Denise's Daily Dozen (37 page)

12. Oblique and Core Cool-Down

Target and tone your waistline and trim your torso!

  Lie on your left side, balancing on your left elbow and forearm and your left knee. Extend your right leg straight with the foot on the floor, and bend your right arm so your right hand is by your right ear.

  Twist your upper body toward the floor, bringing your right elbow down toward your left hand. Time: 30 seconds. Then switch sides and repeat.

 
CHALLENGE
: Extend both legs straight so you’re in a side plank. Twist your upper body toward the floor.

A Dozen Tips from Denise: How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep

W
e’re a nation of sleep-deprived people. In fact, a recent survey from the National Sleep Foundation found that 67 percent of women say they have trouble sleeping several times a week. That’s a problem for many reasons, the first being your waistline. Research shows that being sleep-deprived can cause you to gain weight—and there may be many reasons for this! Some people think it’s hormonal, that lack of sleep keeps our bodies from releasing a hormone that tells us we’re full. Others believe that being fatigued packs on the pounds because sometimes when we’re tired, we reach for food to give us energy. And on a very basic level, if you’re staying up late to watch TV or work, it’s easy to eat mindlessly and load up on too many extra calories. Of course, you also need your sleep if you want to have energy to exercise. Naturally, the downside of not getting enough sleep goes beyond not fitting into your favorite jeans or not losing pounds. Without enough sleep, you can negatively impact your memory, ability to concentrate, and reaction time as well as increasing your risk of accidents or injury. By sticking with your Daily Dozen workouts, you’re already doing something to enhance your snooze time, since women who exercise regularly tend to sleep better. For a great eight hours of slumber, you can:

1.
Do something relaxing before bed. We often hear about the importance of creating bedtime rituals for babies and toddlers, but adults need them, too. It sends a signal to your body that it’s time to unwind. Each person has a different idea of what’s relaxing, but often it’s just a bath, reading a book, or talking quietly with your “honey” or kids.

2.
On the other hand, make sure you don’t do anything that can get you riled up before bed. That means no watching the news or high-energy or violent television shows or movies (all those disasters and devastation stories are anything but calming). Even paying bills can make it hard to relax.

3.
Put away your laptop. “Just one more e-mail…” Does that sound familiar? Working on your laptop or BlackBerry in bed can get in the way of your much-needed rest. Besides, do you really want to dream about work?

4.
Make it dark. Light causes your body to suppress melatonin, a hormone known to help you fall asleep and stay that way, so start your bedtime ritual by dimming the lights. When it’s time to hit the sack, make your bedroom as dark as possible by closing the blinds (get blackout shades if you need to) and turning off any lights. Also make sure to cover lights like those from a plugged-in cell phone, digital clock, or computer, since their brightness can seep through closed eyelids and disrupt your sleep. If you can’t block out all the light coming into your room, consider slipping on a sleep mask.

5.
Get quiet. Your bedroom should be a quiet sanctuary. But if outside noise or a bed partner who snores keep you up, try blocking sleep-sapping noise with a source of white noise like a fan or air conditioner, a sound machine, or a soothing sound CD; or try earplugs. If your phone tends to ring a lot at night, give friends and family a curfew in terms of how late they can call, or turn off your ringer and let your voice mail do the talking.

6.
Go to bed at the same time each night. I’ve heard lots and lots of sleep experts give this advice. Climbing into bed at the same time each night trains your body to get tired at a certain time, which makes falling asleep a lot easier. (It makes getting up easier, too.)

7.
Take notes way before bed. We often have a hundred things (or more) going through our heads at a time, and just because our bodies are ready to sleep doesn’t mean our minds stop racing. Whether it’s to-dos, worries, or even great ideas on your mind, they can make it hard to get a good night’s sleep. If you take a few minutes before bed to write these things down, you’ll know they won’t be forgotten and you will probably drift off more easily and soundly.

8.
Use scents to lull you to sleep. Studies show that certain fragrances like lavender and vanilla are calming and relaxing. If you like either of these aromas, try burning a scented candle and blowing it out just before you go to sleep, rubbing on some lotion, or spritzing your pillow with a room spray just before bed.

9.
Believe it or not, your mattress, pillows, and bedding can affect the quality of your sleep. A lumpy old mattress may not support your back or neck, while an overly stiff one can do more harm than good (despite what most people think),
causing
back pain instead of alleviating it. If your pillow is synthetic rather than feather, it may hold five times as much dust mite fecal matter, which can aggravate asthma symptoms. As for your bedding, find something soft and comfortable, and make sure you wash your linens at least once a week.

10.
Have a cup of decaffeinated tea. Not only is tea delicious, but routinely making a mug at night may help you unwind. Some teas like chamomile and ginger are believed to be very relaxing and soothing. Brewing, steeping, and sipping your tea can be part of your calming and healthy pre-bed routine.