Experts share quick tips to help set you up to catch some primo z’s.
Chill out
A cold room — between 60 and 67 degrees — is best for sleep, says Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a psychiatrist and sleep doctor based in California. When your body temperature drops, he says, it signals that it’s time to slow down. Use blankets, rather than heat, to get warm once you’re in bed.
Time your supplements
Melatonin can be a helpful sleep aid, but it depends on how you use it, Dimitriu says. If you have a hard time falling asleep, try taking it about three hours before your bedtime. If you have trouble staying asleep, take it right before you go to bed. One to two milligrams is usually all you need, he says. “Five milligrams is obscene. Nobody needs to be on that.”
Block blue light
Blue light, which emanates from your phone, computer and other devices, promotes wakefulness, says sleep coach Soda Kuczkowski, owner of wellness center Start With Sleep in Buffalo, NY. You should steer clear of using such devices — or watching TV — for at least 30 minutes before bed. If you are exposed to blue light at night, she recommends wearing blue light-blocking glasses ($20 on startwithsleep.com).
Sleep client Tony Ferro tries a pair of blue-light-shielding glasses.Dan Cappellazzo
Tune out Fido
If you have pets, take their collars off and hide their toys at night. The sound of a jingling collar or rattling toy could be enough to mess with your peaceful sleep, says the founder of the Association of Professional Sleep Consultants, Mar De Carlo.
Quiet the mind
“Insomniacs think about sleep 10 times more a day than non-insomniacs,” Dimitriu says. “I tell my patients it’s like a Chinese finger trap — the more you stress in bed, the less you’re going to sleep.” He says meditating during the day is a good way to practice quieting your mind. Start by downloading a free mindfulness app, such as Headspace.
