14 Ways to Improve Your Sleep

By John Swartzberg, M.D. Are you sleep deprived? The odds are good that you'll answer yes. In 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called insufficient sleep a major public health problem, noting that nearly 30% of adults get less than six hours of sleep a night. And a national survey by the Better Sleep Council found that a solid majority of us (61%) crave sleep more than sex. Check our chart: How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? It's conventional wisdom that we sleep less than our ancestors, although that may not be true. One new study of hunter-gatherer societies found they sleep on average 5.7 to 7.1 hours a night, about the same as people in modern societies. Honestly, the best way to tell if you're getting enough sleep is simple: Are you tired during the day? If you have energy and think clearly, you're probably getting enough sleep. If you feel tired, worn down, or fuzzyheaded, you probably need more sleep. What can you do about those lost Zs if you do need more sleep? Here are 14 solid, proven, healthy ways to get better sleep. 1. Cut Caffeine. I admit it. I love caffeine. But if you're having trouble sleeping, it's important to reduce, if not eliminate, caffeine in your diet. If you can't give it up entirely, at least try to stay away from caffeine within four to six hours of bedtime; half of the caffeine you take in at 7 pm is still in your body at 11. It's not going to make a marked difference in just 24 hours, but within a few days of getti...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news