ReadersDigestAustraliaNewZealand-April2018

READER’S DIGEST

mayrelaxthebody,whichimproves

sleep quality. Try classical music with

an adagio tempo, new-age music or

acoustic instrumental versions of

your favourite songs.

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Pooh-poohing playing

video games.Who knew

playing could relieve pain? When

your cognitive resources are focused

onamentallydemandinggame,you

have less attention to give to external

stimuli, including pain. In one US

study, patients who played a virtual

realitygamecalledSnowWorldre-

ported a reduction in pain compara-

bletothatfromamoderatedose of

hydromorphone, a painkiller.

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Standing there and argu-

ing.Canapaddedchair

help cushion your verbal blows?

AccordingtoastudyfromMIT,Har-

vard and Yale, sitting on soft sur-

facesactuallymakespeoplemore

lexible and accommodating – that’s

why Bruce Feiler, author ofSecrets

of Happy Families,suggestsmoving

heated conversations to a sofa or

other cushioned seat.

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Wearingjustanypyjamas.

Sleep experts remind us

that our body temperature naturally

dropswhenwesleep.Wearingpyja-

masthatmakeyoufeeltoohotortoo

cold could disrupt this natural drop

in temperature and, as a result, your

body’s sleep cycle.

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Noteatingbycandlelight.

When Cornell University

scientistsalteredhalfofafast-food

restaurant to include low lighting and

atmosphericmusic,customersinthe

modiied section not only ate slower

butalsoconsumedfewerkilojoules

andreportedenjoyingtheirfood

more than customers who ate identi-

calmealsinthestandardrestaurant.

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Going all organic.Accord-

ing to the Environmental

Working Group’s latest ‘Clean Fif-

teen’ list, non-organic avocados,

sweetcorn, pineapples, cabbage

andfrozensweetpeasshowlittle

or no signs of pesticides. Save your

money for organic versions of more

pesticide-ladenfoods,such as straw-

berries and apples.

31

Ending your night with

Facebook.Research shows

that you should end screen time

well before bedtime; otherwise, you

couldtakelongertonodofandeven

produce less sleep-inducing mel-

atonin. (That means TV, computer

and phone screens.)

32

Notendingyournightwith

Debussy’s ‘Clair de Lune’.

Anewstudyfoundthatpeoplewho

listenedtomusicwithatempoof60

to80beatsperminutefor45minutes

beforebedfellasleepquickerand

hadabetterqualityofsleepthan

those who didn’t. Why? The music

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