Warm milk, boring books, melatonin, Lunesta, Ambien, Sonata, Rozerem. You’ve tried them all and still can’t sleep. Try sniffing lavender. Researchers at Wesleyan University found lavender to have a sleep-inducing quality. Place cuttings of the fragrant herb on the nightstand or under the pillow. Spritz its essence on sheets or on your neck, like a
nocturnal perfume. Lavender has also been cited as
effective in treating depression.
Tea Time Forty percent of office workers say they need coffee
to get them through the workday, according to a survey conducted by WorkPlace Media, a direct marketer. However, tea may be a better choice. In a Japanese study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last fall, women cut their risk of death from heart disease by one-third if they drank at least five cups of antioxidant-rich green tea per day. Dr. Andrew Weil, writing in the April issue of Prevention magazine, cites a study of black tea that produced similar stress-relieving results.
