‘Beauty sleep’ is well named because beauty isn’t possible without sufficient sleep. And, with the stress of planning a wedding, the sleep habits of many brides get disrupted.
Count your blessings if you’re one of the lucky ones who slips into dreamland as soon as your head hits the pillow. If you struggle to get to sleep and stay asleep, it may be time to review your daily habits. If the problem is constant, turn to the Canadian Sleep Society (CSS) for advice from some of Canada’s leading experts. If the problem is occasional, the CSS says that changing your daily routine may be all that is needed.
- Exercise in the morning or afternoon: Late-night exercise will keep you awake.
- Exercise moderately: High intensity workouts work against you. Walking is ideal.
- Avoid late-night eating: If you eat late at night, you can actually gain weight regardless of watching your calories, according to a 2009 study at Northwestern University.
- Avoid over-eating: Too much food can cause digestive discomfort that will keep you awake.
- Milk and honey promote sleep: Milk has tryptophan (an amino acid that is a natural dietary sleep inducer). Honey is a natural sugar that allows more amino acid to enter the brain. Your grandmother’s standby of a glass of warm milk with a spoonful of honey was right on the money.
- Turn off the television and your phone: The lights from screens block the production of melatonin. If you must have some entertainment, surf the TV channels instead of the Internet.
- Go to bed at the same time every night: This allows your body to adapt to your circadian rhythm and become ready to turn off. Set your alarm at a consistent time (on weekends too) and train your body to go to sleep at the same time every night. It will pay off. Big time.
Originally published in Today’s Bride magazine, Spring/Summer 2015.
