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4 Sleep Remedies That Do More Than Help You Catch Z’s

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Wish you could fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly? At least 68% of us do! Luckily, these proven sleep deepeners not only help you get the deep sleep you’re looking for, they also offer nifty health perks, too!  Keep reading for four double-duty sleep remedies you should be adding your daily routine, today!

Melatonin: Deepens sleep + quells heartburn

Taking 3 mg. of melatonin at bedtime cuts your risk of restless sleep in half, say Cornell University researchers. Gastroenterologist Amany Mousa, M.D., adds that melatonin nixes heartburn flare-ups for 83% of women in two months by strengthening the valve that keeps stomach acid from washing up into the esophagus.

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Lavender: Hastens shut-eye + fights hot flashes

Inhaling the aroma of lavender prompts the release of calming alpha brain waves, helping you drift off in 10 minutes, report UCLA scientists. And if you massage lavender into your neck and arms three times daily, its active ingredient (linalool) will heighten your brain’s temperature control, cutting hot flashes by as much as 50%.

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Foot Massages: Halts wake-ups + boosts happy

Waking up before sunrise? You can add 40 minutes to your slumber by massaging your toes and soles for 10 minutes at bedtime. Explains Helena Hachul, M.D., this trick calms your adrenal glands, delaying their morning release of sleep-disrupting cortisol. And foot massages increase your brain’s production of mood-boosting serotonin, helping you feel 55% sunnier all day. For a less manual approach, pick up a sooting foot massager and make a relaxing session a part of your every day!

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GABA: Reduces restlessness + quiets pain

Taking a 500-mg. bedtime dose of GABA, an amino acid that soothes stress, could help you sleep 56% more restfully. Plus, University of Kansas researchers say GABA calms overactive pain nerves, cutting risk of muscle and joint pain by 50%. As always, check with a doctor before supplementing.

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Brain just won’t shut down?

Stretch out in bed and picture yourself lying in a soft, velvet-lined hammock, listening to birds chirping while the sun gently warms your skin. Australian researchers say this visualization trick can calm a worried brain, helping you fall asleep 70% faster.

This story originally appeared in our print magazine.

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