There’s a popular idea that if we don’t sleep well during the week (because of jobs, because of family, because we just don’t want to) that we can always just make it up on the weekends. It turns out that not only is this idea not true, it can actually be harmful to the way we live our lives. It’s new knowledge gleaned from a part of the new burgeoning field known as “sleep science” and it’s changing the way we look at sleep and health. Here’s how sleep scientist, Matthew Walker explained it on a recent interview on NPR’s Fresh Air, “Sleep is not like the bank. You can’t accumulate a debt and pay it off at a later point...
Getting healthy sleep—the kind where you wake up feeling totally rested with a smile on your face—requires a little planning the night before. Movement and wellness expert, Pilin Anice, recommends these four in-bed mediation moves (a.k.a. “beditation”) to relax your mind and release tension all over. Do these poses before bed to wake up smiling. Also known as “Easy Pose,” in Sukasana you sit with your legs crossed and your spine straight and tall. From this seated position you can meditate or try this breathing exercise to help melt stress away: Press one nostril closed for five breaths, and then alternate by pressing the other nostril closed. Close your eyes and repeat until you feel relaxed. “Sukasana helps...
Sleep doesn’t get the respect or attention it deserves. According to the CDC, over one-third of Americans don’t sleep enough. As a wellness and nutrition coach, many of my clients resist going to sleep—even when they’re exhausted—trading an earlier bedtime for more “me time” (usually spent online). By depriving yourself of the 7-9 hours you need every night, you increase the risk of developing chronic diseases, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, even if you eat well, exercise, take supplements and meditate. Sleep is that important! But it’s not just about the number of hours you spend in bed; your sleep quality also matters. And the side effects of chronic lack of sleep are serious. Here’s how bad it...
Beauty sleep is an idea as old as time. It seems like one of those quaint little adages that your mom tells you, like “a stitch in time saves nine” or “one in the hand is worth two in the bush.” Crazily, that advice to sleep more for good skin is getting some serious scientific backing. It’s not only old school skin experts who are in on the idea of beauty sleep, now sleep scientists are finally figuring out what mom knew all along: a full eight hours is the closest thing you can get to the fountain of youth. Not only that, there are studies to suggest that sleep can help with problems as averse as acne, bruising,...
By Tanya Slavin You invested in a luxury mattress, and you can’t wait to wake up feeling rested, focused, motivated, and crush every life goal (hey, it could happen). But you forgot about one can’t-miss upgrade: Pillows. Getting a good quality pillow can have a profound effect on the quality of your sleep. And since you should change out your pillow every two years, we found five luxurious pillows that you might love even more than your mattress. 1. Royal Hotel Goose Down Pillow The two things that make a down pillow downright amazing are the down to feather ratio (since most down pillows also contain feathers) and fill power, which refers to the size of down clusters....
