BAL ANCE
M a k i n g I t Wo r k
What’s your secret to getting enough sleep?
“I have a gettingready-for-sleep ritual. I like to come home, put my pajamas on, take my makeup off, and put on a meditative CD. (I also have meditation apps on my phone, but I try to keep my devices, laptop, and television out of the bedroom.) This routine prepares my mind and body for a good night’s sleep and stops me from getting home and continuing to work into the night.”
CHRISTINE DUFFY, 55, PRESIDENT OF CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE
“Before I had kids, I would sleep in, but I often felt unproductive. Now that I’m a workat-home dad, I have a set eight-hour sleep schedule. I go to bed at 9 or 9:30 p.m. and wake up at 5 or 5:30 a.m. seven days a week. I don’t even need an alarm anymore; my body does this naturally. No matter what is happening, I really try to stay true to that schedule. Otherwise I lose productivity during the day.”
“I gave up caffeine. My mind was continually working as I was trying to sleep, and I’d wake up in the middle of the night, putting lists together in my head. It’s made such a difference in my energy during the day and my sleep at night. I wake up rejuvenated. If I need a hot drink, I’ll have hot water with lemon in it.”
DOYIN RICHARDS, 42, AUTHOR OF I WONDER: CELEBRAT ING DADDIES D OIN’ WORK
TARA SORENSEN, 45, HE AD OF KIDS PRO GRAMMING AT AMA ZON STUDIOS
“I prioritize sex. When you’re tired, that’s one thing that falls by the wayside. But studies show that when you orgasm, your body releases this cocktail of hormones that are conducive to sleep. One is oxytocin, which counteracts cortisol, a hormone that keeps you amped up and awake. Your body also releases prolactin, which promotes deeper sleep.”
CINDY WHITEHE AD, 4 4, COFOUNDER OF SPROUT PHARMACEUTICAL S AND FOUNDER OF THE PINK CEILING
“There are two things: The first is making time for exercise. If I add a run, even if it’s just 25 minutes in the morning, that really contributes to better sleep. And second, I don’t drink too much during the week. One glass of wine is fine, but once I go beyond that, it really affects my quality of sleep, and I wake up not feeling as rested.”
JENNIFER CUE, 53, CEO OF THE JONES SODA CRAF T BEVERAGE COMPANY
For five things you shouldn’t do before bed, visit realsimple.com/bedtime.
128 RE AL SIMPLE O CTOBER 2017
Illustration by Shout
F R O M L E F T : C O U R T E S Y O F C A R N I VA L C R U I S E L I N E ; C O U R T E S Y O F D O Y I N R I C H A R D S . C O M ; C O U R T E S Y O F A M A Z O N ; COURTESY OF THE PINK CEILING; COURTESY OF JONES SODA CO.
By Jane Por ter