How To Get Better Sleep After 50: Doze off Free From Aches, Stress and Heartburn
No need for sleep meds—these natural remedies are proven to work
Nothing feels better than sinking into bed after a long, busy day. But for so many women over 50 who have trouble sleeping, that can mean hours spent tossing and turning rather than getting the kind of deep rest needed to wake up feeling rejuvenated. While you already know the basics (go to bed at the same time every day, avoid alcohol and electronic devices at least an hour before bed), we’ve rounded up some of the best unexpected tips for better sleep to help you snooze soundly starting tonight.
How to get better sleep with 7 simple tips
No matter what’s keeping you from getting a good night’s sleep, these tips make it easier to doze off and avoid the restlessness that’s robbing you of much-needed Zzzs.
Woman's World Answers
Indigestion? Lie on your left
If heartburn is keeping you awake after overindulging in a large meal, try lying on your left side. Stanford scientists say this simple trick instantly reduces reflux symptoms by harnessing the power of gravity to help even the heaviest meals move more quickly through your digestive system. This keeps heartburn-inducing acid from creeping up so you can fall asleep faster. (Discover more effective home remedies for heartburn.)
Wired and tired? Sip hops tea
If your body is tired at bedtime but your brain is busy making to-do lists, consider enjoying a cozy mug of hops tea before bed. Best known as an ingredient in beer, these flowers of the hops plant contain compounds that help those who struggle with racing thoughts at bedtime fall asleep by binding to melatonin receptors in the body, found a study in the journal Phytomedicine.
Not a tea drinker? Here’s another way to get better sleep: Try stretching out and watching a cheery nature video close to bedtime instead. Research out of Clemson University, South Carolina, suggests that spending as little as four minutes gazing at wildlife quickly soothes an overactive brain, helping you shrug off your worries and fall asleep up to 30% faster. The reason? Focusing on furry or feathered creatures prods your brain to release an anxiety-soothing hormone, oxytocin. More good news: You can get the same benefit by gazing at your own pets!
Traveling? Shift your sleep schedule
To outsmart the poor sleep that happens when you travel across time zones, try shifting your sleep schedule in advance, say Cleveland Clinic experts. Starting a few days before your trip, go to bed later and wake up later if you’re traveling from east to west. If you’re going from west to east, go to bed and get up earlier to help your body adjust to the change.
Once you’ve reached your destination, sit in a sunny window with your morning cuppa or take a pre-breakfast stroll to expose yourself to the bright light that helps reset your circadian rhythm. Getting as little as five minutes of sun exposure soon after waking helps your body switch on production of alertness hormones (endorphins and orexin), then tamp down their release in the evening so you feel sleepier come bedtime. (Get more tips to help you adjust to a time change.)
Sore legs? Grab a pillow
The next time you’re having a hard time sleeping because your legs ache after a day spent hustling and bustling, try tucking a pillow or rolled up towel under your knees. Doing so takes the painful pressure off your knee joints so that you can drift off more easily and sleep soundly, according to British researchers.
Anxious? Hide your clock
Whatever the reason for your sleep struggles, try to avoid anxiously watching the clock and calculating how much sleep you’re (not) going to get. Doing so can trigger your body’s fight-or-flight response, making insomnia worse, say Indiana University experts. Turning your clock away at bedtime can help you resist peeking.
Another way to tame stress and get better sleep: soaking a washcloth with warm water and holding it against your face. Doing so can induce a deep sense of calm in less than 15 seconds. Saint Louis University investigators explain that the sensation of water on your face triggers the mammalian diving reflex, an involuntary phenomenon that slows the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, relaxes muscles and reduces stress, all of which improve your sleep quality.
Can’t fall asleep? Take a walk
A top healthy-sleep habit experts recommend: Get outside for an afternoon or evening stroll, ideally between 2 pm and 9 pm. Gentle exercise, as long as it’s later in the day, signals your brain to produce 54 percent more of the sleep hormone melatonin at bedtime, helping you wake up feeling 40 percent more alert and well-rested each morning, Hungarian scientists report. Plus it dials down the insomnia-fueling stress hormone cortisol.
Restless? Sniff bergamot
If you’re struggling to stay asleep, cozy up in a bedroom that’s lightly scented with bergamot essential oil. Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital experts say the scent can help you sleep 39 percent more soundly. Plus it reduces your risk of waking throughout the night. Bergamot contains an aromatic compound called linalool that acts as a gentle natural sedative. Simply place three drops of bergamot oil on a cotton ball and leave it on your bedside table at night.
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