26 Ways to Sleep Better
Whether you can't fall asleep, stay asleep or find time to sleep, we're here to help—with an alphabet's worth of solutions for a deeper, more refreshing slumber, starting tonight.
If you're regularly snoozing nine hours or more per night, you may be putting yourself at risk for more than a few illnesses, including diabetes and heart disease. Cognitively, you're not at the top of your game, either. According to a 2014 report from the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study, women who slept nine hours or more performed worse on cognitive and memory tests than women who averaged seven hours of sleep nightly. Lead researcher Elizabeth Devore suspects that the brains of those who slept longer were aging faster because those women were disrupting their body's natural circadian rhythm. Her advice: "Don't kick this problem down the road. As early as midlife, sleep habits can predict future memory problems. Create a routine: Go to bed at the same time every night and force yourself to get up at an appropriate time, even if you're still a little tired."
—Kathryn Wallace
Why hitting the snooze button can screw up your entire day
—Kathryn Wallace
Why hitting the snooze button can screw up your entire day
From the September 2014 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine