Are You Sabotaging Your Sleep?

Editor's Note: The following is a guest post from Greatist--a health and fitness resource for the young, savvy, and social. They also happen to be one of the few sites that lists all of their research sources so that you know where the research is coming from. For more information, visit Greatist here.

By Shana Lebowitz

After a marathon meeting day at work or a blowout with a significant other, it may seem impossible to enjoy eight hours of blissful sleep. But those tough times may be when we really need the rest, since skimping on sleep actually makes it more difficult to handle stress. So stop tossing and turning. We've got the best tips on how to get a good night’s sleep even when you're stressed.

Beat the Bedtime Blues -- Your Action Plan

Don't work in bed, or even in the bedroom. Turning the sheets and pillows into a makeshift desk makes it harder to see the bed as a place for rest. And definitely put away the laptop, phone, and any other technological devices well before bedtime. The artificial light coming out of these gadgets can mess up the body's natural sleep cycles.

Go to sleep at a reasonable hour. (And make it a habit.) Especially when we're overwhelmed with work, it can seem tempting to stay up all night putting the final touches on a project. But pulling an all-nighter can make it much harder to focus the next day. And consistently staying up 'til sunrise may impair learning abilities and contribute to higher anxiety levels. (Now that's something to get stressed about.) Stick to a regular bedtime and things may look better in the morning.

Wind down. It's important to take some time to unwind between shutting the computer screen and crawling under the covers. Try taking a warm shower or sipping some herbal tea. If nagging worries are keeping you awake, write them down in a journal. Or mellow out as you're drifting off with some Enya or classical tunes.

Take a power nap. If the stress monster kept you from getting a solid night's rest last night, try dozing off during the day. Ten to 20 minutes should be enough to wake up feeling refreshed and more alert. Just make sure to keep naps to the afternoon, so you'll still be able to sleep soundly at night.

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10 Tips to Make Your Diet Stick

1. Try new foods. It’s the new year so choose one a month. Try it 10 times and you will like it. Become familiar with smell, taste, texture and flavour. The wider the range of foods you eat, the more nutrients you will be ingesting.

2. Reward and recognise your achievements. Focus on the positive. Use the strategies that kept you on track to help implement the next challenge.

3. Get started straight away. Ban procrastination. This time next year you'll have wish you started sooner!

4. Set yourself up to succeed. Identify the challenges and find the solutions to overcome them. Write down the strategies you will use. Don’t leave it to chance.

5. Choose a time and day to shop. Write it down in your diary so you don’t end up with a bare fridge.

6. Divide up tasks. Take it in turns to cook, shop and wash up so it isn’t an overwhelming task.

7. Have frozen meals ready to defrost. That way you won’t have to resort to unhealthy takeaway options.

8. Allow some treats. But don’t go overboard. Have one scoop of ice-cream rather than two, gourmet yoghurt on berries rather than cream, fresh fruit with a few squares of dark chocolate.

9. Modify your cooking methods. For example, try oven-baked potatoes brushed with oil rather than deep-fried chips. Crumb your schnitzel and brown in the pan with a little oil, then finish dry-baking in the oven.

10. Make an appointment with yourself for activity. Start at a pace you can continue with, for example, walk three days a week at lunchtime and twice a week after work rather than walking every day at 5am, which you know you won’t continue in winter.

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Foods That Can Improve Your Mood

We all have guilty pleasures; foods that make us feel good for a moment—but very ba-aaaa-d after we’re done. And while it’s fine to have those occasionally, most of the time your goal should be to take in foods that are not only good for you, but also that keep you happier and more alert –in the short- and long-term. The key? Frequently eating foods shown to improve your mood as part of a well-balanced diet, according to registered dietician Elizabeth Somer. (Just adding one goody to an otherwise poor diet won’t cut it.) Somer, the author of Food & Mood and Eat Your Way to Happiness, and other nutrition experts recommend regularly pumping your body with some of the following mood-boosters.

Salmon

People who eat two to three weekly servings of omega-3 DHA rich foods (like mackerel, sardines, herring, salmon) have among the lowest rates of depression in the world, Somer says. Fish also contains folate, linked with decreased symptoms of depression in men, and B12, linked with decreased depression in women. Finally, salmon is also a good source of Vitamin D, which can help combat seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.). Can’t eat wild salmon frequently? “There is a lot of research on individual nutritional supplements enhancing mood—specifically, omega-3 fish oils, B vitamins, and several other supplements,” says Jack Challem, author of The Food-Mood Solution: All-Natural Ways to Banish Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Stress, Overeating, and Alcohol and Drug Problems — and Feel Good Again.

Coffee or Green Tea

Among other health benefits, caffeinated coffee has been shown to decrease the risk of depression in women. Challem also recommends high-quality green tea, which is rich in L-theanine, which has a calming effect on the brain and improves mental focus.

Vitamin D Supplements

Multiple studies suggest that those who suffer from depression, particularly S.A.D., improve as vitamin D levels increase. “While I always recommend ‘food first,’ it’s very challenging to get enough Vitamin D from food alone,” Somer says.

Berries

Berries—especially blueberries and blackberries—are loaded with anthocyanidins, which are known to boost brain function, Somer says. She recommends a cup of berries several times a week. Nutrient-dense foods like berries are key to providing a sound foundation for brain chemistry, Challem says.

By Maghan McDowell (Source).