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FITNESS TIPS : All About YOU: Sound Sleep Advice
Want to sleep like a teenager during summer break? Try these tips from the RealAge doctors.

Topic: General Fitness
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Get on a schedule. Your body clock runs best when, like a baby, you get yourself on a regular sleep schedule. So aim to get up at about the same time every day -- whether you have a full day of work or a full day of cartoons ahead of you. On weekends, try to rise within an hour of the time you get up during the week.

Change your temperature. The ideal setting for ZZZs is a cool, dark room. If you're having trouble sleeping, try removing a layer of clothing or lowering the thermostat.

At night, eat foods that contain melatonin, a substance that helps regulate your body clock. That means oats, sweet corn, or rice. Or try a complex carbohydrate that contains sleep-encouraging serotonin, like vegetables or whole-grain pasta. Or go with the classic remedy: warm milk. And, of course, avoid stimulants like caffeine and exercise near bedtime.

SOURCES: YOU: The Owner's Manual. Roizen, M. F., Oz, M. C., New York: HarperCollins, 2005.

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