A good night’s sleep – It’s not just in your head!
Think a good night’s sleep is something you can take or leave? Think again. The cost of missed shut-eye stretches past those lost hours:
• Lost memory – Count on at least 15% reduction in mental acuity after pulling an all-nighter. Sleep helps you filter
and organize information and without it, you’ll lose important data.
• Bigger waistline – When you’re tired you crave junky, high-carb foods because you don’t have enough of the hormone
leptin to tell you when to stop eating.
• More sick days – Both the University of Chicago and Harvard have studied how many sick days insomniacs rack up –
as well as the increased risk for heart disease, cancer and type-2 diabetes. It’s not pretty.
If stress is your bed partner, put yourself on snooze control with these tips:
 Redefine
a good night’s sleep
Eight hours is the goal, but who said you had to have it all at once? If you’re awake at 4 am worrying, get up and do something that makes you feel good. Grab a nap mid-afternoon or before dinner to get your 8 hours in.
Go to bed to sleep
Supply sleep signals by diming the lights, reading – anything but checking your email. Clearing your head and nudging your internal clock it’s lights out will make easier to fall asleep.
Breathe deeply
Evidence shows that slow, deep breathes reduce anxiety and relax the body. Close your mouth, inhale through your nose and just breathe….
Listen to your mom
Don’t drink coffee or alcohol or smoke right before bed – they’re known sleep-disturbers. And avoid large meals and spicy food – your digestive system needs to wind down as well.
Get up when…
If you wake up and you’ve looked at the clock, you’re already stimulated and likely stressed. If you’ve lain awake for 15 minutes, get out of bed and read, drink a glass of milk or listen to music. Your pre-sleep ritual should relax your body again.
Take a nap
Twenty minutes power naps have the power to recharge and revitalize a lagging brain.
Get a Natura bed
So you’ve done everything else and you’re still struggling with sleep. Maybe it’s time for a new bed from Natura.
If you answered yes to even one of these questions, we can help you get a better night’s sleep – starting tonight. Search for a
dealer near you or continue reading through our
Healthy Sleep Center
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