Walk more, sleep better

From AARP's article "Forget Counting Sheep. Walk Your Way to Better Sleep":

"Take a short stroll before and after dinner. This helps soothe your nerves while burning calories. The use of energy combined with the stress release relaxes your body and mind, helping you sleep better and longer..."

...and...

"...Walking has a long-term impact on your sleep as well as giving short-term relief. On restless nights, instead of turning on the TV, get up and pace around the house. Take in deep breaths as you move. Shake out your arms and legs. Stretch out your neck. When you climb back into bed, you'll feel more prepared for a healthy trip into dreamland."

And here's my anecdotal evidence that this is sound advice. I celebrate the Passover seder; this year, I went right to bed after the first seder ended in the wee hours of the morning, and woke up repeatedly with a headache and "GERD" (gastroinestinal esophogeal reflux disease). After the second seder, my wife and I took a 10-minute walk at a fairly brisk pace, even though it was around 2 A.M. I slept soundly, no headache, no GERD. The difference was dramatic.

Good advice, AARP!