We remember how yucky it was when Singapore was hit by the haze recently. And we know our neighbors in some Asian cities struggle with pollution on a daily basis. Let’s face it—it’s getting increasingly difficult to get good, clean and fresh air nowadays. Every breath we take is mixed with smog, dust, gas fumes or noxious gases.

While a degree of air pollution can be expected from a bustling urban city, there are steps we can take to improve the quality of air we’re breathing. We don’t want lungfuls of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, lead, smog, hydrocarbons, chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s), all of which have adverse environmental and health effects. So learn how you can improve the air you’re inhaling—the I-S way.

Reuse, reduce, recycle

How will it help? Yep, the old adage still applies. The main sources of air pollution in Singapore come about when fossil fuels are burnt to generate heat and electricity for manufacturing and industry. So if you can recycle paper, plastic and glass, wastage is reduced, factories won’t have to churn out quite so much and hence will release less noxious fumes into the air.
Any other benefits? Recycling paper saves trees and reduces the greenhouse effect. You can also save money and get more creative when reusing stuff.

Save energy

How will it help? Use less power, wherever you are. Most electrical companies get power by burning coal and other fossil fuels. So switch off the lights when no one is in the room, use less air-conditioning and unplug all electrical devices if they are not being used, as they use up energy when they’re plugged in, even if they’re not switched on. If you use less electricity, power companies burn less fossil fuel and thus pollution is reduced.
Any other benefits? You save money on your electricity bill. You might even get a trimmer figure as you dash madly from room to room switching off lights.

Plant more trees

How will it help? It’s simple. Trees and plants absorb carbon dioxide and give out oxygen during the day, so they will give you more fresh air. And it’s not hard to plant trees—all it takes is for you to dust off your trusty trowel and start digging.
Any other benefits? Planting trees or growing more plants (if you haven’t got space for a tree) will add more color and warmth to your small lawn or concrete balcony. Plus, all that digging and sweating is sure to help you lose some weight (or at least burn up some energy), and all for an excellent cause too.

Walk, ride a bike or take public transportation

How will it help? Every time you use a car, exhaust fumes are emitted. When gasoline or diesel burns, harmful chemicals such as nitrogen oxide, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide are released. So instead of taking the car out to the neighborhood shops, stop being lazy and use your God-given legs.
Any other benefits? Of course. Walking is good exercise. Riding a bike achieves the same purpose and also gives you a good workout. Taking the bus or train also saves you some money.

Reduce the pollution your car is causing

What can I do? If you must drive or use a car—and there will be times when you have to—here are some ways in which you can use your car more efficiently. Conduct regular check-ups on your car to ensure that it is still fuel-efficient. Car pooling with friends is also a great way of reducing the number of cars on the road. And if you’re considering buying a car, look for a small car rather than big, fuel-guzzling one, or try a hybrid or “green” car.
How will it help? Hybrid cars are still something new in Singapore, and they’re worth trying out. They’re more costly, but more environmentally friendly. If you drive a regular car, checking it regularly will optimize your gas usage and reduce gas emissions. Plus, unless you have five kids, ask yourself if it’s necessary to drive a hulking SUV that sucks up gas. Smaller cars look cute, have better gas mileage, and are way easier to park in our small parking lots and congested streets.
Any other benefits? You save fuel and money. Enough said.

Stop smoking

How will it help? It’s pretty obvious that smoking like a chimney pollutes the air faster than you can say “haze.” Pollution from cigarette smoke even has a name—scientists call this type of air pollution “Environmental Tobacco Smoke” (ETS). Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 different chemicals, of which at least 400 are poisonous. About 40 can cause cancer. These are present in both first and second hand smoke.
Any other benefits? You bet. Kick the habit and you’ll be healthier, save money, look younger, and, hey, smell better too. And, as every smoker knows, you’ll reduce your chances of contracting nasty diseases like lung cancer, heart and lung disease, blood vessel disease, and more. You shouldn’t put non-smokers at risk either. You know the drill.

Don’t crash and burn

How will it help? Okay, you just broke up with your better half and want to burn his or her photographs and stuff to a charred mess in a huge bonfire. But there are other ways to vent your frustration. Use some energy and shred his or her photos manually (and savagely). Or just throw them away. (On a different note, barbeque lovers should also stop engaging in their favorite activity so much. Gas grill, anyone?)
Any other benefits? Are you kidding? You just broke up with someone. You’re feeling lousy—the last thing you need is blackened lungs from all that smoke and soot! A bonfire is messy to clear up anyway. Spare a thought for the environment—and your lungs.

Stop farting

How will it help? If you go easy on the beans and onions and don’t let rip, everyone will be sniffing more pleasant air and not turning blue in the face from your toxic emissions.
Any other benefits? Er, you’ll be more popular? Oh, and you’ll get cleaner, more sweet-smelling air.

Highpoint Community Services—23 Geylang Rd., 6440-2444. This is an organization for men recovering from drug addiction. They are in great need of all kinds of household appliances (DVDs, VCDs, radios, TVs, kitchen appliances) as well as men’s clothing.

HOME (Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics)—221A, East Coast Rd. This thrift shop helps support the work of HOME with migrant workers in Singapore. Most small items including clothing (especially men’s), small appliances and household items are welcomed. Call Jolovan at 9771-5349.

MINDS (Good As New Charity Shop)—800 Margaret Dr., 6474-1043. The shop sells clothing, accessories, household items, books, and toys with proceeds going to Tampines Home for the Intellectually Disabled. Call Katie Rawleys at 6736-0103 or Lynda Jones at 6476-3976 to donate.

Pertapis Children’s Home—993B Kovan Rd., 6383-0914. They are in need of household appliances like irons, vacuum cleaners and children’s clothing.

We all know about broken New Year resolutions, but perhaps one resolution that you should keep is your age-old silent promise to clean out your flat. After all, there’s no better way to start off the New Year with a spanking new space to call your own. Follow this simple rule: Do away with the old, make space for the new and redecorate along the way. Let’s get started, now!

Phase One: Clear Out and Clean Up

Like anyone else, your flat is probably swamped with items that you no longer need but have never gotten round to throwing. One thing to remember is to make space at all cost—so if you don’t need it, never used it and will never have the use for it, into the bin it goes!

According to our resident smart aleck Mr. Know-It-All, the simplest way to clearing out is to throw out everything that you don’t need, which includes the likes of:

• Super old, yellowed magazines with faded articles of your past idols.
• Old board games you don’t play with anymore.
• Gifts from people you don’t like.
• Dodgy videotapes/VCDs/DVDs that local video store will not want.
• Old books that are breeding grounds for the local silver fish community.
• Strange-smelling cosmetics.
• Shoes that even your grandfather won’t wear.
• Best-forgotten fashion faux pas that you only kept because they cost you a bomb.

... you get the picture. Things with sentimental values, like unused but beloved birthday presents, collectible CDs and vinyls should still be kept and stored accordingly.

After all the necessary clearing out, it’s time to tidy and clean up your living space. Local whiz cleaning company Amahs on Wheels (56B Somme Rd., 6837-2708, www.amahsonwheels.com) has the following valuable tips to dispense on how to clean up one’s space—in a snap:

• When it comes to cleaning, start from the top down. This is to enable the dust to settle on the bottom so that you can clear it last.
• Use wet wipes and hand-held dusting services to clean the floor, as they are easier to use than a mop. Plus, wet wipes are disposable, so you can just throw them away after use.
• After cleaning and dusting, open up a few bottles of baking soda and place them in different corners of the room. Baking soda absorbs leftover bad odors.
• It’s important to keep the momentum going. Procrastination or lapses only mean a return to clutter and a potentially bigger to-do list in the long run.

We asked five personalities what are some of the things they would like to get rid off.

Don't throw your junk just yet! Donate them at these places.

Phase Two: Reorganize

Without some sort of organizational structure (no matter how vague), let’s face it—your home would be a chaos. The key thing to keep in mind is the big picture. While you want to get organized, there’s no need to kill yourself over minor details. Just keep it simple and everything will flow.

The main thing you need to achieve when it comes to reorganizing is to know where your stuff is, and that you can get it when you need it. Think about your personal habits, likes and dislikes, your needs and your lifestyle—then plan your organizational system from there.

Start with the big stuff—like your TV and the various types of activities you might want to engage in the storage area. If you also play video games and watch DVDs in your living room, you might want to invest in a multi-entertainment storage unit for your Playstation and DVD player.

Aside from the floor, walls make good storage options too. If you’re out of floor space, stick some open shelves, CD or shoe racks on your walls and you’re set for action. But don’t put frequently used items high up—they should always be within close reach for maximum convenience.

If you’re still confused, just follow Mr. Know-It-All’s five-step guide to getting organized below:

1. First, you must sort your things according to categories that make sense to you. Think about grouping items together by type, activity, frequency of use and physical characteristics. For example, you might want to stuff incriminating magazines and DVDs into harder-to-reach places that only you know about.

2. Reduce the amount of your junk by selling or discard items that are worn or broken out. This is the perfect excuse to give away that Playstation that don’t work anymore (it ain’t going up in value, honey).

3. Give each category a specific storage location and store items close to where you need and will use them. Meaning, this will give you quicker access to your favorite magazines and DVDs that we talked about earlier.

4. Count and measure the items in your categories and determine the amount and type of space required. You wouldn’t want to break your favorite collector’s toy if it doesn’t fit into a miniscule storage unit now, would you?

5. With that all done, you can now determine your storage solution. Select storage solutions that match the physical requirements of your items, the space available and your taste. Make sure your storage units work for you, and not the other way round.

Tips on how to maximize your storage space

Phase Three: Redecorate

Here comes everyone’s favorite bit—buying new stuff and sprucing up your flat with spanking new items from swanky furniture shops and funky home décor stores. Mr. Know-It-All reckons that you might want to splash out a bit, so he’s included some extravagant main pieces, but threw in some affordable, yet funky touches as well so that you can be sure that no one else’s living room will look like yours. Read on to see how you can transform your living room into a heavenly boudoir:

1. This gorgeous, dramatic two-seater Emperado sofa in mysterious maroon will make a stunning centerpiece to your living room. Everyone will be dying to lounge on it. $3,000 from Bulb.

2. This über cool alternative to boring ceiling lights is quietly stylish and effortlessly functional. $79 from IKEA.

3. Colorful, bright, functional and funky, Every living room’s gotta have of these Elvis stolls. $100 each from Air.

4. This simple but striking coffee table with built-in lamp will light up your drab living room anytime. $2,100 from Air.

5. With a lamp as brilliant and lovely as this birdcage pendant lamp with light purple crystals, you’d never want to leave your house again. $2,600 from Bulb.

6. This Artistic Bettan Linje rug will funk up your living room floor the fuss-free way. $79 from IKEA.

7. Reflect your best side, every time, with this dramatic full-length Fuze mirror that will also help make your living room look a little bigger. $89 from Courts.

Useful Tips

Want to make the most out of the decorative space you have? Eddy Kuswandi from EJ Square Design Pte Ltd and George Budiman from Cynosure Design have some clever tips to dispense.

• Have correct space planning—this will really help you to maximize space.
• Spend some time thinking about the most space-centric way to arrange your furniture. The wrong arrangement can cause a lot of space to get taken up unnecessarily.
• A few well-placed mirrors and glass panels can enlarge your apartment and create an illusion of space.
• Don’t be hasty when choosing materials—pick them when you’re in a good mood to avoid making decisions you might regret.
• Consider the overall look of your home before picking your wall color. For instance, an urban chic resort home with natural materials would probably have a different wall color from a modern classical home with chandeliers.
• If you want more space, don’t pick oversized furniture for your home. Don’t buy more chairs than you really need.
• If you have a raised floor, make use of it and store stuff underneath.
• Try not to be too adventurous or overly ambitious—stay focused and don’t be half-hearted.

Enlist help from these people to decorate your room

Address Book

Air #01-18, Park Mall, 9 Penang Rd, 6352-7307

Bulb 8 Gemmill Lane, 6225-0158

Courts 50 Tampines North Drive 2, 6309-7888

IKEA 317 Alexandra Rd, 6474-0122

In case you’re one of those clueless ones with no inkling of how to revamp, redecorate and rework on your own, just ring one of these talented maestros (read: interior designers) and help is on the way.

• Eddy Kuswandi of EJ Square Design Pte Ltd (417A River Valley Rd.,
6887-5240)—Kuswandi is fantastic with great space solutions, and offers fabulous décor and design materials.

• Adrian Chua of SEVENVINE Pte Ltd (69A Carlisle Rd., 6729-7219,
www.sevenvine.com)—Chua offers designs that are creative and practical all the same. For those into fuss-free designs.

• Adrian Heng of SpaceONE ID Consultancy (9686-0165)—Heng offers designs with contemporary feel, fusing excellent graphics and funky materials.

• George Budiman of Cynosure Design (#02-01, 7 Purvis St., 6342-1200, www.cynosuredesign.com)—Budiman is the perfect designer if you’re into quality design that is high-end and extravagant—think tai-tai with a touch of elegance.

For storage solutions that work, we have the good people from IKEA to dispense us some handy tips on how to maximize storage:

• Use boxes to hide clutter and add color.

• Stash unused stuff under your bed.

• Be creative and stretch the mileage of your storage items—a laundry bag can store kids’ toys, while jars can store miscellaneous items.

• Use bookends for your CDs and DVDs.

• Utilize wall space—attach shelves on them.

• Get add-on extension units for more storage space above your shelves

• Get a customized wardrobe that’s tailor- made for the amount of space you want and need.

• Get furniture with dual functions— such as a bench with storage under the seat.

• Use shelf inserts inside drawers.

• Get stackable or foldable furniture so you save on space.

• Lastly, label your storage boxes.

I want to rid myself of myopia—lasik, baby! Then, perhaps, these eyes can be opened as to how I can forever chuck my irrational fear of lizards.
—Loh Hsiao Ying, owner of fashion boutique Granny’s Day Out

I want to get myself a spanking new wardrobe in place of my boring old ones.
—Calvin Sio, Marketing Manager of Ministry of Sound

I will tell myself to throw my junk away (heartlessly) so I can work on having a nice clean home for my dog, my cat and myself!
—Jasmine Tuan, Senior Designer of Zouk

I wish only to throw out the old ideal of keeping reality beautiful. I’d rather keep it real.
—X’Ho, DJ and musician

I want to get rid of old habits like impatience and secondhand information.
—Justin Lee, artist

The Office Christmas Party

Here’s a roundup of all the food you can whip up for a sit-in-your-swivel-chair, hang-out-around-the-water-cooler office party with your colleagues.

(Image on top)
1. Clink your glasses to a good year ahead with Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Rose champagne (750ml, $27.10). Available at Cold Storage outlets.

2. This delightful selection of Swiss chocolates from Chocolat Alprose (Swiss Premium Napolitain in mixed and dark selection, 200g, $6.95; Swiss Premium Chocolate Dragees, 125g, $7.60; Swiss Premium Milk Chocolate and Dark Swiss Premium Chocolate, 100g bar, $2.95) will soon get you addicted. Available at selected Cold Storage, NTUC FairPrice and Watsons outlets.

3. End the year on a sweet note with candied gingerbread coins ($5.50 per 80g) with a custom-made chocolate sleigh ($26) from Conrad Centennial Singapore.

4. What’s Christmas without a log cake? Enjoy this stunning and delectable macaroon log cake with crispy Lindt chocolate mousse (1kg, $54) from Grand Hyatt Singapore.

5. Have a fab time dipping all these tasty organic tortilla chips (spicy blue corn chips, chili lime chips, yellow corn chips and nacho cheese chips, $2.25-2.35 per 100g) into these fabulous organic dips (zucchini mint, hummus chick pea, tuna avocado, baba ghanoush, red pepper eggplant, $3.20-4.10 per 100g) from Bunalun.

6. Marvel at the beauty and fabulous taste of this gorgeous chocolate Christmas tree ($88), made of handmade premium Valrhona chocolate pralines and chocolate truffles on a chocolate cone from Bakerzin.

Christmas Cocktails with Friends

You don’t have to go to work tomorrow so knock back a couple of drinks, indulge in some tempting finger food with your friends and laugh about the exploits of the soon-to-be-gone year.

1. Drink the night away in style with the sophisticated Möet & Chandon Star of the Night champagne (750ml, $105). Available at all leading wine shops.

2. These tasty nibbles from Da Paolo Gastronomia (black olive dip, $7 per tub; fresh tomato dip, $4.50 per tub; focaccia with olives and sun-dried tomatoes, $3 per loaf; country bread with basil leaves, $3 per loaf; spicy olives, $5 per 100g; bocconcini and cherry tomatoes, $4.50 per 100g) are almost guaranteed to break the ice at any party.

3. This platter of cold meats and antipasto from Espirito Santo (mortadella, $4.07 per 100g; German salami, $7.05 per 100g; premium ham, $3.10 per 100g; mixed antipasto of feta cheese with herbs, semi sun dried tomatoes, grilled marinated peppers and marinated stuffed green olives, $3.65-6 per 100g; Espirito Santo roast beef, various prices; parma ham, $8.65 per 100g; air dried beef, $9.60 per 100g) is perfect for any fan of premium meats.

The Yearly Christmas Family Dinner

Sit down with your friends and family for the dinner of the year. Tuck into that perfectly-browned turkey and have the biggest feast ever.

1. A wonderful meal demands nothing but the best whisky. The Glendronach 33-year-old Oloroso sherry cask 40% (700ml, $775) from La Maison du Whisky is an excellent choice.

2. Just a few slices of this heavenly honey baked ham from the Pan Pacific Singapore Bliss Hamper ($280) and you’re on your way to gastronomic bliss. The ham forms part of the Bliss hamper that also includes fruit cake, gingerbread tree, premium mixed nuts, pralines, bockwurst sausages and much more.

3. Toast to good health, happiness and good times ahead with G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge champagne (750ml, $84) and Montana Malborough Pinot Noir 2004 (750ml, $46.30). Available at Cold Storage outlets and Serangoon Gardens Country Club respectively.

4. Nothing beats the feeling of rounding off your meal with a premium cup of coffee from Wiener Kaffeehaus ($11.80 per 250g), which come in three gorgeous blends.

5. This unbelievably marvelous Christmas fruit cake from Meritus Mandarin Singapore is called the Martel Cordon Supreme Cognac aged traditional fruitcake (250g, $188). Marinated with Martel Cordon Supreme Cognac, there are only 50 pieces up for sale in Singapore.

6. Quite obviously the staple of any Christmas dinner is the turkey. You’ll certainly be tucking into the roast whole oven roasted turkey with brussels sprouts and gravy (5kg, $115) from Sheraton Towers Singapore with the utmost relish.

7. To enhance the taste of your turkey, all you need are some condiments. These condiments (heirloom tomato relish, $12; organic apple and pear jelly, $12; organic lemon curd, $12) from Poppi suit a wide range of tastes.

8. Accompany your turkey with potato gratin ($2.60 per 100g) and a cooked vegetable platter (maple roasted sweet potatoes, maple glazed pumpkin, classic brussels sprouts and potato porcini gratin, $2.90-4 per 100 g) from Bunalun. They make a healthy end to a very rich meal.

Boxing Day Brunch

Christmas is over, the presents have been opened and it’s time to laze around, finish the leftovers and sleep in.

1. Have a sip of Wyndham Estate Bin 222 Chardonnay (750ml, $26.50) in the morning for ultimate luxury after a tiring night of partying. Available at Cold Storage outlets.

2. This lovely, moist quiche Lorraine (670g, $8.90) from PrimaDeli is a fabulous way to start the morning after Christmas Day. Available at all PrimaDeli outlets. Call 6276-3333 for ordering and enquiries.

3. Clean off your leftover Christmas meats with some bread from Archangel (squid ink bread, $8; multigrain bread, $8; walnut raisin bread, $8; sourdough bread, $8).

4. These assorted festive sweet tarts from The Marmalade Pantry consist of pecan pies, brownie tarts (with cream cheese swirl), Mont Blancs (chestnut paste in a tart shell) and cherry crumbles (any 16 pieces, $45). They taste as delicious as they look.

5. What better time to enjoy a seafood platter than after Christmas? This cold seafood platter (that includes half a fresh lobster, tuna tartar and freshly shucked oysters, $59) from Greenwood Fish Market & Bistro will leave you truly satisfied.

Address Book

Archangel
#03-33 Great World City, 1 Kim Seng Promenade, 6836-4424

Bakerzin
#01-18A/19 Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Rd., 6336-6006

Bunalun
43 Jalan Merah Saga, 6472-0870

Cold Storage
#02-18 UE Square, 81 Clemenceau Ave., 6733-3054

Conrad Centennial Singapore
2 Temasek Blvd., 6334-8888

Da Paolo Gastronomia
#01-74 43 Jalan Merah Saga, 6475-1323

Espirito Santo
#B2-11/12 Great World City, 1 Kim Seng Promenade, 6256-5070

Grand Hyatt Singapore
10 Scotts Rd., 6738-1234

Greenwood Fish Market & Bistro
34 Greenwood Ave., 6467-4950

La Maison du Whisky
20 Emerald Hill Rd., 6733-0059

Meritus Mandarin Singapore
333 Orchard Rd., 6737-4411

NTUC FairPrice
#B1-01 Junction 8 Shopping Centre, 9 Bishan Place, 6259-0461

Pan Pacific Singapore
Marina Square, 7 Raffles Blvd., 6336-8111

Poppi
2/F, The Legends Fort Canning Park, 11 Canning Walk, 6339-8977

PrimaDeli
6276-3333 for ordering and enquiries

Serangoon Gardens Country Club
22 Kensington Park Rd., 6286-8888

Sheraton Towers Singapore
39 Scotts Rd., 6737-6888

The Marmalade Pantry
#B1-08-11 Palais Renaissance, 6883-2258 (to order)

Watson’s
#B1-26-30/39-42 Lucky Plaza, 304 Orchard Rd., 6235-3357

Wiener Kaffeehaus
148 Neil Rd., 6226-3148

Most of us have experienced the awful feeling of a sleepless night. You’re lying in bed, watching the clock tick away, your mind racing. You desperately need to sleep—a long day is ahead—but you just can’t.

How often does this happen to you? If you experience insomnia two or three times a week, you could be suffering from a sleeping disorder. You could also be stressed about your personal or work life.

Types of Insomnia

Insomnia can be transient, short-term or chronic. Transient insomnia lasts for a few nights, while short-term insomnia lasts for about two to four weeks. Both occur because of stress, external noise, extreme temperature changes, disrupted sleeping habits (such as jet lag) and the side effects of medication.

Insomnia is chronic when it lasts over a month and begins to affect your daily life. It is usually caused by medical, physical or deep-seated psychological problems, a sleep disorder, medication or usage of substances. In these circumstances, a medical consultation is imperative.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

It’s all relative, but most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. As you age, you need less sleep.

What Can Be Done?

You have more to do with your lack of sleep than you realize. You could be doing something continuously in your lifestyle that perpetuates insomnia. For instance, drinking four cups of coffee a day is probably not helpful. It pays to examine your lifestyle to see what can be done to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep.

Review Your Dietary Habits

Getting better sleep starts with your diet. You shouldn’t take caffeine, nicotine and alcohol four to six hours before bedtime. Coffee, caffeinated drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi, and tea all contain stimulants, which will definitely keep your mind alert and your eyes wide open. The same goes for cigarettes, as they contain nicotine—also a stimulant. So stop smoking too close to bedtime (that can be a good reason to quit). Sloshing down copious amounts of alcohol close to bedtime for a “nightcap” when you’re depressed or stressed will only keep you up, making you even grumpier in the morning.

Try not to take too heavy a meal before going off to bed. It will sit in your stomach and make you feel too bloated and queasy to doze off. However, don’t go to bed hungry either—all that endless rumbling will prevent you from getting your winks. Instead, have a light snack of wheat crackers or something similar. A glass of warm milk also works wonders.

Adjust Your Habits

Besides changing your dietary habits, make adjustments to your behavior to pave the way for a good night’s sleep. Never exercise too close to bedtime. You may feel good sweating it out initially, but all that adrenaline will just keep you awake later on. If you must work out, do it well before bedtime—at least four hours before. This will give your body adequate time to wind down.

The mind is also an extremely sensitive thing. If you keep doing work, watching TV, eating, or worrying in bed, your mind and body will eventually associate the bed with work. So much so that when you climb into bed, your mind will still be in active mode as it believes you should be engaging in activity. Try to use your bed only for sleeping (and sex of course!).

Go to sleep only when you’re about to zonk off. If you go to bed feeling all bright-eyed and chirpy, chances are you’ll take a long time to drift into sleep. However, if you’re already sleepy when you hit the sheets, you’ll fall asleep quickly and spare yourself the agony of tossing and turning.

Reading also helps. Pick up the dullest tome you can find. The mind-numbing monotony of reading your washing machine manual, for instance, is almost certain to make your lids close.

If you fall asleep but wake up and cannot resume your sleep, don’t lie there. If it’s been more than 30 minutes, leave the room and do something boring until you’re nodding off.

Get a sleep routine too. Try to retire and get up at the same time every morning and night so as to get your “body clock” tuned well. Stick religiously to this internal schedule—even on weekends and no matter how hard it is. Avoid daytime naps at all costs too. If you must nap, keep it short—less than an hour.

Change Your Environment

Unless you sleep in a vacuum, it’s pretty obvious that your environment has a part to play in your sleep. Always make sure the temperature in your room is comfortable—it should neither be too hot or too cold.
When you go to the bathroom, don’t switch on bright lights. This signals your mind to be awake. Instead, use a dim night light that’s just bright enough to let you see where you’re going.

Try not to feel apprehensive about sleeping in anticipation of insomnia—it’ll make things worse. Relax by listening to soothing music or sprinkle your sheets with lavender. The cool, sweet scent of it might have you asleep in seconds.

If you live in a noisy neighborhood, use a white noise tape or buy ear plugs to keep out noise. Sleep in complete darkness and use an eye mask to block out sudden light.

General Do’s And Don’ts

Never turn the clock towards you if you can’t sleep. It’ll drive you crazy. Turn it to face the wall where you can’t see it. Also, stop running the day’s events over and over in your mind. Clear your mind of all thoughts and get in a restful state of mind. If it helps, take a cool shower (not a warm one) before hitting the sack.
Insomnia is distressing, but you can do something about it. After all, sleep is one reward we all deserve after a hard day’s work.

Sleep Disorders

Insomnia is also linked to these sleep disorders:

Sleep Apnea—breath stoppages while sleeping that can last for about 10 seconds to one minute.

Narcolepsy—the urge to sleep no matter how much one has slept.

Nocturnal Myoclonus—violent leg twitching every 20 to 40 seconds that can last from minutes to hours.

Restless Legs Syndrome—uncomfortable sensations that are felt inside the legs and other parts of the body.

Nightmares and Night Terrors—frightening dreams and sensations.

Consequences of Insomnia

• Daytime fatigue
• Decreased concentration
• Impaired mood
• Higher risk for injury and illness
• Depression
• Falling asleep during driving
• Psychological distress

Judging by the throngs at VivoCity, we’re guessing that practically every Singaporean has been there by now. Besides lining your shopping bags with good buys, you can line your stomachs with great food. From Japanese to German, chocolates to teacakes, modern Thai food to café bites, VivoCity’s got it all. Here’s where you can go when you need an energy boost.

Aji by Hanabi

#01-158, 1 HarbourFront Walk, 6376-9788.
This modern Japanese restaurant looks impressive. Classy, sleek, minimalistic, with lacquered tables, a stunning waterfront view, and soothing Japanese music, it is a joy to be in. And we were just as impressed with the quality of the food, which is inspired, creative, different and tasty. The grilled red snapper with capsicums ($18) was a lovely creation of crispy, deep-fried red snapper seasoned with cream, soy sauce, chili and wasabi. The textures were great and the flavors blended well. We suggest you try the grilled beef with Japanese herbs ($22)—an elaborate construction of crispy, fried noodles, with medium-rare beef nestled in the middle and crunchy slices of sweet potato around. Also try the pan fried goose liver with radish ($18). Eat the goose liver and the radish in the same mouthful and you’ll experience the dish at its best. End your meal with the green tea ice-cream and red bean paste ($6). Open Mon-Thu 11:30am-3pm, 6-10:30pm; Fri 11:30am-3pm, 6-11pm (last order at 10:30pm); Sat 11:30am-11pm; Sun 11:30-10:30pm.

Brotzeit

#01-149/151, 1 HarbourFront Walk, 6272-8815.
This enormous, airy German restaurant is a bier (beer) bar and restaurant. The German beers are brewed according to the Purity Law of 1516, and include well-known ones like Paulaner. This restaurant uses a lot of warm, woody surfaces, with dark, wooden pull-out benches. The amiable Chef de Cuisine, Hans Lüftenegger, recommended a few specialties. The gulaschsuppe ($7.50) is spicy beef goulash served with a huge pretzel, and is an excellent appetizer. No one eats at a German restaurant without trying the sausages, so we had gänseleberwurst—goose liver sausage with German spätzle, cranberry sauce and red cabbage ($26.50). The sausages were tender and juicy and the spätzle (a concoction of flour and egg cooked in water) was addictive. If you like spätzle, you’ll want to order the käsespatzle ($14.90), a Bavarian specialty of homemade spätzle and topped with melted cheese and onion rings. It’s pretty filling, so share it with your friends! Germany is the home of black forest cake, so you might want to end your meal with that. The schwarzwälderkirschtorte as it’s called, is made up of chocolate sponge cake, cherries and whipped cream. Check out the wall mural behind the bar while you’re there. It’s very German, whimsical and even has the Merlion and Sir Raffles in it! Open daily noon-12am.

Thai Accent

#02-145/146, 1 HarbourFront Walk, 6376-9282.
Authentic and not-too-expensive Thai food is pretty hard to find, but Thai Accent fits the bill. Tastefully decorated and brand new, this spacious restaurant has a modern, fresh approach to Thai cuisine. If you like slightly salty curries, the green chicken curry ($12.90) is good to start with. The flavor was robust, and the chicken soft and juicy. We tried the tom yam prawn soup ($9.90) and were pleased with the delectable soup, fresh prawns and crunchy straw mushrooms. Another restaurant fave was the crispy catfish with mango salad ($11.90). Fried to crispy, golden perfection, the catfish was incredibly light, with an almost airy consistency. The mango salad is tangy and moist—which provides the perfect balance. Try the stir-fried minced chicken with hot basil leaves, served with rice and a sunny-side up egg ($11.90). Check out some Thai desserts too—the water chestnut served with coconut milk ($3.90) and mango sticky rice ($6.90). The former is swimming with generous, large pieces of water chestnut and the latter is a gorgeous mix of sweet mango and milky glutinous rice. If the waiting time gets slightly long, be patient—because the food is honestly good. Open Mon-Thu 11:30am-3pm, 6-10pm; Fri-Sun 11:30am-10pm.

White Dog Café

#02-131/132, 1 HarbourFront Walk, 6376-9970.
This is a great place to rest after you’ve walked a long way. This one-month-plus old funky café boasts a wide selection of cakes, muffins, appetizers, pizzas, pastas, main courses, ice-blended drinks, smoothies, frappes and loads more. The crisp soft shell crab ($8.50) started our meal and in Japanese-style with wasabi tobiko and lime sauce. The calamari rings which arrived with it deserve special mention because they are huge, crispy, fried just enough and tender. Pasta lovers should try the crabmeat linguini ($16.90), which has quite a lot of crab meat, crunchy pasta and a yummy tomato cream sauce with white wine, chili and onions. The warm chocolate cake served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ($6.80) and the mocha frappe ($6.90) make a filling, rich end to a very decent meal. An added bonus is that this café uses no pork nor lard in its preparation. Open Mon-Sun 11:30am-10pm (last food order 10pm, last beverage order 10:30pm).

Godiva

#01-116, 1 HarbourFront Walk, 6273-1611.
This new outlet is done up in a sophisticated, appealing fashion with open shelves in white oak and ceiling-high cabinet showcases. You’ll find droolsome delicacies such as chocolate-dipped candied fruit ($22 per 100g), as well as Chocolixir beverages ($8). These come in dark, white and milk flavors, and are only available here and Godiva’s CityLink outlet. Choose from the mind-boggling range of truffles ($26 per 100g), pralines ($22 per 100g), dipped strawberries ($9 per piece), caraques ($22 per 100g), cookies ($22 onwards per box) and biscuits ($22 onwards per box). Sinfully irresistible. Open Mon-Thu 10am-10pm; Fri-Sat 10am-10:30pm; Sun 10am-10pm.

Corduroy Café

#01-106, 1 HarbourFront Walk, 6376-9895.
You’ll be taken with the lovely interior of this European-styled milk bar and bakery that looks both contemporary and old world. Filled with soft, plush armchairs, shining mirrors and adorned with sepia-toned photographs, it’s a comfy place to relax with friends while tucking into custom-blended drinks and tasty teatime treats. And, you’ll find salads, sandwiches, soup, smoothies, pastries and cakes here too. The Corduroy Café Club sandwich ($12) is a nice bet and so is the beef stroganoff pie ($7). Try the tempting confectionaries that are laid out prettily at the counter. The apple rhubarb crumble with vanilla custard ($6.80) tastes as good as it looks. With names such as nutty muddy ($6.50), chocolate royal ($6.50) and zesty lemon tart ($6), you’ll be hard pressed to choose. Watch out for Corduroy’s special milk concoctions that feature milk in flavors like banana, berry dream, pear cinnamon and many more. Open Mon-Thu 10:30am-11pm; Fri-Sun 10:30am-12am.

Not so long ago finding a good sandwich in town that wasn’t made of sugar-filled bread and topped with pork floss was like finding a needle in a haystack. But these days, getting a good sandwich can be as simple as heading to the nearest store in town. Long gone are the times where the only place to buy bread with filling was BreadTalk. Today there are plenty of innovative punters out there making tasty gourmet sandwiches and wraps. Here are our faves.

Toast

#01-09 OUB Centre, 1 Raffles Place, 6534-1755.
This baby pink sandwich place from the same team behind The Marmalade Pantry has become a veritable institution in its own right for good quality sandwiches and wraps. A mind-boggling range of food is available here. On top of sandwiches and wraps, you can also munch on salads ($4.80-6.50), cakes ($3.20-5) and cupcakes ($3.70). Over time, we have tried quite a few of the sandwiches and wraps, and are always impressed. The chicken Caesar sandwich ($6) follows its salad equivalent closely, and is filled with chunky pieces of grilled chicken, romaine lettuce and Caesar dressing on ciabatta. The bacon and avocado sandwich ($7.50), with watercress on panini bread is slightly salty, but the avocado balances it nicely. The roast beef sandwich ($7.50) with caramelized onions and wasabi mayo on panini is nice too. The ones we like most are the masala chicken wrap ($7.50) with Indian spiced chicken, fresh mango, Romaine lettuce and mint, and the tuna sambal ($6), with dried shrimp and rocket on panini bread. They are inspired, zesty and tasty, with a nice local flavor. Neither are they too spicy. And of course, don’t forget those fabulous cupcakes. Open Mon-Fri 8am-6pm; Sat 8am-3pm.

THOS SB

3/F, Raffles The Plaza, 80 Bras Basah Rd., 6431-6156.
This cafe gets top marks for the most innovative sandwich names. Each sandwich name gives a hint of what you can expect from the sandwich. We are most taken with Busy Ben ($8)—a fun mix of roasted tandoori chicken, cucumber and apple raita and mint chutney on garlic naan. It’s tasty, light and not too spicy. The Party Animal Paulette ($8) is a must-try for ham and pineapple fans. With its smoked forest ham, pineapple and upland cresse filling on a butter croissant, it’s certainly worth trying. Balthasar the Big Boss ($9.50), a man-sized treat of roasted veal loin, melted cheese, sautéed onion and honey mustard on sun-dried foccacia, is our other favorite. And even better, THOS SB is a place where you can eat with some privacy, despite its centralized locale. Open Mon-Fri 8am-9pm; Sat-Sun 9am-9pm.

The Sandwich Shop

#01-02 Robinson Centre, 61 Robinson Rd., 6536-5232.
Known for its distinctive packaging and truly enormous sandwiches, The Sandwich Shop wields a steady influence on the busy office crowd around the area. The interior is relaxing and fun, with friendly staff and a huge chalkboard on the wall. Sandwiches, wraps and baguettes are all sold here. All sandwiches, wraps and yogurts are made fresh every day then pre-packed, so all you have to do is just choose, then go. Special sandwich requests can be made at the counter. The sandwiches can be eaten toasted or non-toasted, and come on either rye, wholemeal or multi-grain bread. The Massive All Day Breakfast sandwich ($7.50) is probably the star of the show though. Toasted and stuffed with tasty ingredients including egg mayo, mixed salad leaves, sausages, bacon and mushrooms, it is absolutely yummy. Other notables are the teriyaki chicken wrap ($6.50), the strawberry and mango smoothies ($5), and the granola and honey, and strawberry yogurts ($3.40). This is a hassle-free alternative for busy office folks. Open Mon-Fri 7am-6:30pm.

Juiced Rawbars

Unit 7, #B1-08 Republic Plaza, 9 Raffles Place, 6535-3230.
Consisting of a small counter in the basement, Juiced Rawbars is a haven for the health and time-conscious populace. Hailing from Sydney, it’s a great place for getting healthy, freshly-made salads, tortilla wraps, soups ($5.90), juices ($5-6), smoothies ($5.50-6.50) and yogurts ($3.50) made fresh every day. The set lunches ($10.50) consist of a salad, a juice, a wrap, or soup. Design your own salad for $7.50. So they don’t actually sell sandwiches per se (what Juiced really specializes in is tortilla wraps which are best eaten toasted) but their wraps are so delicious we just had to mention them anyway. The Mexican wrap ($7.50), filled with chicken, kidney beans, avocado, cheese, tomato corn and other ingredients, is our favorite. However, the Asian wrap ($6.50) and the chicken Caesar wrap ($7.50) are also tasty. The former is rather like our popiah, chock-full of vegetables and tofu, while the chicken Caesar contains nice chunks of chicken, bacon bits and parmesan cheese. Stop by early for lunch, as this place gets busy, and you’ll get a longer chat with the gregarious owner, Loretta. Open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm; Sat 10am-2pm

The Food Barn

#02-34/35 Caltex House, 30 Raffles Place, 6536-0733.
This sandwich place has a wide selection of classic and signature sandwiches, soups ($4) and salads ($7-7.50). We tried the roast beef and arugala sandwich ($7.90), which comprised of thick slices of bread with generous slabs of both ingredients in between. Its portions are extremely hearty and can easily be shared. The tuna and egg sandwich ($6) is another good choice with a filling of tuna, sliced eggs, gherkins, celery, onion and mayo with lettuce and tomatoes on herb foccacia. The Tuscan roasted vegetable sandwich ($7) has roasted butternut squash, roma tomatoes, capsicums and carrots flavored with fresh herb pesto on sesame stirato, which made for an interesting mix of flavors, and perfect for vegetarians. The Food Barn is a good to visit with friends, as the huge portions can be shared. Open Mon-Fri 8am-6:30pm.