By now most people know that the key to good health is a good night’s sleep but that’s easier said than done. There are plenty of people who just can’t seem to get the recommended amount of shuteye each night, and would gladly do anything to fix that. Well, Dr. Michael Breus, who’s known as the “Sleep Doctor” is here to help and has some tips on what to do and what not to do if you want to improve your sleep.
Despite what you hear, Breus says looking at your smartphone isn’t the absolute worst thing you could do before going to bed, although he does admit it doesn’t help since the blue light emitted from the screen certainly has an affect on sleep. He suggests instead to to watch a TV show that relaxes you to sleep. He adds that the absolute worst thing people can do before bed is to have “big emotional discussions” with their partner, which is certain to “kill a good night’s sleep.”
For those who really have a hard time falling to sleep, Brues suggest a few weird hacks that just may work. He swears by something called “banana tea,” which is a piece of a banana, with the peel, steeped in water. The magnesium that is now in the water will have calming affect like chamomile tea. He also says counting backwards from 300 in increments of three, noting, “it’s so doggone boring that you’re out like a light.” And if you are exhausted but need to get work done, he recommends what he calls a “nap-a-latte,” which is to drink some black coffee with ice cubes and then immediately take a 25-minute nap, but no more. He says it will give people “four hours (of productivity) guaranteed.”
As for what doesn’t work, anything involving the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan is bound to fail, which is why eating a turkey sandwich won’t put you to bed, and warm milk probably won’t either. You’d actually need to eat 44 pounds of turkey to feel tired from the tryptophan.
Source: New York Post