Page 23 - MASALA LITE ISSUE 91 | APRIL 2018

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4. SPICE IS VICE!

Eating piquant food before bedtime may
lead to heartburn, which means that your
esophagus gets fi lled with stomach acid. Saliva,
swallowing, and gravitational force are your
main gatekeepers to keep the stomach acid
down. By lying in bed, this gate stays open, which
disrupts the steps of falling and staying asleep.
So it is best to avoid that spicy chicken karahi, or
those extra helpings of chilli into your Thai basil
chicken during dinner. 10. CONSUME DIURETIC ONLY DURING THE DAY

You know Chyawanprash, that spoonful of Indian herb goodness that every child has
been forced to eat? Have it during the day! This is the same for ginger, masala chai,
cumin, hibiscus, and any other diuretics that encourage bathroom visits.
5. MAKE YOUR BED Avoid them at night!
A SANCTUARY

You can achieve this only by using
your bed for sleep. Don’t eat or 11. SLEEP IN SEPARATE
work on your bed, even if you BEDROOMS
are only checking a quick work
email. Don’t! You don’t want to I think if my husband suggested
associate anything stressful or this to me, I would just faint,
stimulating to your sleep time. but some research suggests that
sleeping in diff erent bedrooms will result in better rest and a happier marriage.
This is because we won’t get disturbed by our partner’s nighttime habits and
these disturbances have been shown to lead to hundreds of arguments between
couples each year. Yikes!
6. CREATE A DAILY PLAN AND PRIORITISE
12. DON’T SLEEP IN SEPARATE BEDROOMS
At the end of your day, note down
the list of tasks that need to
be completed on the following Other research claims that falling
day. Categorise them in order of asleep with a partner leads to
importance, urgency and expected better rest, as it encourages
duration – with the intention to feelings of closeness, refuge
fi nish off the pressing tasks fi rst. and care, which decreases stress
This organisational skill will help hormones, and increases the
you rest better, because you will feel love-chemical, oxytocin. Now
more in control. this is research I fully support!

7. BE THANKFUL 13. SLEEP ON A SCHEDULE
According to positive psychology Going to bed and waking up at the same
research, doing a simple gratitude time increases attentiveness during the
activity everyday for one week, such day, and is better for your wellbeing in the
as writing down three blessings long-run.
before you sleep, can help you rest
better and for longer.

8. ELEVATE YOUR FEET 14. UNDERSTAND THAT EXPERIENCING A CONFLICT DURING THE
DAY CAN RESULT IN RESTLESS SLEEP THAT NIGHT

Do you grudgingly run to And it’s normal! If you had a
the bathroom a few times stressful day, your body will
during the night? Elevating automatically respond by keeping
the feet before bedtime you alert, making it more diffi cult
will help pull the liquids for you to wind down before you
collected around the try to doze off .
ankles back into the blood,
keeping the urge to relieve
oneself only while awake.

15. SILENCE YOUR SMART PHONE
In fact, if you can, dim it and keep it away!
Nowadays, smart phones are like an extension
9. CONNECT of your identity; part with it and a part of you
dies. However, sleep does not like your devices
No, not to Wi-Fi. Instead, go to that for two main reasons. First, the ‘pings’ and alerts
kitty party. Meeting friends and you receive will keep you awake, and second, the
having good old conversations can blue lights released from the device tell your body
help alleviate stress levels, reduce to stay awake because it is not dark yet. This hinders
social isolation and loneliness, melatonin production, so it becomes increasingly more diffi cult to fall asleep.
which leads to sounder sleep.
Sleep tight, and don’t let the blue light keep you up tonight!

ALL- A C CESS INT O B ANGK OK ’ S C ONTEMP OR AR Y INDIAN LIFEST YLE