melatonin

Eight ways to keep your bedroom as dark as possible for a good night sleep

Published November 23, 2011 | By Debra

If you are not sleeping your best you may be letting too much light into your bedroom at night. We need complete darkness in order for our bodies to properly manufacture and release the sleep hormone melatonin. Being exposed to light will give our bodies the wrong message. Our bodies may think it is daylight and actually release cortisol and wake us up instead.

Here are eight ways to get your bedroom dark:

1. No night lights. If you must have one, make it a red one.

2. If you have a television in your bedroom, keep it put away in a cabinet or armoire when not in use.

3. turn off cell phones

4. Turn off laptops. Better yet, keep all of these electronics out of the bedroom all together when not in use.

5. If you use an alarm clock, use a non digital one.

6. Invest in quality shades or blinds

7. If you live with other people, keep your door closed

8. An hour before bedtime, make your living quarters progressively dimmer. Start turning off lights and take a bath, stretch, and read in lower lighting to give your body a hint that it is getting near sleepy time.

Goodnight!

Posted in Bedroom ideas, Getting a good night sleep, insomnia, Products for a good night sleep, Tips to help insomnia |

Tagged dark bedrooms, electronics in bedroom, getting a good night sleep, insomnia, melatonin |

Three soothing foods for comfort and sleep

Published June 26, 2011 | By Debra

For help falling asleep fast, try these soothing foods:

1. Turkey, which contains tryptophan, an amino acid that converts to sleep promoting serotonin.

2. Warm Milk. Also contains tryptophan and calcium and magnesium which enhance the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin.

3. Macaroni and Cheese. Comfort foods like mac and cheese provide psychological reasons that will comfort us. Foods like this we associate with early childhood and being take care of.

Sleep well,

Debra