Better Sleep
You need it more than you may realize!

Sleep plays an important part in the anti-aging process, yet many people wish they could have better sleep. They may have trouble falling asleep as they age. You may not think that you need a lot of sleep. And while it is true that some people need less than others, seven hours of shut-eye a night will improve your health and your appearance.

Getting enough rest results in glowing skin and bright eyes. It reduces dark circles and puffy eyes It also helps with memory and learning. It can even help stave off some medical problems like hypertension, irregular heartbeats and increased stress hormones.

Unfortunately, even if you know you need more sleep, many people have trouble with insomnia or have difficulty falling asleep. The following tips may help you to relax and drift off into a better sleep.

• Try aromatherapy. Scents like lavender, chamomile and rose can help make you feel more sleepy. Drinking tea, putting essential oils on your pillow or your body, and even just breathing the fragrance can benefit a more restful sleep.
• Limit your alcohol intake. You may think that having a nightcap before bed will relax you, and it does. But it also interferes with the deeper, REM sleep and causes your liver to work harder to process the toxins.
• Limit caffeine. This is especially important in the evening hours. Don't consume caffeine after 5:00.
• Take an evening bath or shower. Research has found that people who do fall asleep faster and wake up more refreshed.
• Buy a new pillow. Many of us sleep on pillows that are too flat.
• Reduce the temperature and the humidity in your bedroom. Our bodies need to naturally reduce temperature as we fall asleep. This produces more serotonin. You can help this process by keeping your room cool. Use a fan if necessary. This will also help reduce heat flashes.

Antiaging Tip - Get enough sleep each night.

• One way to help decrease insomnia is to apply pressure to the area right above where the big toe and the second toe meet. This is an acupressure point and signals the body to relax. Apply pressure for about 1 minute on each foot. I do this each evening using an essential oil blend and have found it to be very effective. Wiggling your toes also helps you relax.
• Try a yoga trick. "Cover your left nostril with a finger while inhaling through your right nostril, then cover the right nostril and exhale through the left one; repeat 10 times." (Barbara Hustedt Crook, WomanÕs World Magazine, 5/4/09, p.23). This is a practice that yogiÕs call alternate nostril breathing. It is thought to increase dopamine and endorphins.
• Eat something. Some foods help reduce insomnia. Try adding fruits like papaya, bananas, strawberries and pineapple to your diet. Cashews provide magnesium that can help relax the nervous system.
• Follow a routine. Doing the same thing every evening before bed will signal to your body that it's time to go to sleep.

Try one or more of these tips to get better sleep tonight.