 | We could all use a good night's sleep... Whether you're sleepingsingle or a cozy couple, here are some tricks to help you sleep better...
Manipulate Your Mood
Try sheets made of cotton if you need to feel like you're getting a fresh start. The starchy cleanliness of this textile best bought in white, is inviting and unblemished. Think of it as a comfy blank slate. Cozy flannel sheets are best if you are in need of nurturing. Few fabrics supply the feeling of a full-body embrace the way this warm and comforting material does. Slippery satins sheets will spice up any room. You can't help but feel naughty as you slide across the bed.
Sex Up Your Dreams
Follow this sensual sleep strategy from Secrets of Dreams by Caro Ness: First, settle down as if you're going to sleep, relaxing every muscle in your body. Then focus all your attention on your base chakra, the area around your genitals. Keeping your eyes shut and your eye muscles relaxed, direct your mental energy downward, feeling the blood circulate. Then "look" into the darkness of your eyelids. It may take a few tries, but according to Dreams, concentrating on the most erotic part of your body can cause intensely sexual images to pop up in your dreams.
Turn Up The Tunes
"At rest, your heart rate is 60 to 80 beats per minute," says Leesa Sklover-Filgate, Ph.D., creator of the sleep-inducing CD Optiself: Science and Sound for the Soul. "To spiral into a relaxed state, choosemusic with a tempo that matches your heart rate and gets even slower, encouraging your mind and body to wind down. You don't want to engage the orderly left side of your brain, only the creative right side that's used while dreaming." Try classsical lullabies and waltzes, Native American flute music, New Age chants, and ocean sounds.
Visualize Dreamland
Trying hard to reach dreamland can be a total catch-22. "If you think too much about falling asleep, you're not going to fall asleep," says Richard D. Simon, M.D., medical director of the Kathryn Severyns Dement Sleep Disorder Center, in Walla Walla, Washington. "Watching something slow and soothing like fish swimming or the bubbles in a lava lamp can help distract your mind and lull you to sleep." Try putting a fishbowl, lava lamp, or wave machine on your bedside table. Lie still and focus your attention on the moving object.
Information from Cosmopolitan Magazine
Sleep Styles
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