HiEnd Accents

"There is not one process in the human body that isn't improved by sleep." - Matthew Walker, neuroscientist and author of Why We Sleep.

Most of us treat it as an afterthought. Walker's research links chronic sleep loss to heart disease, diabetes, weakened immunity, even DNA damage. The target: 7 to 8 hours a night.

Walker's 12 tips for better sleep:

1. Stick to a schedule. Same bedtime, same wake time, every day. Walker calls this the single most important one.
2. Don't exercise too late. Finish 2 to 3 hours before bed.
3. Avoid caffeine and ni****ne. Both block sleep pressure for hours.
4. Skip alcohol before bed. It reduces REM sleep.
5. Avoid heavy meals and too many fluids late at night.
6. Review medications. Some heart, blood pressure, asthma, cold and allergy medications can disrupt sleep. Talk to your doctor.
7. Don't nap after 3 p.m.
8. Build a wind-down into your evening.
9. Take a hot bath about an hour before bed. The cool-down helps you fall asleep faster.
10. Keep the bedroom dark, cool and gadget-free.
11. Get daylight early. 30 minutes of sunlight helps set your body's clock.
12. If you can't sleep after 20 minutes, get up. Do something quiet until you feel tired. Anxiety in bed only makes it harder.

The bedroom is the one room built entirely for rest. Worth treating it that way.