Archive for the 'Sleep' Category
August 23rd, 2010 -- Posted in Sleep |
In addition to healthy eating and daily exercise there are other things you can do to ensure a better sleep. Adding just one of these tips could make the difference in getting a better sleep tonight or popping a sleeping aid – oh my! Try one or all of these tips and you will be thanking me in the morning.
Tip #1 – Avoid coffee after lunchtime.
While we often turn to coffee as our favorite no/low calorie afternoon pick me up, just say “no” if you want a better sleep tonight. This does not give you permission to trade in your coffee for a high calorie sugar snack. Have a decaffeinated green, white, or black tea. These teas have proven health benefits and can make for a calmer afternoon at work.
Tip #2 – Prepare for tomorrow today.
Do just like your mother taught you. Lay out your clothes along with any items needed for tomorrow the night before. This will help reduce some of the “to do” mind chatter that is keeping you from getting to sleep.
Tip #3 – Keep the room pitch dark.
Purchase black out curtains to ensure the moonlight, street light, or the morning sun doesn’t sneak in. Even dim light has been shown to prevent us from getting the deep sleep we need each night.
Tip #4 – Kill the noise.
No radios or TVs, please. If there is a night owl in your house then ask him to listen or watch TV in another area of the home. Hopefully, you’ve already removed the television from the bedroom.
If you’re eating right, exercising, applied every tip, trick, or technique known to man, and you haven’t been diagnosed with a sleep disorder then it just might be your mattress that’s contributing to your problem. A visco elastic foam mattress may be something you want to consider. Be sure to do your research when you are looking to buy a new mattress.
August 21st, 2010 -- Posted in Sleep |
Sleep apnea affects 18 million people in the United States. The primary form of treatment used for this disorder is called Constant Positive Airway Pressure or CPAP. The treatment uses an air compressor that administers a constant air flow, which allows the patient to breath easily in case of airway obstruction or if the brain fails to induce proper breathing. CPAP makes a patient’s sleep less restful because it uses an awkward mask which must be worn, and it canbe very uncomfortable on the part of the sufferer. However, there are other alternative therapies aside from CPAP which may be explored for the treatment of sleep apnea.
Even though there’s a recent article saying that CPAP is the “gold standard” for the treatment of mild to moderate sleep apnea, there are a number of signs that Oral Appliances (OA’s) are becoming more famous and a widely embraced alternative to treat this disorder.
How does this oral appliance work? The device is used to relieve the obstruction in the upper airway and to prevent snoring by modifying the position of the mandible, tongue, and other oral structures. It also prevents the tongue from blocking the passage of air. Remember to consult your physician first before you choose the type of therapy you will undergo, so that he can help choose a device that will best suit you and help you to breath for freely.
CPAP therapy alternatives are considered life savers to many patients because not all persons who suffer sleep apnea can tolerate CPAP treatment. There are many reasons, depending on each patient’s case, why they give up their treatment.
There are some disadvantages reported such as discomfort and salivation, which are common complaints in this kind of therapy. That leads to a statistical study which shows oral appliances are more successful in patients with non-severe obstructive sleep apnea.
Another CPAP disadvantage is that it’s a sort of a short term cure which means it only targets the symptoms and not the disorder itself. Also you have to wear that gadget for the rest of your life.
Surgery is another option, which is a one time procedure that will solve your sleep apnea forever. But of course, it will be expensive, and not to mention the anxiousness you will feel.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea is a potentially dangerous condition. If left untreated, it may increase your risk of heart attack or stroke. If you feel like you have OSA, please pay a visit to your doctor as soon as possible.
June 19th, 2010 -- Posted in Health, Sleep |
More and more people are complaining of extreme tiredness that almost grinds their lives to an almost halt. Chronic tiredness is a serious condition that most people ignore or take is as a way of life they have to put up with day in day out. Although the cases of constant tiredness report same symptoms, there are many causes of constant tiredness ranging from drugs, lifestyle, work and domestic stress among other tiring activities.
Tiredness may seem simple and harmless at first, many people ignore the damages that can be caused by tiredness may manifest to become serious problems like fatigue and exhaustion. If you start noticing a recurring trend of tiredness, take necessary measures to get rid of tiredness the soonest you can to avoid further complications that may have adverse effects on your health, lifestyle and relationships at work and home.
Here are three things you can take to reduce and eventually get rid of tiredness that is not as a result of diseases.
Avoid caffeine from smoking and coffee if you can. Although a cup of coffee may make you alert, energetic and focused, this only lasts for a few hours at most and after that the feeling gets worse than it was before. When caffeine fix wears out, your energy levels will flop.
Take water continuously throughout the day, water should not be reserved for meal times. Most cases of constant tiredness are partly caused by dehydration. Get sufficient sleep at night to let the body recuperate lost energy. Science tells us that a normal adult body requires 7 hours of sleep to function properly. It is also beneficial to have a sleep pattern and let your body adapt to it, going to bed at a particular time and waking up on the same times of the morning.
April 23rd, 2010 -- Posted in Sleep |
Your health depends greatly on the quality of your sleep. While most people struggle with sleep from time to time, many people have a more serious issue. If you are looking for some easy ways to fall asleep, try implementing these suggestions.
Watch Your Eating Habits
You probably know that you should stay away from sugar and caffeine in the evening if you want to get a good night’s sleep. Did you also know that what you do eat can impact how you sleep? For the best possible night sleep, try eating a dinner that is rich in tryptophan.
Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that helps you fall asleep. Your body does not produce tryptophan naturally, so you must get it from food. Turkey is loaded with tryptophan, which probably explains the common urge to take a nap on Thanksgiving afternoon. Other foods that provide a good source of tryptophan are cheese, nuts, pumpkin seeds, chicken, soybeans, eggs and fish.
Exercise – Ideally Outside!
To sleep well, you need to make sure that you get some exercise each day, ideally for at least 30 minutes. Late afternoon is the best possible time to work out, but as long as you avoid working out just before bedtime, any time will help your overall sleep quality. If at all possible, get outside! This will help your body create serotonin and melatonin, both of which can help you sleep.
Keep it Cool!
Most of us set our thermostats at a level that is too high for them to achieve the best possible nights sleep. Ideally, your room should be slightly cool, around 65 degrees. It the weather is nice outside, try keeping a window open as this will allow the circulation of fresh air. Also, make sure that you do not sleep with your mouth or nose under covers. This can reduce your oxygen intake and cause residual headaches the next day.
So, if you are looking for ways to fall asleep, try these simple suggestions. Hopefully, they will help improve the quality of your sleep!
April 6th, 2010 -- Posted in Sleep |
Snoring is a condition that no one wants to have to deal with. Not only can it cause problems with your own sleeping patterns but it can also disturb your partner and family. Snoring can be a challenging problem to fix but fortunately there are various stop snoring aids available today that can offer a solution.
One of the simplest to use is a stop snoring pillow. It looks just like your regular pillow only it is shaped slightly differently. This pillow works by using an integrated head roller to keep the head in a sort of sideways position. When the head is kept like this throughout the night the person will not snore. continue reading »
March 29th, 2010 -- Posted in Sleep |
Most people openly acknowledge that we don’t get restful sleep, usually as a result of an unhealthy amount of stress or a load heavy life leading to a downwards spiral. However sometimes not getting restful sleep isn’t a chosen option, over 40% of the world has had problems sleeping at some time during their reality, and a small amount of people suffer from true disorder. Trying to find sleeping disorder fixes can be a long drawn out process that seems like an endless cycle of theories, pills, restless evenings and overly tired days. continue reading »