It seems that a third of Americans are now losing more sleep each night due to recession stress, according to a National Sleep Foundation survey. Reclaiming your Z's is pretty simple, though, if you make these small tweaks to your rest routine. 1. Get a better pillow.
A good one makes all the difference. Make sure you replace yours every few years with one that's tailored to your sleep style; side, stomach, and back sleepers all require different firmness and designs.
Surprising Energy Zappers
Checking e-mail. A London University study says e-mail addicts undergo a 10-point crash in their IQ (smoking pot only sheds 4 points) -- equal to missing a whole night's sleep. Quick fix: Set your preferences to only check for new e-mails hourly, and turn off notifications so you're not sucked back in.
beastandbean,flickr
Procrastinating. Your to-do list seems endless. You're too tired to tackle it, but since you feel guilty about having tons to do, you never relax. Quick fix: Set aside weekly blocks of time to stay on top of simple chores. You'll have more time and energy for the bigger pains in the butt.
bookgrl, Flickr
Boozing it up. Not only does alcohol make it harder for you to sleep, red wine, beer and fruity cocktails have elaborate ingredients that can trigger low-level allergies. That can easily equal fatigue. Quick fix: Switch to a simpler mixer (like G&T or rum & cola) and see if you feel better the morning after.
Lone Black Rider, Flickr
Popping pills. Taking a drug at the wrong time can leave you too amped up or super drowsy. Allergy meds and antidepressants can make people feel fidgety or dazed, and what's fine for a friend may be sapping your energy (even if it's not a listed side effect). Quick fix: Switch up when you dose or ask your doc.
MargauxV, Flickr
A breakout or cold sore. An Ohio State University study found that women with blemishes were at risk of exhaustion. Why? Self-consciousness impacts your social and sex life, which bums you out and drains you. Quick fix: Hit a makeup counter to learn how to conceal like a pro or see a derm for a long-term fix.
re_, Flickr
Too much outdoors. Anything that makes breathing difficult can cause fatigue. Smog and ozone levels tend to be higher on hot summer days, leading to inflamed lungs and health issues like hay fever and asthma. Quick fix: Exercise indoors, limit outdoor time and close car windows on sticky, smoggy days.
Andresit@, Flickr
Too much indoors (sigh). It's known as "Air-Con Fatigue" -- when your teeth start chattering and your hands go numb from your arctic office. It triggers your body to produce more heat, consuming energy, leaving you beat. Quick fix: Walk around regularly, wear layers, sip tea or call your building maintenance.
Smellyknee, Flickr
A heavy purse. Carrying your life in your bag strains your shoulders and back which leads to overall fatigue. And slouching under the weight will compress your lungs, meaning less oxygen to your entire body (yawn). Quick fix: Once a week, dump the stuff you don't need to carry. (Six shades of lipstick? Really?)
yeahimkenny, Flickr
Swimming. You're not just tired from burning all those calories. According the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, chlorinated pools can cause sinus issues. Sinusitis is linked with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Quick fix: Rinse nasal passages with saline solution or use the steam room post-dip.
gabyu, Flickr
Gaining 5 pounds. Weight gain = energy drain. An extra 5 pounds on your frame makes you expend about 2 percent more energy, so your body has to work harder to get you through the day. Quick fix: Stay active, keep your weight steady and get moving.
kharied, Flickr
2. Go unplugged.
Keep your phone in another room to avoid 3 a.m. calls from friends in other time zones. Make sure power lights on your computer, TV, DVD player, etc. aren't visible. Black 'em out with a piece of tape if you have to.
Click here for more ways to hit the hay ...
3. It's curtains, for you.
Check big box stores or online for cheap blackout curtains that hide noise and light from the outside world. Or, go smaller and invest in an Old Hollywood sleep mask and some ear plugs.
4. Follow the Gremlin rule.
Call us crazy, but you don't actually need a late-night nacho-cheese-based "fourth meal." The process of digestion can actually make it harder to get to bed, so don't snack late at night (no fewer than four hours before sleeping).
Wacky Beds
If we met a guy who had this bed, we would pretty much put out on principle.
Leah Kennedy
You know what makes us sleepy? Boring art.
weirdcorner.com
You can actually buy this. But since it's probably manufactured on "Dune," S&H is going to be a bear.
Animica USA
What's worse? Sitting on this art installation, "Bed of Roses," or sitting through "Bed of Roses," the 1996 "romantic" tragicomedy starring Christian Slater and Mary Stuart Masterson?
Flickr, Admean
Convenient: a French-designed Murphy Bed that folds up into the ceiling over your sofa.
Less convenient: accidentally killing your guests with your poorly latched ceiling-bed.
Sure, this "Cloud Bed" is great for meditating alone in your weird, Second Life-y looking room. But if you try to have sex in it, you will probably carom through a wall and into a neighboring apartment.
Fresh Home
What's creepier than a locking bed-cage? A bed-cage occupied by a come-hither George Lucas lookalike. (IT'S A TRAP!)
Perfect for post-orgy naps and sleepovers with the Beastie Boys.
Flickr, Scott G
So many nautical-sex jokes, so little time.
For the analog hobo in your life.
Flickr, JosePHP
5. Don't drink and doze.
A Cabernet nightcap seems like it could send you off into dreamland. But booze actually disrupts the most important part of the sleep cycle. Abstain within three hours of bedtime.
6. Keep your cool.
Stressing out about the fact that you can't sleep only makes it harder to get your REM. Take deep, belly breaths, a warm bath, or just play soothing music, like classical, to calm yourself.
7. Keep your room cool, too.
Lower temperatures help many people doze easier. Try lowering yours to 65 degrees and adjust from there.
8. Don't get physical after "Lost."
Your body stays in high gear hours after you exercise, so make sure you have plenty of time to downshift after you work out. Hit the gym in the morning or early afternoon, if you can.
9. Consider a sound machine.
Also called "sound conditioners," you can find inexpensive white noise machines that also double as alarm clocks and let you drift off to the sound of the ocean.
