Fast, easy at-home cures for restless sleep

These strategies are proven to reset energy-regulating glands to help you breeze through the busy-busy-busy

DELIVERS MENTAL FOCUS: This spicy scent

All the hustle and bustle of the holidays can disrupt the brain region that regulates hormone-producing glands (the hypothalamus). And that triples your risk of feeling scattered and spent. The fast fix: Take six slow inhales of frankincense essential oil. According to research in the journal Plant

Physiology and Biochemistry, aromatic compounds in the oil soothe a stressed brain to help you feel 45% more energized and focused in just 60 seconds.

BOOSTS MOOD: Soothing tunes

We usually crank up fast-paced, upbeat music when we need a hit of happy, but Canadian researchers suggest doing the opposite for an even bigger boost. Their study revealed that enjoying one hour of soothing background music daily— tunes with a tempo of 60 beats per minute or less; Mozart and Bach are great fits—can elevate mood and energy by 55% in 72 hours. Turns out, calming music prompts the brain to release serotonin—a hormone that lifts mood and prods the thyroid to increase the production of energizing hormones.

DEEPENS SLEEP: Citrus snacks

Daytime sunlight prompts the brain’s pineal gland to release sleepinducing melatonin at night—but November’s dreary skies can hinder melatonin production, increasing the risk of insomnia, fatigue and blah moods, says Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., author of Super Mind. To add 25 minutes to your nightly slumber—and boost your next-day energy and happiness by 60%— snack on an orange, tangerine or other citrus fruit 30 minutes before bed. British researchers say the tasty treasures are packed with nutrients that help switch on melatonin production in the pineal gland.