HAVE TROUBLE GETTING TO SLEEP?

Are you one of those people who have trouble getting to sleep after getting to bed? A good night's sleep is important to your health so you need to start working on getting to sleep well before bedtime. That's right, start working on getting to sleep at about two o'clock in the afternoon. Ann Romaker, M.D., director of the Sleep Disorders Center at St. Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, says the effects of caffeine can linger up to 8 hours. Therefore, for a 10 pm bedtime, you should switch to caffeine-free drinks by two in the afternoon.

Another tip is from Chin Moi Chow, Ph.D., a senior sleep lecturer at The University of Sydney in Australia. Eat bold flavors for lunch and milder flavors for your evening meal. Acidic and heavily spiced dishes eaten late in the day may cause sleep-disturbing acid reflux in the night.

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