Dim the lights please

It seems like everyday there's something in the news about sleep. Here are some great tips from Monday's San Francisco Chronicle. I especially like the one about avoiding bright light up to 3 hours before going to bed -- that means no more late evening workouts at the gym for me if I want to fall asleep easily.
Stanford's Dr. Clete Kushida, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, who has worked in the field of sleep research since 1977, offers these tips to a better night's sleep:

Maintain a regular schedule, getting to bed and rising at the same time as consistently as possible each day, selecting the number of hours of sleep that make you feel best, whether it's seven hours or 10.

Use bright light within five minutes of waking, for 30 minutes, to synchronize your internal clock.

Avoid bright light two to three hours before bedtime, which delays sleep onset. If you read, get just enough light to read and avoid halogen.

Avoid remaining in bed if you can't sleep. After 20 minutes, if you can't sleep or fall back asleep, go into another room and do something else until you feel drowsy.

Avoid reading or watching TV in bed (especially thriller novels or action shows) unless it makes you drowsy.

Avoid napping, unless you nap every day at the same time for the same amount of time or you are tired and about to get behind the wheel of a car.Read the whole article here.
To learn more about insomnia, you can read Stanford Professor Dr. Rachel Manber's paper here.

Bucky Hotties Body Wraps: Moist heat for the winter blues

If it's cold where you are, Bucky body wraps are the answer. Moist heat radiates from the buckwheat warmed in the microwave, and these wraps save you money on your heating bills this winter too. What more could you ask for?

From Connie, soon to be owner of a Bucky buckwheat body wrap:

Thanks very much! We were in Soldotna at Christmas time, and the only Buckys I could find were the ones you can't put in the microwave. What's up with that?! I have the neck pillow, and it's grand. Grandma is 82 now, and when it's -22 in Alaska, you need all the heat you can get!

Bucky's 40 Blinks Sleep Mask Rated #1

Bucky's 40 Blinks Rated #1:
Top Products to Block Light and Noise

The secret is out!!! Bucky's great little 40 Blinks Sleep Mask was recently rated #1 by Good Housekeeping. Bucky 40 Blinks sleep mask earned the highest score for its contoured shape (which let testers blink comfortably) and its adjustable velcro strap.


Read the whole article here.

Blocking out light and noise is essential for a good night's sleep; many uncontrollable elements like light and noise can keep you awake at night. So Good Housekeeping also rated contoured masks and flush to the face masks with soft padded lining as top of the line products that will get you counting sheep in no time.

Sleep masks have been the biggest sleep saver of all for me. Now all I have to do is lay my head on the pillow, drown out streeet noise with earplugs, and slip my sleep mask over my head, and I'm asleep in no time flat.