Cool Down Your Room
“A hot bath will increase your skin
temperature, which eventually
decreases your core body tempera-
ture. Do the same thing for yourself
that you’d do for a young child – make
sure you take a bath a half hour or so
before bed time.” Robert Oexman
Tamp Down Hot Flashes
“If you wake up with hot f lashes, of
course you should keep the room
cool and wear layered sleep cloth-
ing. But also keep a glass of ice water
by the bed; sipping it will help lower
your body temperature so you can
get back to sleep.”
Dr Becky Wang-Cheng,
coeditor ofMenopause
Go to Bed Angry
“The classic line is that you shouldn’t
go to bed angry, but that’s some-
times impossible. If you’re lying in
the same bed but mentally throw-
ing darts at each other, go to sleep
on the couch.”
Psychotherapist Jeffrey Sumber
Be Smart About Allergies
“Pillows and bed coverings ad-
vertised as ‘hypoallergenic’ aren’t
necessarily worth buying. That just
means a product is made out of a
substance you can’t be allergic to, not
that it prevents allergies. Instead, get
dustmite-proof covers for your pillow,
mattress, and box spring.”
Allergist Dr Jacqueline Eghari-Sabet
Learn to Share
“If you like a firmer mattress and
[your partner] likes a softer one,
you don’t have to compromise. Get
two single beds, push them togeth-
er, and use king sheets. Or you can
buy a strap that attaches the single
mattresses to each other.”
Alan Hedge,
professor of ergonomics“One of the biggest disrupters of
sleep is the pulling and tugging of
sheets and blankets. I tell couples
that each person should have a sheet
and blanket. If you pull a big com-
forter or duvet over the top when you
make the bed, you really can’t tell.
Couples call me after I suggest that
and say, ‘Wow – you changed our
marriage.’”
Chiropractor and sleep expert
Robert OexmanAvoid ‘Anti-Sleeping’ Pills
“A lot of people take bedtime pain
relievers that contain caffeine and
don’t even realise it. Check the label:
caffeine is always listed as an active
ingredient.”
Jan Engle, professor of pharmacy“An oral decongestant might help
you breathe better, but it can in-
crease your heart rate, which makes
it hard to sleep. A nasal decongest-
ant can rev you up too. At night, try
a saline spray or wash instead.”
Pharmacist Eric Alvarez105