Trouble sleeping? Ready to step up your oral wellness? We have you covered. If you are facing a style conundrum, contact us at asky@mrporter.com and we’ll do everything in our power to sort you out – or we’ll rope in one of the world’s foremost fashion brains to help. Welcome to Ask MR PORTER.

“Though this year has been particularly stressful, there are ways to limit the impact stress and anxiety have on your sleep,” says our friend Mr Matt Delaney, the national manager of Innovation and a Tier X coach at Equinox, who has been doing a great deal of research around rest and recovery. “Here are some techniques from Equinox’s sleep coaching programme that may not only help you manage this impact, but also improve sleep habits and recovery overall,” he says.  

“First, let’s talk about stress. Biology is dose dependent, meaning the amount of stress you experience will impact how your body responds – this response can become progressively worse in the absence of recovery. If you find yourself watching, scrolling, reading or discussing things that trigger you regularly, you should consider decreasing how much you engage, especially later in the day. For example, checking the news once in the morning will have different impact on your mind and body than exposing yourself to a 24/7 news cycle throughout the day. The first example introduces an acute stress followed by a long recovery period, while the second creates an environment where stress becomes chronic. Furthermore, the closer to bedtime you introduce stress, the more difficult it will be to fall asleep and stay asleep.   

“Sleep issues tend to be multifactorial, which means there are several strategies that may be beneficial to addressing your sleep issues. Given your challenges, here are a few things for you to consider.”

_01. Rituals or routines can lower stress levels _

Do you have a pre-sleep routine? Developing one may help. When you are having trouble disconnecting from the stress of your day, a bedtime ritual may help you separate your thoughts and drop into a more relaxed state. This could be a series of stretches, breathwork, meditation, reading or any other behaviour that calms you (Equinox provides sleep specific meditations and stretching classes on the digital app Variis). The key here is to find what works and remain consistent – it will help your mind and body understand when it is time to relax.

_02. Adding good stress (eustress) can boost your mood _

Sleep is a 24-hour process, meaning what you do during the day can affect how you spend your night. Adding some positive activities to your calendar can help offset some of the distress you are experiencing. Things such as working out, learning a skill or picking up a new hobby are all challenges that can improve your mood and give you something else to focus on in your downtime.  

_03. Caffeine can increase feelings of stress and anxiety _

A moderate amount of caffeine can make us more alert and improve performance, but too much can leave us anxious and increase feelings of stress. If you are someone who consumes a lot of caffeine (more than 300mg/day) or drinks coffee late in the day (after 1.00pm), you should consider reducing your total amount and shifting things to earlier in the day.   

“There are several approaches you can take to improve your situation,” Mr Delaney adds. “Start with one of the above recommendations and try to implement the technique for two weeks, before moving on to the next habit. For a completely personalised sleep assessment and coaching programme, you can sign up for Equinox’s sleep coaching online or in a club near you.”

We happen to think coats are the most fun you can have while wearing clothes. And, while we could ask Mr Kanye West, to support our case, we turn you to our pal, the capo of coats, GQ style writer Ms Rachel Tashjian to share her thoughts on the type of outerwear she’s feeling this season.

“There is just one coat vibe for me this fall,” she says. “Rich and mighty. Extremely long, extremely luxurious, immaculately well made, with a perfect shoulder and beautiful set of buttons. No jackets. No vests. No puff. No fluff. Just coats – coats operating at coat length.

“If my shoe isn’t telling me that the coat is tickling it, I’m passing on that coat. If the ground isn’t perking up as I approach, thinking this may be its golden opportunity to touch the hem of my garment, I’m passing on that coat. Maybe it makes a camel say, ‘Hey, that’s my hair!’ Maybe it’s shearling with a shawl collar, like I’m an evil public intellectual; maybe it’s got a robe belt, like I’m an evil private intellectual. Maybe it’s actually just a trench, and I will wear shorts and a Charvet cashmere and silk polo shirt underneath.

“The coat for me – and frankly, for you – is vaguely criminal, soundly of the underworld and absolutely not who I am in real life. Simply put, a technicolour nightmare coat.”

Want to learn more? Here is how to pick the best coat for your body type.

Maybe, says Dr Gerry Curatola, a dentist who wrote the book The Mouth-Body Connection. “There is a direct correlation between the health of your mouth and your body,” he says. “The mouth is our first line of defense against illness, acting as a mirror and gateway reflecting what is happening in the rest of our body. An unhealthy mouth has been shown to be directly correlated with an unhealthy immune system. Chronic, low-grade oral disease is a major source of inflammation throughout your body, which can sometimes result in serious systemic problems, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and a compromised immune system. It’s important to focus on maintaining homeostasis within the oral microbiome and I’ve created a dedicated programme to restore balance and reduce health-destroying inflammation through diet, supplements, exercise and stress reduction.”

Dr Curatola’s regimen is based on the four cornerstones of healthy nutrition, daily exercise, stress management and a consistent morning routine:

The doctor recommends a “spa treatment” for your mouth using a bamboo toothbrush with Revitin toothpaste, a probiotic formula that promotes a rebalance of the mouth’s acidic environment, and Cocofloss, a soothing natural dental floss with coconut oil, aromatic fruit oils and vegan wax. “I also recommend Waterpik’s new Sidekick, a convenient compact water flosser that provides therapeutic hydromassage of the gums while eliminating any remaining debris.”

Dr Curatola suggests you eliminate fluoride products and alcohol-based mouthwashes as they get rid of all bacteria. “Even the healthy kind that helps balance our oral microbiome,” he says. “We mustn’t make war with our microbes – we must make peace with them for optimal health.”