Reader’s Digest International — August 2017

August• 2017 | 55

READER’S DIGEST

drinking late in the evening. Alcohol

is a diuretic, which means you’ll have

to pee soon after imbibing. And some

drinks are worse than others. “Beer

has an effect of stimulating urine pro-

duction,” Van Kerrebroeck says.

Chill out

People sleep best when the bedroom

is about 18°C, according to research.

Your temperature naturally drops as

bedtime approaches, so keeping your

bedroom cool helps your body adjust

itself more efficiently.

“Warmth is a signal to the brain

to stay awake for many people,” says

Ojile. “Throughout the night when it’s

hot, you have this constant stimula-

tion, which is wake-promoting. And

there’s a tactile issue, too – some

people have trouble sleeping if there

are no sheets or comforters on them.”

Try keeping your thermostat at a

cool temperature year-round. If your

partner likes it warmer than you do,

considerproductsthatcankeepyou

cooler than your bedmate, such as a

gel pillow cover or a temperature-

controlled heating–cooling pad that

fits over only your half of the bed.

Watch what you ingest
What you eat and drink in the even-
ing can affect sleep quality. A heavy
meal right before bedtime can cause
stomach acid to rise into your oesoph-
agus, which we know as heartburn,
especially if you consume spicy foods,
tomato-based products or chocolate.
The burning, painful symptoms of
heartburn may keep you from falling
asleep or may wake you.
Chronic heartburn may be a sign
of gastro-oesophegeal reflux disease
(GORD), which can cause serious
problems over time. Lying down after
eating may exacerbate GORD, says
gastroenterologist Dr Gary Falk, a pro-
fessor of medicine at the Hospital of
the University of Pennsylvania. “With
lying down and going to sleep, one
loses the defences of gravity, saliva
and swallowing.”
To minimise reflux, stop eating
at least two to three hours before
bedtime. To keep gravity working in
your favour, elevate the head of your
bed, says Dr Joseph Ojile, medical
director of the Clayton Sleep Institute.
Alcohol can also cause reflux,
but there are other reasons to avoid

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