May Is Better Sleep Month: Sleep Tips For a More Beautiful You

STATS:
According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 70 million people in the United States are affected by a chronic sleep disorder or intermittent sleep problem. Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions—such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression—which threaten our nation’s health.

FROM THE EXPERT:
According to a report from Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs, Americans with sleep disorders may be relying too heavily on sleeping pills instead of trying safer non-drug remedies. “Most people who have trouble sleeping do not need sleeping pills,” says sleep expert Dr. Michael Breus. “The scents in Aromatherapy Sleep products are scientifically proven to help provide a better night’s sleep. I recommend that those who have trouble falling and staying asleep try the formulas before turning to more drastic measures like sleeping aides.”

TIPS:
Dr. Michael Breus, PhD, sleep expert and author of Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep, offers tips to get a better night's sleep:

* Take a hot bath: “Taking a hot bath before bed heats up our body’s core, then cools it down just like the process when we sleep,” says Dr. Breus. “Therefore a hot bath can trigger a biological function that our bodies associate with being at rest.”

* Get a relaxing massage: “A relaxing massage is a great way to de-stress and help us get ready for bed,” says Dr. Breus. “Ask your partner to give you a massage using Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Sleep Body Lotion to help relax or apply the formula yourself very slowly, taking deep breaths along the way.”

* Be aware of surroundings: “Our surroundings play a huge role in the quality of our sleep,” says Dr. Breus. “By using the Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Sleep Pillow Mist on your bedding you are creating a calm environment that is conducive to sleep.”

Photo Credit: Mayr

7 Steps to Creating a More Beautiful You Part 2: Exercise

This post couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. I was sitting here tonight thinking that for the past five days I told myself that I was going to exercise, but kept putting it off. I’ll do it after I do this…or I’ll wait til it cools down outside.

I feel very guilty. However, I can’t blame anybody else for my decision to procrastinate. I also told myself that I was going put post-its around the house to remind myself to exercise, but that didn’t happen either.

An article over at Lifehack.org tackles this issue and concludes that in order to stay motivated about exercise, one needs to get more sleep:

"Most people fall off the exercise wagon after about three weeks. Their motivation for it crashes when they do not maintain or change to healthy sleeping habits. Without enough sleep, it becomes difficult to get motivated to go out and get proper exercise. In fact, the main excuse for not getting enough exercise is either being “too tired” or having “no time.” Often, it is the combination of both, making it extremely difficult to maintain a balanced approach as taught by these Zen masters."

I usually get about 7-8 hours of sleep every night, however I tend to go to bed very late (around 3 a.m.) which may be part of the problem. When I wake up I still feel a bit groggy and although my first inclination is to hop on the treadmill, I usually follow that with a “Well, I’ll exercise in the afternoon in between writing…”

Another great article I came across is over at Zen Habits: 7 Ways to Build the Exercise Habit. I’ve written down my goal (less fat on my stomach), the deadline (July 31), and the action plan (100 Situps/Crunches per day and workout 3 times a week). I’m going to post this by my bed so it’s the first thing I see when I wake up.

What is your exercise routine? If you don’t have one, why not?

Related Post:
Exercise: Back to the Basics