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We could all use a good night's sleep... Whether you're sleeping
single 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,
choose
music 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.
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