it is entirely a matter oof personal choice, choosing the right music to fall asleep to is important. Choose something soothing, without a complex melody that you can relax with, not the pumping gym beats; this probably isn’t the best time for The Ramones or Van Halen either. Many companies currently market CDs custom-made to help you drift off to dreamland. If you’re going to make your own CD, classical music is always a good bet.

8. Try Melatonin to Sleep

Melatonin is produced in the dark, while we sleep, by the pineal gland and wanes upon daybreak: bright light signals the production cycle to shut down. Melatonin is made from an amino acid called tryptophan, the same stuff in turkeys that makes you sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner (apologies to readers outside of North America, who may not relate to this reference). Studies suggest that melatonin may be a kind of “natural” sleeping pill, inducing sleep without suppressing REM (dream) sleep and without producing side effects, such as those caused by sedatives and other artificial sleep aids. Commit to taking Melatonin consistently for at least two weeks before you expect to see a difference; it can take some time for Melatonin to build up in your system enough to take effect.

7. Exercise

In addition to helping you lose or maintain your weight, add “helps you get to sleep” to the list of benefits of daily physical exercise. Just 15 minutes of intense physical exercise each day will help ensure that your body gets the oxygen it needs to maintain a proper sleep cycle. In fact, the more tired you are during the day, the more you should commit to exercising, as it will help you sleep better at night. Make sure that you plan to your exercise to end at least one hour before bedtime, or you might be too wound up to sleep. Most sleep experts agree that exercising in the morning ensures the biggest benefit: giving you more energy during the day and the ability to sleep more soundly at night.

6. Get Up

Don’t try to fall asleep for more than 30 minutes at a time. If you aren’t able to drop off to sleep within those 30 minutes, get up and try again later. In the interim, do something quiet and non-stimulating, such as reading a short magazine article or making a to-do list for the following day. This is not the time to pick up that engaging mystery novel you’re reading, or you could find yourself up all night. Once you find yourself feeling tired again, give sleep another shot. If you can help it, don’t work and don’t keep looking at the clock and worrying about how much sleep you’re missing out on. Stress will only add to your inability to sleep.

5. Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine

Though it might seem that sleepy feeling frequently brought on by alcohol would be a good thing prior to bedtime, the sleep that results from imbibing alcohol is actually shallow, disturbed, and characterized by frequent waking in the early morning hours. Alcohol also disrupts your dream cycle, which leads to feelings of sleepiness during the day. And while avoiding caffeine before bedtime might seem like a no-brainer, many people fail to realize that their bodies metabolize caffeine at a slower rate, leading to them feeling “caffeinated” long after their last cup of coffee. Avoiding caffeine after 2:00 p.m. can help ensure that you’re not wired when it’s time for bed.

4. Yawn

Scientists recently discovered that yawning is linked to brain temperature. As exhausted or sleep-deprived individuals are more likely to have an elevated brain temperature, sleep experts believe that yawning helps cool down the brain, a process necessary for the body to fall asleep. By the same token, forcing yourself to yawn is believed to begin cooling the brain and signal your body that it’s time for sleep. Though it might sound unlikely, many former insomniacs swear that making themselves to yawn 2 to 3 times in quick succession is the only thing they need to cause their body to drift off to meet the sandman.

3. Take Naps

Contrary to popular belief, taking naps during the day can actually help you better fall asleep at night, provided you follow a few simple rules. If you have the kind of lifestyle that allows you an afternoon nap, make sure you nap each and every day at the same time. Keep your naps short: no longer than 20 to 25 minutes, and try to nap in the early afternoon; 20 to 30 minutes after lunch is the ideal time for a catnap, as your body is most inclined to be drowsy then. However, there is one caveat to the daily nap routine: don’t nap the day following a bad night’s sleep! Forcing your body to stay awake and active when you’re most tired will go a long way towards helping you make up for a rough night when you get the chance to sleep again.

2. Chill Out

It seems every fall our local television meteorologist advises us that a certain night will be “good sleeping weather.” This is because your body needs to lower its temperature in order for you to fall asleep; hence, cooler nights are equated with better sleeping. Keeping the temperature in your bedroom below 70 degrees can aid your body in falling asleep faster and staying asleep. Opening a window in the cooler (but not cold!) months has the added benefit of getting your body some fresh air in the process. One of the best parts of keeping a cool bedroom is the cozy feeling of nestling into warm covers to fall asleep.

1. Turn Off the T.V.

While some people are able to drift away while watching news or old sitcom reruns, television before bed is a sure path to insomnia for many. This is because television is mentally and visually stimulating, keeping awake the very parts of your brain that you want to put to sleep. Additionally, the light coming from a television set can interfere with the dark environment most people require in order to fall asleep easily. To help your brain wind down and prepare for bedtime, make sure to turn off the television at least 30 minutes before you attempt to fall asleep. If you have difficulty going to sleep, don’t turn the television back on. Read, relax, listen to music, talk to your husband/wife/whatever, but no tv.

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10 Ways to Beat Stress

1. Avoid tea and coffee Nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and refined sugar products are all stimulants, so will not calm you down . If you're stressed, steer clear of tea, coffee and cigarettes-keep yourself well-hydrated by drinking water instead or chamomile tea.

2. 'I can definitely deal with this' Think up a self-affirming mantra to repeat to yourself (eg 'I deserve calm in my life', or 'I have a choice in every situation'). Repeat it to yourself whenever you feel tense.

3. Agree with others once in a while Life should not be a constant battleground. so even if you disagree with someone, avoid conflict every now and again by just agreeing or keeping quiet. They have a right to their opinion (even if they are wrong!), just as you do.

4. Listen to your body When you are tired, hungry or thirsty, do something about it: rest, eat or drink.

5. Learn how to say 'no' Simple, but effective. Where a 'no' is the appropriate response, say it without guilt.

6. Get organized make a list of all the things that you need to do list them in order of genuine importance note what you need to do personally and what can be delegated priorities things that need doing immediately demote tasks that can wait you may find some tasks don't actually need doing at all.

7. Get online When stress strikes, take five and calm down if you can on a favorite website or shopping , or a social networking portal. Taking a short break gives you valuable cooling time and enables you to get back to the issue in hand with a fresh head .

8. And breathe it out...Try this breathing exercise: Sit or stand in a relaxed position. Slowly inhale through your nose, counting to five in your head. Let the air out from your mouth , counting to eight in your head as it leaves your lungs. Repeat several times. As you breathe, let your abdomen expand outward, rather than raising your shoulders. This is a more relaxed and natural way to breathe, and helps your lungs fill themselves more fully with fresh air. Repeat a few times to release tension, or for several minutes as a form of meditation. If you like, make your throat a little tighter as you exhale so the air comes out like a whisper. This type of breathing is used in some forms of yoga and can add additional tension relief.

9. Acupressure : You have acupressure points either side of the bridge of your nose. Rub there gently, and around your eyes.

10. Face exercises : Relieve tension in the face by lifting your eyebrows, then drag your fingertips - pressing firmly - from your forehead to the back of your head.

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20 Little Ways to Drop Pounds

20 Little Ways to Drop Pounds

Tweak Your Diet

1. Start with salad...and eat less during the rest of the meal, says a study from Pennsylvania State University. When salads were topped with low-fat mozzarella and low-calorie Italian dressing instead of high-fat alternatives, women ate 10 percent fewer calories over the course of the day.

2. Stick a fork in it. If you prefer your salad dressing on the side, dip your fork into it before stabbing your greens. That little maneuver could cut hundreds of calories.

3. Order two appetizers. According to a study at the University of North Carolina, the average hamburger is 23 percent larger today than it was in 1977. Choose a pasta dish and salad or soup from the appetizer column, instead.

4. Visit the vending machine. Nibbling on single servings is better than digging your way to the bottom of a megabag of chips.

Get Moving

5. Walk and talk. When your cell phone rings, slip on your walking shoes and stroll the halls at work or hoof it outside. If you did this for 10 minutes every workday at a moderate 3 mph pace, you’d burn about 1,000 calories a month and lose 3 pounds a year.

6. Watch coffee calories. The fancy concoctions that are now the javas of choice for many people can contain as many calories as an entire lunch.

7. Crack a nut. Dieters in a Harvard University study who ate a handful of peanuts or mixed nuts daily were more likely to keep weight off than a group whose regimen didn’t include the high-fat snacks.

8. Don’t just sit there. The average person burns 100 calories per hour sitting and 140 per hour standing. Get on your feet 2 hours a day while you work, and you could drop an extra 6 pounds over the year.

Adjust Your Habits

9. Sleep well, lose more.Insufficient shut-eye appears to increase production of the stress hormone cortisol, which regulates appetite. High levels seem to worsen bingeing and hunger; moreover, too little sleep could keep your body from burning carbohydrates, which translates to more stored body fat.

10. Double your protein. The high-protein, low-carb approach may help keep you from losing muscle along with fat, according to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition. According to study author Donald K. Layman, PhD, of the University of Illinois, the amino acid leucine―found in beef, dairy, poultry, fish, and eggs―may help preserve muscle tissue.

11. Keep an exercise journal. Writing down your fitness achievements is a great way to track your progress, give yourself positive feedback, and maintain focus on your goals.

12. Eat dairy daily. A piece of cheese or a cup of milk or yogurt can rev up your metabolism, a University of Tennessee study found. People who cut 500 calories a day from their diets while eating yogurt three times a day lost 13 pounds over 12 weeks, more weight and more body fat than a control group who only cut calories.

Drink Up

13. Drink water. Your body often mistakes thirst for hunger, so staying hydrated means you’ll probably also stay satiated.

14. Be wary of white foods. That’s the color of most high-calorie carbs―bagels, potatoes, breads, rice, creamed corn, and the like

15. Have an apple before dinner.How did 346 people in small-town Washington State lose an average of 17 pounds each in 3 months? With regular exercise, balanced eating, and an apple with every meal. The typical apple has 5 grams of fiber, which makes you feel fuller.

16. Act like a kid. Expand your definition of physical activity to include shaking your booty with your kids. It’s a welcome break from the StairMaster and can burn just as many calories (about 120 every 20 minutes).

Breakfast Like a Champion

17. Eat breakfast. A Harvard study found that people who did so every day cut their chances of becoming obese and developing diabetes by 35 to 50 percent, compared with those who ate breakfast only twice a week.

18. Be picky about bread. Select loaves with whole grain listed as the first ingredient, and make sure each slice contains at least 2 grams of fiber.

19. Munch a handful of M&M’s. Just under half a pack of plain candies adds only 100 calories to your daily tally and can satisfy a sweet tooth.

20. Brush your teeth after every meal.It doesn’t just fight cavities: Brushing serves as a physical and psychological cue to stop eating. When you’re on the go, a few Altoids or a breath strip can have the same effect.

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