The clock ticks. Its red light stabs your eyes again. It's ten minutes later than it was the last time you looked at it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6) Nothing to drink from two hours before bed time. This one is a no-brainer. Okay, you might get up to go to the bathroom and fall over the ottoman breaking your toe. making it necessary to take some Ibuprofen with a glass of water which will attack you exactly one-half hour after you return to bed. 

 

7) Keep your bedroom dark. This is important to cue the body's sleep rhythms. And, the vision of some Beyonders in their Beyonderwear might be enough to cause nightmares.

 

8) No exercise an hour before retiring --Although a regular exercise program will help you maintain a healthy emotional outlook. Do it earlier in the day.

 

And if you get to bed and just lie there, tossing and turning and making your husband so grumpy he tells you to lie still or go down and sleep on the couch but you've been battling bursitis in your arm and you really can't sleep on the couch so you try to lie still but then the blanket tangles and you jerk at it and hit your husband in the nose so that it bleeds and HE goes downstairs to sleep on the couch. ( Not that this has ever happened to me)

 

 

Drink a little HOT MILK ( yes, it really does help)

 

 

PLAY A QUIET GAME  (Not your son's Star Wars Nintendo)

 

STAY OFF THE INTERNET  's too easy to get caught up in content and spend hours there.

	FOODS THAT HELP YOU SLEEP What you eat affects how you sleep. One of the keys to a restful night's sleep is to get your brain calmed rather than revved up. Some foods contribute to restful sleep; other foods keep you awake. We call them sleepers and wakers. Sleepers are tryptophan-containing foods, because tryptophan is the amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin, the neurotransmitter that slows down nerve traffic so your brain isn't so busy. Wakers are foods that stimulate neurochemicals that perk up the brain. Tryptophan is a precursor of the sleep-inducing substances serotonin and melatonin. This means tryptophan is the raw material that the brain uses to build these relaxing neurotransmitters. Making more tryptophan available, either by eating foods that contain this substance or by seeing to it that more tryptophan gets to the brain, will help to make you sleepy. On the other hand, nutrients that make tryptophan less available can disturb sleep. Eating carbohydrates with tryptophan-containing foods makes this calming amino acid more available to the brain. A high carbohydrate meal stimulates the release of insulin, which helps clear from the bloodstream those amino acids that compete with tryptophan, allowing more of this natural sleep-inducing amino acid to enter the brain and manufacture sleep- inducing substances, such as serotonin and melatonin. Eating a high-protein meal without accompanying carbohydrates may keep you awake, since protein-rich foods also contain the amino acid, tyrosine, which perks up the brain. To understand how tryptophan and carbohydrates work together to relax you, picture the various amino acids from protein foods as passengers on a bus. A busload containing tryptophan and tyrosine arrives at the brain cells. If more tyrosine "passengers" get off the bus and enter the brain cells, neuroactivity will rev up. If more tryptophan amino acids get off the bus, the brain will calm down. Along comes some insulin which has been stalking carbohydrates in the bloodstream. Insulin keeps the tyrosine amino acids on the bus, allowing the brain-calming tryptophan effect to be higher than the effect of the brain-revving tyrosine. You can take advantage of this biochemical quirk by choosing protein or carbohydrate-rich meals, depending on whether you want to perk up or slow down your brain. For students and working adults, high protein, medium-carbohydrate meals are best eaten for breakfast and lunch. For dinner and bedtime snacks, eat a meal or snack that is high in complex carbohydrates, with a small amount of protein that contains just enough tryptophan to relax the brain. An all- carbohydrate snack, especially one high in junk sugars, is less likely to help you sleep. You'll miss out on the sleep-inducing effects of tryptophan, and you may set off the roller-coaster effect of plummeting blood sugar followed by the release of stress hormones that will keep you awake. The best bedtime snack is one that has both complex carbohydrates and protein, and perhaps some calcium. Calcium helps the brain use the tryptophan to manufacture melatonin. This explains why dairy products, which contain both tryptophan and calcium, are one of the top sleep-inducing foods. SNOOZE FOODS These are foods high in the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan: Dairy products: cottage cheese, cheese, milk Soy products: soy milk, tofu, soybean nuts Seafood Meats Poultry Whole grains Beans Rice Hummus Lentils Hazelnuts, Peanuts Eggs Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds BEST BEDTIME SNACKS Foods that are high in carbohydrates and calcium, and medium-to-low in protein also make ideal sleep-inducing bedtime snacks. Some examples: apple pie and ice cream (my favorite) whole-grain cereal with milk hazelnuts and tofu oatmeal and raisin cookies, and a glass of milk peanut butter sandwich, ground sesame seeds (It takes around one hour for the tryptophan in the foods to reach the brain, so don't wait until right before bedtime to have your snack.) Lighter meals are more likely to give you a restful night's sleep. High-fat meals and large servings prolong the work your digestive system needs to do, and all the gas production and rumblings may keep you awake. Some people find that highly-seasoned foods (e.g., hot peppers and garlic) interfere with sleep, especially if you suffer from heartburn.  Going to bed with a full stomach does not, for most people, promote a restful night's sleep. While you may fall asleep faster, all the intestinal work required to digest a big meal is likely to cause frequent waking and a poorer quality of sleep. Eat your evening meal early. Heed the sleep wisdom: "Don't dine after nine." (from the website Ask Dr. Sears)   And remember to stay away from caffeine. No coffee, colas, Mountain Dew. etc. Even some headache meds have a lot of caffeine. read the labels! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ LONG ON YEARS--LONG OF TEETH                          My dentist takes a sedative when he knows I’m coming in.             I’m actually easy-going. I’ve never bitten him—intentionally. Okay, maybe that once, but it is patently unfair to stuff someone’s mouth full of gauze and so they can’t complain and then to sing a medley of  Creedence Clearwater’s greatest hits off  key. No. the reason he hates to see me come in is that I require WORK.             The first time I went to see him, my gums were bleeding, my teeth wobbling and my breath strong enough to knock out a camel. He never blinked an eye. (Well, actually, I don’t know if he blinked or not. His assistant adjusted the overhead mirror and all I saw was the back of the doctor’s head. )             But he gently cleaned my teeth and then fastened the two loose ones to the adjacent teeth. A month later, I rolled my car and knocked out all four teeth. Now, I have what he refers to as a “flipper.” A small partial which pops in and out easily.             Beyonders are at risk for dental problems. Of course, there is risk at any age, but Beyonders have special factors which increase their chances of developing certain problems.             DARKENED TEETH:  Caused by changes in the dentin—the substance just under the enamel.  Also brought on by a lifetime of eating and drinking stain-producing substances (coffee, tea, colas, tobacco etc.)  There are many over-the counter products which whiten teeth, but to get a HUGE change, you will have to have your dentist whiten your teeth. Another option may be veneers. THEY ARE VERY EXPENSIVE. (I have a dark tooth in front—my dentist says I need a root canal.)                         DRY MOUTH: caused by some medications and by age-associated reduced saliva flow.  Dry mouth is not only uncomfortable, but can increase your risk of developing gum disease, and makes it uncomfortable to wear your dentures.  There are oral rinses which alleviate the problem. You might also try sucking on hard, sugar-free candy. Drink more water, and try breathing through your nose instead of your mouth.  Using a vaporizer might help, too.               DIMINISHED TASTE:  Some reduction in ability to taste is age-related. You might notice older adults loading burgers with salt or adding a fourth of a cup of sugar to their coffee. It could also be linked to wearing dentures, or to your meds. In the last case, your doctor can possibly change your meds to reduce this side-effect.               ROOT DECAY: Caused by receding gum tissue. Possibly the result of poor dental hygiene and/or poorly fitting dentures. SEE YOUR DENTIST REGULARLY               GUM DISEASE:  Caused by poorly fitting dentures, poor dental hygiene, poor diet, use of tobacco and/or drug use. (especially methamphetamines,) SEE YOUR DENTIST REGULARLY, and replace your toothbrush frequently)               It is important for everyone to have regular check-ups. It is ESPECIALLY important for Beyonders.             I know the excuses—only enough time to get the kids in for their required examinations—not enough money to pay for the treatments.             There are some programs which help pay for dental care. ASK YOUR DENTIST. And remember, preventative care is less expensive than treating problems.             PLUS, A GREAT SMILE MAKES YOU LOOK YOUNGER!