Reader’s Digest International — August 2017

August• 2017 | 53

READER’S DIGEST

rather than inhalations, you can influ-
ence the relaxation effect.”
The relaxation response or effect
has been shown to lower blood-pres-
sure levels, reduce stress and encour-
age sleepiness. Maman recommends
practicing yoga for 15
or 20 minutes before
bedtime, choosing a
lying-down position
that emphasises re-
laxed breathing. “It can
quickly have an effect
on sleep quality.”
When Jodi O’Donnell-
Ames turned 50 this
year, she started waking
at 3am nightly, unable
to fall back to sleep. The
long-time yoga practi-
tioner turned to yoga
for help.
“I used to practice
power yoga more for
cardio than for relaxa-
tion,” O’Donnell-Ames
says. “I added gentle
yogaflowtomyweekly
routine. It took two weeks to see a
consistent difference.”

Grab dinner with friends
Having an emotionally fulfilling day
may influence the soundness of your
sleep. Researchers at the University of
Chicago found that many people who
are unable to sleep through the night
feel isolated from family and friends.
These lonely people take longer to

fall asleep at bedtime, are more likely

to toss and turn in the middle of the

night, sleep for fewer hours and expe-

rience daytime grogginess more often

than emotionally connected people.

Older adults are particularly sus-

ceptible to emotional

loneliness. “Later life

contains events such

as retirement, children

leaving home, and po-

tentially bereavement

and widowhood,” says

psychologist and re-

searcher Dr Joanna

McHugh of Trinity

College, Dublin. “All of

these events may create

loneliness.”

Interacting with

people meaningfully

during the day may

help to improve sleep

quality, although there

are no cookie-cutter

guidelines. “The link

between loneliness and

sleep quality is still rel-

atively new and under-researched, so

it is hard to make recommendations,”

McHugh says.

Seeing friends may make you feel

more emotionally connected, but

you may not be able to socialise as

often as you’d like. Some research

suggests that chatting with friends

by phone may provide ample emo-

tional support, but texting and social

media won’t cut it. Counselling may

Interacting

with people

during the day

may improve

sleep quality,

but there are no

cookie-cutter

guidelines