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Page 77
| doing so for any reason, try taking a hot bath about 2 hours prior to bedtime. The resultant increase in body temperature may give you some of the same sleep benefits that others obtain from exercise. |
| Bedtime Snacks |
| Some people find that a bedtime snack helps them sleep. Others find that eating or drinking too close to bedtime keeps them awake. Since both hunger and eating too much can interfere with sleep, you will have to experiment to see what works for you. |
| Which types of foods are most helpful? Research dating back to 1937 shows that warm milk, with or without cookies or other food, is beneficial. Warm milk may be better than cold because of the body temperature effect noted above. Turkey, high in tryptophan, is also helpful. |
| It is also best to avoid excessive liquids within 1 to 2 hours of sleeping. This is especially true if you have bladder problems, prostate problems or other urinary tract conditions. |
| Shift Work |
| If you do shift work, you must pay more attention to your sleep routine than other people. Especially important is the need to protect your sleep environment and designated sleep time. Since most other people will be up and around during the time you need to sleep, you must keep them from interrupting you. Napping may be useful to catch up on lost sleep, but it is best to establish a daily sleep |
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