10 Easy Ways to Beat Stress

"We sleep in about 90-minute cycles, and it's not unusual to rise after the second," explains Pate. "After four to five hours, sleep is not particularly restful. You may wake up a few times, but you'll typically go right back to sleep."

Find yourself half awake at 2:00 a.m.? Woodson Merrell, chairman of integrative medicine at New York's Beth Israel Medical Center, advises, "As you are coming to consciousness, hold on to your dream. Don't let other thoughts come in." Or take a few Boiron Quietude homeopathic tablets ($10.79), which won't make you drowsy later.

Alcohol may help you conk out, but you're likely to wake up and not be able to get into a deep slumber.

At least an hour before bed, take a bath with scented salts or calming lavender oil. Try Origins Calm to Your Senses Lavender and Vanilla Milk Bath ($17.50) or Jo Malone Amber & Lavender Bath Oil ($65).

"It's safe to say that prescriptions [the big three: Lunesta, Ambien, and Sonata] aren't chemically addictive, but you can become psychologically dependent," notes Pate.

"Valerian is like an herbal sleeping pill," says Merrell.

"A healthy diet filled with lean protein, complex carbohydrates, a lot of vegetables, and moderate fruit will help keep you balanced," notes Merrell. Herbal supplements can also help you relax. As always, speak with your doctor about dosages before trying anything.

"Some may feel a little stimulated, but rhodiola can be helpful for reducing stress," explains Merrell. Look for it at your local vitamin store. Meanwhile, cordyceps, a Chinese herb that can be found at most health-food stores, makes the body more efficient at processing the stress hormone cortisol.

Do you take a calcium supplement? It may surprise you to learn that it could be adding stress to your life. "When you get anxious, calcium runs inside your cells and suppresses magnesium," says Ashley Koff, a Los Angeles dietician. "Calcium and magnesium function antagonistically, so when you're nervous, calcium excites your cells, whereas magnesium calms them. Excess calcium causes your muscles to contract and exacerbates a stressful situation."

Since it's important for women to take calcium for bone health, the easiest way to relax is by increasing your intake of magnesium. "It plays a big role in helping with stress reduction," notes Koff, which is why she recommends Peter Gillham's Natural Vitality Natural Calm ($21.95), a highly absorbable form of magnesium powder that's best mixed with water, to her celebrity clients, like Emily Deschanel.

How does it work? "When you are magnesium depleted, you can suffer from fatigue, muscle tension, and stress," says Ken Whitman, president of Peter Gillham's Natural Vitality. "Once you restore healthy levels of magnesium in your body, the symptoms start to go away and you feel less anxious." Adds Koff, "I find it helpful to take up to a tablespoon before you go to bed." Koff also stresses the importance of finding magnesium in your foods. She suggests eating whole grains, beans, spinach, pumpkin seeds, Swiss chard, and broccoli.