What the Sleep Experts Do to Get a Good Night's Rest
They've done the research, they've heard the up-all-week horror stories (as well as the surprise successes)—so, we asked, what works for them?
By Corrie Pikul
They Do Boring but Challenging Math
The expert: Michael Breus, PhD, clinical psychologist and author of
The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan: Lose Weight through Better Sleep
The sleep secret: "The number-one complaint I get from patients is, 'I can't seem to turn off my mind at night.' I've had the same problem, especially when I'm on the road. I used to keep a worry journal in which I would jot down all the things on my mind along with a solution, even if it was just, ‘Think about this tomorrow.' That can be effective, but I needed another trick. Counting backwards from 300 by threes is my take on counting sheep, which research has shown is too easy to be effective. This forces me to focus enough to blocks out stressors, but at the same time, it's really boring and puts me right to sleep. I guarantee that even if you do it every night for a month, you still won't make it to the single digits."
Sleep disappointment: "I'm not crazy about memory-foam mattresses. They're great for support, but you can get stuck in one position, and trying to turn to your other side takes five minutes."
Published 06/17/2013
