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January 05, 2006
Turn Yourself Into an Early Riser
Rise and shine. Getting up early means more time to exercise and eat a nutritious breakfast.
If the snooze button is your best friend, consider adjusting your internal clock. It seems that early birds get health benefits night owls may miss, such as an opportunity to exercise (people who work out in the morning are more likely to stick with their regimen) and time to eat a healthful breakfast. "Early light helps us wake up and feel more alert sooner than we would otherwise," says Eric Nofzinger, M.D., a sleep expert at the Western Psychiatric Institute in Pittsburgh. To make the switch, use these tips from Daniel Loube, M.D., associate director of the Sleep Disorder Center at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.
* Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends. This allows the body clock to stay synchronized.
* If you have trouble falling asleep at night, ask your doctor if melatonin is a good choice for you. (But note that some studies have shown that melatonin may impair lung function for asthmatics.)
* Limit alcohol. It lulls you into a deep slumber for three to four hours, but once it wears off, you may wake up and be unable to fall back to sleep.
* Limit computer use at night. Some studies have shown that looking at a computer's bright display in the evening may affect the biological clock that regulates sleep, making it difficult to fall asleep.
Posted by Lisa at January 5, 2006 10:29 AM
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