Reader's Digest

28 | July• 2018

SLEEP BETTER EVERY NIGHT

HOWTOPRESCRIBE
YOURSELF SLEEP

Convenient or not it’s a biological
fact:adultsneedtosleepbetween
sevenandninehourseachnight.A
colossal66percentofusfailtodo
soonaregularbasis.It’snotjusta
matter of feeling tired the next day;
over t he long run sleep deprivation
cancontributetodepressionobesity
diabetes stroke and heart attacks
andincreaseyourriskofAlzheimer’s
disease and cancer.
“hesilentsleep-lossepidemicis
thegreatestpublichealthchallenge
wefaceinthe21stcenturyindevel-
oped nations” argues Dr Matthew
WalkeroftheUniversityofCalifor-
nia Berkeley in his recent bookWhy
We Sleep. “Scientists like me have
evenstartedlobbyingdoctorstostart
‘prescribing’ sleep.”
Walker’stoptipforasuccessful
‘prescription’ is sticking to a sched-
ule.Thebodynaturallythriveson
aregularsleep-wakerhythmand
asetbedtimewillremovesomeof
the temptation to spend your time
in other ways.

He also recommends avoiding if

atallpossiblemedicinesthatcould

‘conlict’withthesleepprescription

such as certain heart blood pres-

sure or asthma medications plus

some remedies for colds coughs

and allergies. here are alternatives

available for many of these drugs so

ifthey’recostingyoushut-eyespeak

with your doctor or pharmacist.

HOWTOSLEEP

AWAY FROM HOME

Ifyou’veevertossedandturnedina

hotel room you may have experience

with ‘night-watch brain’.

Cerebral imaging has revealed

thatsimilarlytodolphinspigeons

and other animals humans rest

onehalfofthebrainlessthanthe

other when we’re in an unfamiliar

setting. his adaptation would have

been advantageous for our ances-

tors who were at risk of predators in

thewildbutit’sfarlessusefulfor

today’straveller.Youcanminimise

it by staying at the same hotel for

aslongasyouremaininacityand

by booking similar rooms from the

same chain wherever you go.

Fewthingsareascovetedasgoodsleep:

studiesshowthatitaddsyearstoyourlife

and over time increases happiness as

much as winning the lottery. Drawing upon

recent scientiic research these tips will help

guarantee you wakeful days and blissful nights.