All about a good night’s rest

they are not on the label. Virtually anything that is advertised for fat loss will cause sleep problems.

No big meals before bedtime: A big, fatty meal right before bedtime is a real sleep killer. There are a lot of reasons to make your pre-sleep meal small, high protein, and low in calories - add sleeping better to that list.

Google “follow your breath”: I hesitate to call this meditation because of all the bad connotations. Many people can’t get to sleep because their minds are racing about what they didn’t do, what they need to do, and what they should have done. Following your breath is a simple way to clear your mind and get to sleep.

Avoid stress before bedtime: The last hours before bed, do something enjoyable, not something stressful. Before bedtime is a bad time to pay the bills or open mail. It is a bad time to discuss plans for a wedding. Watching films like Get Out right before bedtime may not be the best idea either. Newscasts should probably be avoided as well. Some people get all worked up about politics, if that’s you, then the last thing you need is to work yourself into a frenzy about who said/did what. You know what pushes your buttons, raises your blood pressure, and starts your heart racing - avoid it before bedtime.

Go to bed earlier: Depriving yourself of sleep so that you can get everything done is not the best time-management tool. If you are groggy and slower the next day, you will accomplish less. A much better idea is to organize your life and do the important things first, rather than the easy, fun things. Get job or school-related things out of the way before you settle down to watch TV and surf Facebook or Instagram.