Easy ways to wake up to a younger brain
You know you feel better after a great night’s sleep. Now, research published in BMC Psychiatry suggests regularly getting enough Zzzs can halt brain aging, cutting risk of dementia by up to 53%! Turns out sleep is your body’s prime time to sweep out brain-aging plaques and repair damaged neurons and vessels. For your best rest… Inhale a cedar forest
“The sweet, woody scent of cedarwood essential oil calms the anxiety center of the brain [the amygdala], plus soothes the adrenal glands, tamping down their stress hormone release,” says Austin Perlmutter, M.D., co-author of Brain Wash. Place a few drops of this oil on a tissue near your bed, and British researchers say you could drift off 42 minutes faster, even if a go-go-go day has left you feeling rattled.
Enjoy a ‘star stroll’
It’s too hot to move during the day, but going outside to admire stars at night is good for body and mind, say Cornell University researchers. Getting 30 minutes of movement each day prompts your brain to release calming theta waves at night, helping you sleep 75% more deeply, and cutting dementia risk in half! “You don’t have to run to get the benefits,” explains Dr. Perlmutter. “A relaxing outdoor stroll will do the trick.”
Crunch on an apple
That apple you ate after dinner can trigger drowsiness in 20 minutes, plus it can help you sleep 33% more deeply each night, Canadian scientists say. Thanks goes to apple skin compounds (polyphenols), which combine with the fruit’s natural sugars to heighten your brain’s production of the calming, sleep-inducing hormone serotonin.
Try the better sleeping pill
It’s GABA— an amino acid produced naturally by your own brain cells. Research in the Journal of Clinical Neurology suggests taking 500 mg. of GABA nightly can cut your risk of restless sleep and middle-ofthe-night wake-ups in half. “GABA acts like the brakes of your nervous system,” explains “sleep doctor” Michael Breus, PH.D., author of The Power of When. “It helps you slow down, unwind and feel truly relaxed.” Note: Check with your doctor before supplementing.