3 TIPS FOR A BETTER SLEEP

Say good night to your nocturnal existence

The same hormone that helps you perform in the sack can hinder the
other bedroom activity: sleep. German scientists found that testosterone
may predispose men to being night owls. Why? The master clock in your
brain has male-hormone receptors; when T binds to them, it can shift
your clock to a later schedule, says study author Dr Christoph Randler,
Combine conking out late with waking early for work, and you’re looking
at serious sleep deprivation. It’s time to reclaim the night.

LOOSEN UP AT LUNCH

You don’t want to mess with your T, but you can lower your cortisol, a
stress hormone that peaks later in night owls, says Dr Michael Thorpy,
of the Sleep- Wake Disorders Center in New York City. The trick? Twenty
minutes of tensing and releasing your muscles at lunchtime. This can
lead to lower cortisol levels, say German researchers.

POUR A WARM ONE

When levels of the sleep hormone melatonin rise, your temperature
drops, initiating sleep. If you’re a night owl, your melatonin spike
starts later – which is where the power of warm milk comes in. It causes
a spike and then a significant decrease in body temperature, says sleep
advisor Dr W. Christopher Winter.

RETHINK WEEKENDS

The only way to break your night-owl cycle is to stick to your
weekday schedule on weekends, says Dr Winter. Since you don’t have the
threat of being late to work, set up a reward for rolling out of bed – a
special breakfast, say. Eventually you’ll start waking up earlier on
your own.