FOREVER YOUNG
Easy tricks to outsmart the snooze sappers that leave millions of women over age 50 tossing and turning
You’re exhausted, but as you lie in bed watching the minutes (or hours) tick by, sleep is elusive. You’re not alone. Women over 50 have the most trouble falling — and staying — asleep, asserts W. Chris Winter, M.D., author of The Sleep Solution. To blame? Everything from joint pain to fluctuating hormone levels to medication side effects. And while you could turn to over-the-counter sleeping pills, there are safer options that won’t lead to the next-day fatigue and brain fog linked to the meds, says Dr. Winter. “Seeking out the underlying cause of the sleep problem will help you create a specific, safe strategy so you can sleep like a baby.” Read on for targeted natural remedies shown to outsmart common sleep thieves.
PRONE TO SNORING?
Spring allergies can inflame sinus and throat tissues, causing snoring. But placing bowls of water near heating registers or radiators can help. As
“Every night I soak in a hot bath; it gives me a chance to unwind and calm my brain. It helps me sleep better.”
Kristin Chenoweth, 49
the water evaporates, it adds humidity to the air to keep sinus and throat membranes properly moist — a strategy Swedish scientists say can ease snoring within 72 hours.
HAVE TO GET UP TO GO?
Almost 50 percent of us regularly lose sleep due to multiple treks to the bathroom each night — and the risk of these wake-ups increases fourfold after age 50. To cut nightly bathroom trips by 25 percent, try taking 2 tsp. of milk of magnesia at bedtime. Canadian scientists say magnesium relaxes the muscles lining the bladder and urethra, so they’re less likely to spasm as your bladder fills.
WAKE UP TOO OFTEN?
Blah moods lower the production of calming brain waves, doubling the risk of restless sleep. But research in the journal Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice finds that inhaling the scent of lavender, bergamot or jasmine at bedtime kickstarts the formation of these brain waves, improving sleep for 64 percent of women. To get the perks, use a scented soap in your evening shower or add a few drops of essential oil to a tissue and leave on your nightstand.
NIGHTTIME HEARTBURN?
If you suffer daytime reflux, Yale University scientists say there’s a 45 percent chance heartburn is also disrupting your sleep — even if it doesn’t wake you. But enjoying a spoonful of unpasteurized honey at bedtime can cut sleep-disrupting flares by 55 percent, say Australian scientists. How? Honey’s polyphenols coat the esophagus to shield it from stomach acid, plus work to heal sore throat tissues.