Sleeping Beauty? 10 Sleeping Tips from the French
How’s your sleep? We could (and should) all improve our sleep patterns in these stressful times — and when aren’t times at least somewhat stressful?
So, here are ten easy tips you may consider so you, too, can enjoy the benefits of a good night’s sleep.
1. Move, move, move during the day! Studies have proven that exercise, in addition to burning calories, makes it easier to fall and stay asleep. No need to run a marathon or spend hours sweating; a 20- to 30-minute brisk walk or yoga will do the trick. (Just be careful not to do it too close to bedtime — this will actually have the opposite effect!)
2. Stay away from stimulants, such as caffeine and nicotine and alcohol. All three substances make us jittery, interrupt our quality of sleep and our ability to fall asleep. Many people who rely on caffeine to get them through the day are shocked to learn that it can have a stimulating effect for up to 12 hours after they’ve imbibed.
How to stay slim without the gym
French women see exertion as an integral part of the day. I encourage you to look at everyday movement (what you do in street clothes, not spandex) as essential to your overall wellness, and not to see exertion as something assigned to the gym. Here are a few French tips on how to stay fit without ever setting foot in la gym.
1.) Don’t save your steps, multiply them! Instead of driving your car around in circles to find a close spot, purposefully park far away and walk the couple extra feet. Do you know burning a mere 50 extra calories a day equates to five pounds a year?! Burn those calories creatively; think thrice about using interoffice mail, walk that memo to your coworker’s office. Take an extra few laps around the block at lunchtime, take the long way home when walking your dog at night. The principle is to squeeze as much physical exertion as possible during a few intervals a day into what were once routine tasks tied to avoiding any physical efforts.
