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Even New York Yankees infielder Derek Jeter has something to ask Dr. Oz! "I have a question for you about lack of sleep. Here's the problem. It used to be one of my strengths, sleeping, but I don't know what happened," he says. "I tried everything. I mean, I'm up till 3:00, 4:00 in the morning. I've tried watching TV. I've tried reading books. I don't know what the answer is. I'm tossing. I'm turning. This is pretty much an everyday thing."
What's Dr. Oz's number one rule for sleeping better? "For four or five hours before you go to bed, you shouldn't have any caffeine," he says. "Remember that being asleep is a natural state. You're supposed to be asleep. There are chemicals that actually jazz you up."
Also cut out late-night television, Dr. Oz says. "Watching television is the worst thing to do late at night, because it gets you psyched up again. Plus the bright lights keep you awake."
If you still can't sleep, do what your mother always told you to do and drink some milk. "It's got a little bit of protein, including something called tryptophan, which becomes melatonin and serotonin," he says. "But you need a little bit of insulin to get it into your brain. So milk's got a little bit of sugar in it also that stimulates insulin so it gets into your brain. That's why milk works."
If you often travel to different time zones, like Derek does, Dr. Oz says to stay on a regular schedule. "No matter what time your game was, go to sleep at the exact same time. It makes a big difference because at least your circadian rhythm is functioning the way it needs to."
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