May 19, 2012

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How To Get A Good Night’s Sleep

May 1, 2012 By 3 Comments

A good night’s sleep is not always easy to come by.  The secret to feeling happy and rested is not a sleeping pill, or even a good nap. The challenge of stress, sleep apnea and hormones make “Goodnight Sweetheart” impossible. But, sleeping well is a tremendous investment in your health, outlook and productivity. The following treatments will help you schedule your energy cycle and sleep better consistently.

Sleeping pills — sedatives, hypnotics, tranquilizers

Alcohol used to be the “drug of choice” for sleep problems. However, you don’t get restful sleep from passing out!  Interestingly enough, most of the prescription “sleeping pills” work in the same area of the brain as alcohol and cause the same problem of crashing without getting a good night’s sleep.

Over-the-counter sleeping pills available today are all anti-histamines.  They block the wake up neurotransmitter called “histamine” causing people to feel sleepy.

One problem with sleeping pills of any kind is that they may knock people out, but they don’t generally provide good sleep.  Some of them are even dangerous.

One of my patients who lived alone and was taking sleeping pills wondered if someone was getting into his house at night because he was very meticulous, but began finding tools in the garage moved, food on the kitchen counter and stuff on the floor.  One day he woke up on the kitchen floor and realized that he was sleepwalking, eating and who knows what else! His medication Zolpidem caused this.  Some have even been known to get in their cars and drive while sleeping

Another issue with sleeping pills is the danger of dependence. The threat is not that you have to use them to live and survive, but rather when you stop taking sleeping pills then you have more problems sleeping.

To get a good night’s sleep:

  • Avoid sleep-assisting drugs, if possible.

Stimulants

One of the more common problems I see in my clients with sleep problems is the use of stimulants.

  • Amphetamines, like those for ADHD, destroy parts of the brain and can permanently interfere with sleep.
  • MSG (monosodium glutamate) is notorious for causing sleep problems.
  • Also, stimulants such as caffeine found in coffee, tea, yerba mate, and so forth, interfere with sleep patterns, even if they don’t decrease the time of sleep.

Today, I see many more sleep problems because of “energy drinks.”  These are very high in stimulants, while at the same time adding taurine, an amino acid to calm the brain so people aren’t shaky and nervous.  The effect of these energy drinks changes the brain in the same way that excessive stress does, bringing out the weakness of the individual yet disrupting sleep patterns.

To get a good night’s sleep, avoid:

  1. Coffee, tea, colas
  2. Sugar
  3. MSG
  4. “Pep” pills
  5. Energy drinks

Age

Keep in mind that the need for sleep declines with age.  The average teenager needs ten hours of sleep per night, but it declines from there.  One elderly man told me he went to bed at 9 PM and woke up at 2 AM and couldn’t get back to sleep.  I asked him how he felt during the day and he said, “No problem!”  He was never tired, didn’t fall asleep reading, driving, watching TV, or sitting in meetings, and didn’t take naps.  I explained that the five hours was enough for him and that he didn’t need any sleeping pills. He became irate! His rhetorical reply was, “What am I supposed to do at 2 o’clock in the morning?!!!”

If you wake up early and can’t get back to sleep, remember that if you aren’t feeling tired during the day, then that amount of sleep is enough.  If you are tired, then you will need to find out why you wake up.

To get a good night’s sleep:

  • Assess your need for sleep before deciding to treat a sleep problem

Naps

Many people like to take naps during the day, whether it be habitual, emergency, planned or power napping.  There is no problem with this, but remember, the total amount of sleep needed in a day doesn’t change.  So, if you find yourself unable to sleep at night, you might want to cut out the naps during the day.

To get a good night’s sleep:

  • Naps are included in total daily sleep time

Sleep Apnea

Steven is overweight, has diabetes and hypertension.  He comes to the office complaining of being sleepy all the time.  He says he could sleep ten hours but then still wake up tired.  The biggest problem is that he’s a truck driver and has had difficulty staying awake on the road.

The fastest growing sleep problem in the world is sleep apnea, which is when a person wakes up frequently at night because he stops breathing.  This may happen hundreds of times every night, but the person isn’t aware of it happening at all.  Usually, when they are breathing, they snore loudly.  Even though they may sleep long enough, they are always tired because they don’t get enough deep sleep.

There are several sleep apnea treatments that are useful....


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Filed Under: Dr. Scott Saunders, Sleep Disorders, May 2012, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sleep Deprived? Recipe for Health

May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

What You Need to Know Before You Crash From Sleep Deprivation

For many people, sleep is a gift that just doesn’t keep on giving…and missing regular visits to dreamland is a recipe for a sack-full of detrimental health problems

Ever see someone who is routinely sleep deprived and doesn’t get enough sleep?

They’re groggy…say silly, incoherent things…sway a little…and maybe even speak in tongues.

They might appear drunk or “on something.”

Truth is they’re probably not on anything…they’re actually off something – sleep.

Though we might get a kick out of seeing someone nodding off at their desk or catching them falling into a dream-like state at the most inopportune moments – it is certainly no laughing matter. Sleep deprivation is very dangerous and can lead to a shocking array of health problems you’d probably never associate with a lack of Zzzs.

Whether it’s done voluntarily or not, sleep deprivation is nothing to bat a heavy eyelid at.

Sleep apnea, insomnia, and stress can ruin a perfectly good life

There are many health problems associated with not getting enough sleep. It starts with mental disorders and – if left “awake” – can even lead to death.

Lack of sleep has a very negative impact on your brain, your hormones, and even your heart. In fact, it all starts with your body’s inability to properly manage blood sugar levels. That’s right. Sleep deprivation can lead – very easily, I might add – to diabetes.

Studies have shown that reducing the RNA (Recommended Nightly Allowance) of shut-eye to 4 hours a night, “Can reduce insulin sensitivity in most tissues by up to 20 – 25%,” according to NaturallyEngineered.com. Couple this with our Westernized, processed, sugar-N-carbs diet and you’re looking at a recipe for diabetes.

And it doesn’t stop there…

A review by Case Western University and Harvard Medical School uncovered a direct link between weight gain and obesity to lack of sleep. The results of a University of Chicago study showed that not enough restful sleep can change your body’s secretion schedule of specific hormones. This, unfortunately, leads to increased appetite, not feeling full after a meal and ruins the natural response to sugar intake.

Here are the top 3 conditions that lead to and perpetuate sleep deprivation:...


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Filed Under: Healthy Recipes & Eating Ideas, Recipes, Sleep Disorders, May 2012, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Help Me To Sleep Naturally

May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Solving Your Sleep Issues Naturally

We’ve all had nights when we didn’t sleep well.  However, millions of people spend night after night struggling for a good night’s sleep. Not getting enough quality sleep can take quite a toll on our state of mind and rob your body of overall health.

Sleep is extremely important.  It is during this time that our body naturally heals and repairs itself.  Without the time to recoup and restore, inadequate sleep takes years of your life. Many of our body’s detoxification processes occur during sleep, as well.

Waking Up At The Same Time Every Night?

Do you wake up the same time every night, night after night?  Well, your body just may be trying to tell you something.  According to the Chinese Body Clock or the Meridian Clock, each organ has a peak flow time lasting 2 hours. Checking the time you wake up on the Meridian Clock can give you an idea where an imbalance might be in your body.

Here is a more detailed breakdown of your body’s processes from 9 P.M. to 7 A.M.

9 – 11 P.M. Triple Heater -Your endocrine system is adjusting the homeostasis of your body.

11 P.M. – 1 A.M. Gallbladder – This is the initial cleansing of all your tissues, processing of cholesterol and enhancement of brain functioning.

2 – 4 A.M. Liver – Cleansing of your blood and processing of wastes.

4 – 6 A.M. Lungs – Respiration, oxygenation, and expulsion of waste gases.

6 – 8 A.M. Large Intestine – Peak blood flow to the intestines.  This is also why many people have their first bowel movements in the morning.

 

Once your are able to identify the organ that may be connected to your repeated waking, there are couple things you may want to consider:

  1. Acupuncture to align the imbalances of that particular meridian
  2. Taking an herbal cleansing supplement designed for that specific organ

Here is a great example. If you wake up around 3 A.M. every night, you may want to consider taking a liver cleanse supplement.

Can’t Fall Asleep?

Most people with sleep issues have trouble initially falling asleep.  Often we are the culprits of our own sleeplessness – and are totally unaware of it. But, before you try any sleeping pills or supplements, there are several simple steps you can try to encourage falling asleep naturally. It can be really simple to incorporate these steps into your daily life....


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Filed Under: Sleep Disorders, May 2012, Slideshow, The 7 Rungs of the Health & Wellness Ladder Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

What Is Sleep?

May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

While You Were Sleeping

I am often inspired at the most inopportune times. Usually, while most of you are “catching some zzzzz” I am typing them! You see, I am a “night owl.” It must be that music in my blood from too many 3am sets on the road.

I am jazzed (no pun intended) about this month’s topic, “Sleeping Disorders.” I pray, dear reader, that this article awakens the sleeping giant in you and moves you one step closer to reaching your destiny.

Sleep On It?

Sleep is an interesting word because of its diverse definitions. What is sleep? For example, sleep can mean:

  • The natural periodic suspension of consciousness during which the powers of the body are restored.
  • Death – they slept with their ancestors.
  • Sexual activity – she was caught sleeping with a stranger.

As diverse as sleep is as a word, so is our understanding of it as a function.

You see, the other contributors to this magazine never collaborate or discuss their articles with each other before they are submitted. I assume, however, most will cover sleep deprivation, as 50 – 70 million of the American populous say they don’t get enough sleep. Let’s be honest… not getting enough sleep is frustrating and dangerous. So dear reader, I will steer clear of the possibility of redundancy and take you another direction....


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Filed Under: Sleep Disorders, May 2012, Slideshow, Spiritual Dimension of Wellness Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

7 Keys of Dream Interpretation

May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Ever dream you are flying? I remember the soaring feeling in my dreams as a young child. The freedom…the release…the hope…the sense that I was made for more in this life….

Don’t think you dream at night?  Science has proven that we all dream. Early thought was that dreams occur in our rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, but dream states can happen during various stages of sleep. We all dream about 4-5 times a night, but you probably just don’t remember them.

Science is still trying to figure this one out.  One theory is our short term memory isn’t functioning. Others suspect if you don’t have an association to recall the dream, it will remain hidden from your conscious mind.

You will spend approximately a third of your dreaming. By the time you are 70 years old, you have will have pend 6 years of your life in dreamland.  Tests on sleep deprivation prove that sleep and the accompaniment of dreams is a necessity we cannot live without.

Are Dreams Meaningful?

Personally, I believe we’ve lost the significance of dreams.  We don’t remember dreams because we don’t value them – and may not even understand them. The following people, however, have let their dreams have a direct impact on their lives.

  • Einstein used concepts from his dream world to arrive at his theory of relativity.
  • James Cameron, director of Titanic, used dreams of flying as the inspiration to create the movie Avatar.
  • Another director, Chris Nolan, mined his own dreams to conceive Inception.
  • Thomas Edison came up with the idea for the electric lamp in a dream.

God is probably speaking to all of us through our dreams much more than we can imagine. Many people pay absolutely no attention to their dreams and eventually get to the place where they think they don’t dream.

I remember dreaming about scores of music as a child.  I took piano lessons for a few years, but the music I was reading in my dreams was more than Chopin or Beethoven could have ever written. The music seems to come alive in my dreams, both shifting into the higher notes and the lower notes as the pages turned effortlessly.

One might look at this dream and think I was going to become a professional piano player.  Let me just say, you don’t want to be in ear shot of any piano music I try to play these days! But, with a little spiritual fine tuning, I have come to learn that God sees my life as a beautiful song. It may echo high notes, but it may also reach low points.  Nonetheless, whatever song is played from my life, it was mastered by a God who knows how to create a melody that sounds perfect in His ears!

Why You Should Listen To Your Dreams

God has chosen to communicate with us through dreams (with many examples in the Bible, like in Matthew 1 – Joseph was told in a dream to take Mary, though pregnant, as his wife). You can find counsel, stories, actions, ideas, warnings and so much more when you lay your head to the pillow each night!

Our bodies need rest at night, but our mind and spiritual bodies are still at work. God can communicate with you through dreams, while your intellect rests.  God by-passes your every day fight to get through the day, accomplish your to-do list, get dinner on the table and master your own fate.

To quote my favorite author, Madeleine L’Engle:

“In our dreams we are able to fly…a remembering of how we are meant to be.”

A dream that is not understood is simply a mere occurrence, but when understood a dream can become a life-changing experience.

7 Principles of Understanding Your Dreams...


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Filed Under: Grandma's Cure Corner, Sleep Disorders, May 2012, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Foods For A Restful Sleep

May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Could a restful and restorative night’s sleep come down to the foods you eat? Enjoy these top 3 foods for good shut-eye and avoid these top 3 foods that steal sleep.

Having a sleep disorder is a very unhealthy way to live. You can’t focus, you look like you haven’t slept, and your decision making skills are out the window because your concentration is constantly broken.

All the coffee at Starbucks won’t bring you out of it either. What you need, friend is some good old-fashioned sleep.

Without it, you could end up with heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and a stroke or 2 just because you failed to give your body the restful sleep it needs and deserves to serve you for life.

Lack of sleep makes you much more than tired

Sleep deprivation can be a complicated slew of health problems that you just don’t need. In addition to all of the above, when you don’t sleep you also damage neural pathways – the neural pathways are responsible for your personal recorded history.

When you learn to ride a bike, use a computer, drive a car, play a musical instrument, or even meet people, your brain creates neural pathways that take the learning process and make it automatic. Without these pathways, you lose the ability to learn and retain the steps necessary to execute what you learn. This is especially serious where children are concerned, as their growth into adulthood is governed by the learning process.

We’re not done yet! Lack of sleep can also ruin your thyroid. The thyroid is one of the largest endocrine glands and is responsible for controlling nearly all of your body’s metabolic processes. Without proper sleep, Mr. Thyroid can run amok…because sleep is mandatory – not optional – for the proper secretion of hormones. These hormones help control your weight with metabolism. If you’re your metabolism descends, then your weight ascends – get it? Plus, these hormones are nocturnal; they only come out at night…and only when you sleep.  Sleep deprivation also raises heart rate, blood pressure creating stress. Stress causes and turns an autoimmune response into disease. Autoimmune diseases ruin a perfectly good thyroid.

Lack of appropriate slumbering hours also strains your reproductive organs. The functioning of these organs relies on hormones. Estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone are all released during sleep. They are associated with repair processes that cannot occur if you don’t regularly saw the wood. Furthermore, young people need to be especially mindful of good sleep habits. The days of the “all nighter” in preparation for the big exam are an unhealthy reference to the past. Growth and luteinizing hormones are also sleep-reliant and can only serve a maturing body when it spends 9-11 hours nightly in dreamland.

Now go get some sleep, will you?

What’s that you say? You’re you a visual learner? Okay. Well here’s a checklist showing you that you owe yourself some sleep:

If you…

  • Have trouble paying attention
  • Forget details of a conversation
  • Drop things
  • Ever go through a stop sign or red light (don’t laugh – it happens every day!)
  • Have trouble reading without feeling drowsy
  • Make frequent mistakes at work
  • Have difficulty following instructions
  • Feel over emotional
  • Have a hard time regulating your temperature

If that’s you, then you should probably help yourself to a nap instead of a Red Bull.

If you…

  • Consume caffeine daily  –  you are blocking your sleep initiating amino acids
  • Are under constant stress – your heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels are climbing, preventing you from the deep-sleep benefits of REM
  • Take medication – you are chemically altering hormonal secretions that are natural sleep aids
  • Consume alcohol – you are lowering your core temperature and suppressing sleep regulating hormones along with circadian rhythm induced hormones for reproduction, growth and renal function (circadian rhythm is a biological cycle that revolves around a 24 hour period)
  • Use tobacco – you are decreasing your levels of oxygen and increasing your heart rate
  • Are going through menopause, your decrease in estrogen and progesterone can interfere with your body’s melatonin levels
  • Don’t exercise – you are storing more waste products and avoiding a vital cleansing process
  • Snore – you’re at an increased risk for sleep apnea that can lead to irreversible brain damage
  • Eat fried foods – you are increasing the production of gastric juices and putting your swallower on auto-pilot – interrupting the muscle paralysis needed during REM
  • Eat carbs or drink sugary beverages – your rise in blood sugar interrupts the circadian cycle and could result in diabetes
  • Eat high sodium foods – you disrupt electrolyte balance
  • Are pregnant – avoid all of the above causes of sleep deprivation, because your baby’s health depends on you getting enough sleep

In no time, you could settle-up with your sleep debt and get your life back on track.

See, being mindful about your diet and lifestyle will serve to fortify all of your systems and support all of your life’s events – including sleep.

So, here are…

3 foods to enjoy while repaying your sleep debt

1.  Healthy, whole foods with minerals

Minerals like magnesium and potassium can be very helpful for restorative restful sleep. Try a little snack of banana, raisins, cantaloupe or apricots.

Don’t feel like fruiting? Try a bit of avocado, artichoke, beans or nuts. These will serve you in 2 ways:

  • You get your sleepy-time minerals
  • Your brain won’t wake you up because it needs to be fed.

Just be careful not to overeat before bedtime and don’t take your snack less than 45 minutes before bed.

2.  Tryptophan

Can’t sleep? Try the “Thanksgiving Remedy.” Have a couple pieces of turkey with a glass of milk. These foods are highest in tryptophan, a natural amino acid that lullabies your mind into a peaceful nap. Other foods high in tryptophan include: tuna, oysters, clams, and soy products.

3. Tea

There are many herbal teas out there to choose from to help achieve restful sleep. Some popular favorites are peppermint, fruit, chamomile, kava kava and valerian. But, be warned: the last two are powerful sleep inducers and have a distinctive, acquired, earthy taste.

So, that’s what TO do. Here’s what NOT to do:

3 foods to avoid while repaying your sleep debt

1. Fried foods

They may be tasty…they may be comfort foods in the south…but they can cause heartburn when you’re trying to sleep. Your gastric juices are normally suppressed during sleep, but the Colonel’s extra crispy chicken will stimulate production of stomach acid, which can keep you up and in pain. Fried foods also induce a swallow reflex that interrupts your REM cycle. During REM, or Rapid Eye Movement, you experience muscle paralysis to keep you still during this crucial period in your sleep. Any automatic reflex will bring you out of it and cause unrest.

2. Carbs

Seems like we’re always poo-pooing carbs…The truth is cutting down on them or avoiding them altogether during your waking hours should be the same during the night since your blood sugar management skills are compromised. Carbs spike blood sugar levels when you sleep, which can mean double trouble for you.

3. Alcohol

What? No nightcap? Alcohol may seem like a good idea. After all, it relaxes you, takes the edge off and makes you sleepy. But, those effects wear off and your brain can wake you up in the middle of the night. Once you’re up, chances are you won’t be getting back to sleep. You may wake up with a headache, dehydration or even having to go to the bathroom. Over time, alcohol induced sleep becomes even less restful. So, you’ll be less and less focused and productive during your waking hours.

If you find yourself tossing and turning at night, your dinner could be to blame. Don’t let these foods steal your sleep from tired and weary eyes.

Be a champion sleeper

Don’t take the fast and easy escape.  Alternating between Riesling and Ambien to fight off sleeplessness will hinder sleep later and disturb dreaming once the drowsy buzz wears off. Instead, indulge in chamomile tea and a hot bath to fall asleep and stay asleep. A more natural approach to slumber will coax you mind and body to rest in your cozy bed. Your sleep pattern will improve with good quality-sleep and a peaceful mind – worth every second of shut-eye.

Soon, you’ll doze off on cue, snooze soundly for seven hours, dream blissfully and always wake up rested.

Tomorrow is the 1st day of the rest of your life. Shouldn’t you be alert and ready for it?

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Featured, Sleep Disorders, May 2012, Slideshow Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Jimmy Kimmel – Late Night Narcoleptic

May 1, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Ever fall asleep during a root canal? It might be nice to get a nap in. But, do you need a nap after sleeping all day? That’s narcolepsy for you.

Jimmy Kimmel, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live suffers from narcolepsy.

“When I get on a flight to Vegas, I’ll fall asleep before the plane takes off and wake-up after it’s landed. I’m always very close to sleep. [Yawns.]”

Narcolepsy is a neurological sleep disorder in which the brain loses its ability to maintain normal sleep and wake states, causing excessive sleepiness and frequent daytime sleep attacks lasting from a few seconds to several minutes. In rare cases, sleep attacks extend for an hour or longer.

Other symptoms might include legs buckling, the face drooping and half the body becoming weak, or even paralyzed. Narcolepsy could also cause you to fall asleep in a car or drift during meetings.

Many are misdiagnosed as ADD/ADHD because of difficulty recalling the day before. But instead of taking the average 12 minutes to fall asleep, narcoleptics take 30 seconds to go from zero to zonked.  Narcoleptics run to the couch before losing consciousness, become dead to the world around. Some experience cataplexy, which is involuntary loss of muscle control – paralyzing the body, but not the mind. Some narcoleptics never really feel like they read to the land of the living and awake and are in a constant state of sleepy stupor.

Narcolepsy is brought on by strong emotion — positive or negative. If events becomes a storm that drains energy, then narcolepsy induces misery. It is treatable, thought most rely on expensive stimulant medications to survive the day.

Sleep specialist suggest amphetamines, Provigil or Nuvigil, which are basically prescribed speed. They make work to a certain extent, but their long-term safety have not been determined. Other “newer” drugs are supposedly better, more concentrated in the brain to stimulate wakefullness. However, this just means your blood is carrying this concentrated drug everywhere inside your body, exposing it to toxicity – even before you “wake-up!”

There are no “quick fixes” for narcolepsy, especially since doctors don’t truly understand narcolepsy – and therefore can’t cure it. To alleviate the fatigue and drowsiness, try B-complex supplement in the morning and liquid B-complex when the sudden urge to fall asleep occurs. Vitamin D can also help regulate body’s sleep rhythm.

Counter measures for narcoleptics include dietary changes and supplements:

  • Avoid processed foods
  • Avoid unnecessary dairy
  • Avoid genetically modified fruits or veggies
  • Avoid bleached sugar and high fructose corn syrup
  • Maintain regular protein intake
  • Juice for usable vitamins and enzymes
  • Use filtered water
  • Avoid large meals, instead choose 5 smaller meals through out the day
  • Mix 1 tsp cayenne with juice to combat sleepiness
  • Take about 2,000 mg of calcium everyday before you go to bed
  • Take 500 mg of magnesium twice during the day and then once before bedtime

Additionally, regular sleep patterns on a fixed schedule reinforce restful sleep for narcoleptics. Wake-up and sleep at the same time every day, as well as eat at the same time. Reserve your bed for sleep only to condition your mind that being in bed means being asleep.

Jimmy Kimmel explains narcolepsy feels like “somebody’s gently sitting on your brain. You have almost no focus. All you’re thinking about is not falling asleep.”

On that note, time to try to go back to bed.. *YAWN* Nighty-night!

 

 

 

Quotes taken from http://www.jimmykimmel.net/articles/esquire0803.htm

 

Filed Under: Celebrity Health Watch, Sleep Disorders, May 2012 Tagged With: , , , ,

Cause of Cancer Is Not Sleeping

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

According to a new study carried out by Dr. Rachel Ben-Shlomo of the University of Haifa-Oranim and with Prof. Charalambos P. Kyriacou of the University of Leicester, just one “pulse” of artificial light at night disrupts circadian cell division.

“Damage to cell division is characteristic of cancer, and it is therefore important to understand the causes of this damage,” notes Dr. Ben-Shlomo.

The current research was carried out by placing lab mice into an environment where they were exposed to light for 12 hours and dark for 12 hours. During the dark hours, one group of mice was given artificial light for one hour. Changes in the expression of genes in the rodents’ brain cells from sleep deprivation were then examined.

Earlier studies that Dr. Ben-Shlomo carried out found that the cells’ biological clock is affected, and in the present research, she revealed that the mode of cell division is also harmed and that the transcription of a large number of genes is affected. She states it is important to note that those genes showing changes in their expression included genes connected to the formation of cancer as well as genes that assist in the fight against cancer.

Too Little Sleep Tied To Increase Cancer Risk

I know how hard it is to remember even a fraction of what we read. So, here’s reminder of some information and advice I about sleep.

Losing sleep for even part of one night can trigger the key cellular pathway that produces tissue-damaging inflammation. Your body perceives sleep deprivation as stress and responds by producing deadly stress chemicals. A single night of reduced sleep . As you add days, impairment becomes cumulative. Worse, you are often the last to notice or admit the signs:

  • Increased mood swings, stress and irrationality
  • Spike in your blood pressure
  • Reduced your ability to adapt to change
  • Impaired performance; sapped of your energy
  • Slowed reactions
  • Impaired memory, judgment and decision making no matter what you do.

These compromises in function from losing sleep have been clearly proven in clinical studies as well as in brain scans.

What Losing Sleep Does To A Body

Even more alarming is, losing sleep contributes to diabetes, obesity, weakened immune system, depression, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Also, a single night of sleeping just four, five or even six hours can impact your ability to think clearly. Sleep deprivation can cause changes in your brain activity similar to those experienced by people with psychiatric disorders.

So, lack of adequate sleep is definitely pro-aging. If that’s not enough reason to get enough quality sleep, consider the fact that sleep deprivation makes you a less active lover.

The average person needs seven to eight hours of quality sleep a night. Some need more, and some need less. That means deep, undisturbed sleep.

Helpful Hints For Deep, Rejuvenating Sleep:

  • Get regular exercise, but do not exercise shortly before going to bed.
  • Adopt a regular sleep schedule.
  • Keep your TV out of your bedroom.
  • Go to bed earlier and get up earlier, rather than going to bed later and getting up later.
  • If you drink coffee or tea, drink them early in the day.
  • Reduce interruptive noise, even if you need to use some type of white noise machine. Heavy drapes can also reduce noise.
  • Keep your bedroom as dark as possible.
  • If you normally get up during the night to urinate, stop drinking liquids late in the day, and urinate right before bedtime.
  • If you drink, do not have more than one or two alcoholic beverages in the evening. Excess alcohol disturbs your sleep cycle.
  • Take a warm bath before bed.
  • Keep your bedroom cool, under 70° F.
  • Use a deep relaxation technique, or listen to a deep relaxation audio right before sleep.
  • Quit working at least an hour before turning in to give your mind time to unwind.
  • Supplement with:

- Melatonin (Editor’s Note: See our Melatonin Product Review for safe supplement choices)
- Sleep-inducing herbs such as kava, chamomile, valerian and/or ziziphus spinosa
- 200–500 mg of calcium citrate
- 200–400 mg of magnesium citrate right before bedtime

Please visit our Home Cures That Work Amazon store for your vitamin and mineral supplement needs.  Not all supplements are created equal, so we have researched those that safe for consumption, proven to properly digest and qualify according to label specifications.  Don’t leave your health to just any vitamin, supplement your health with the best in our Amazon store.

How well you sleep may determine how well your body fights cancer.  Is a good night’s sleep your weapon against cancer?

 

David Kekich is President/CEO of Maximum Life Foundation that focuses on aging research, a 501(c)(3) corporation dedicated to curing aging-related diseases. For more information, visit: www.MaxLife.org. David contributes to our column Living Healthy to 120: Anti-Aging Breakthroughs. MaxLife is helping to make the anti-aging dream a reality with cutting edge Bio-Engineering research and products.
Filed Under: Living Healthy to 120: Anti-Aging Breakthroughs, Sleep Disorders, May 2012 Tagged With: , , ,

Can’t Sleep? Insomnia Cures That Work

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Curing insomnia is simple with the right techniques

Ever lie in bed telling yourself to sleep, yet your body is tossing and turning with the energy you wish you had when the morning hours comes? If so, you are not alone. Millions others suffer with insomnia.

There are natural cures to insomnia. Most people need simple lifestyle changes – not addictive medications. For people who have difficulty going to sleep at night, several remedies may be tried.

Sample bedtime snacks that promote sleep:

If you are hungry, then you have to eat, but what you eat before bed can affect the quality of sleep you get.

  • Instead of a large evening meal, try eating a light non-fat snack before going to bed to help fall asleep.
  • Some people find that a small glass of warm milk and half a turkey or peanut butter sandwich helps sleep arrive quicker.
  • A light snack before of whole-grain, no or low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk or low-fat yogurt can help promote sleep.
  • When you combine tryptophan-containing foods with carbohydrates, such as a cup of hot chamomile tea and half a banana, it promotes relaxation within your body and allows you to sleep quicker and better.

Habits that can hinder with sleep:

  • Alcohol. Alcohol reduces your sleep quality, waking you up in the night. To avoid this effect, stay away from alcohol in the hours before bed.
  • Caffeine. Caffeine can cause sleep problems up to twelve hours after drinking it! Stop consuming caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, sodas, as well as chocolate, after 5 P.M.
  • Smoking.  Nicotine is a stimulant, which disrupts sleep.
  • Too much liquid. Drinking lots of fluid may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night therefore interrupting your sleep.
  • Too much food. Especially fatty food. These take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and can keep you up. Acidic or spicy foods in the evening can cause stomach trouble and heartburn. Some people have experienced nightmares after consuming heavy meals before bedtime; it is not researched enough however.

Tips to prepare your body for sleep:

  • Low impact physical exercise early in the evening, such a leisurely walk, helps clears the mind of the day’s worries and activities.
  • A warm or cool bath promotes sleep for some.
  • Repetitious thinking such as counting sheep or reciting positive affirmations works for a some people to cure insomnia.
  • Reading, praying and meditating can relax the mind allowing sleep to come.

Stop midnight awakenings:

For people who awaken during the night and cannot return to sleep, several natural remedies may be tried.

  • Avoid drinking fluids after the evening meal to reduce the need to go to the bathroom during the night or in the early morning hours.
  • People who take diuretics should take them in the morning instead of the evening to prevent bathroom trips at night.

Don’t touch that SNOOZE button:

People suffering from early morning insomnia should attempt to go to bed earlier so that their rest is completed by their morning waking time. Rather than remaining in bed and perpetuating the focus on not sleeping. It is best to get up and do productive activity.

Give yourself 3 hours:

Yes, 3 hours before going to bed. Do not consume anymore calories. As I mentioned before, your body starts to slow down as the day goes on and gets ready for sleep. You do not want to consume a lot of calories RIGHT before you go to bed, because you will end of potentially storing those calories as FAT!!!

Your body sometimes give you a false sense of being hungry as you bedtime nears. You get those 9pm cravings… And a lot of people end up hitting the refrigerator and over consuming right before bed time, which is not good for managing your weight and body fat percentage.

If you just can’t resist the munchies, eat a few good high fat nuts like unsalted almonds with the skin-on (good for fiber) or a couple spoonfuls of no sugar added all natural peanut butter. Eating a good quality fat food will satisfy your craving and will keep you from bingeing on something with lots of bad carbohydrates or simple sugars, like ice cream, cake or cookies.

Don’t Stay Up Late:

The opposite would seem to make sense: If you stay up late, you burn more calories. Burn more calories, burn more fat. Right? Unfortunately, staying up late can set off a multi-pronged attack on your body composition. 

First, sleep is vital for recovery. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body won’t build as much muscle mass – no matter how much time you spend in the gym in the morning. Less muscle mass = less fat burning power.

Next, if you are sleep-deprived, then you have increased levels of the stress hormone “cortisol.” Insomnia has long been associated with poor health, including weight gain and even obesity. The connection between stress/cortisol and obesity is well established, but it gets worse. A recent study (Epel, Yale) shows that cortisol related fat storage tends to be around the vital organs – the worst possible place to store fat in your body. If that’s not enough, lack of sleep is linked with glucose intolerance (diabetes), lower growth hormone levels, a weakened immune system, low energy, and more …

This is NOT to be taken lightly! Get a full night’s sleep (7 to 8 hours), but make sure your place of natural rest is peaceful and pitch dark. Your natural sleep hormone, melatonin, is suppressed when there is too much light.

Nordine Zouareg is a former Mr. Universe, an International Fitness Coach, Speaker and Author of the book Mind Over Body: The Key to Lasting Weight Loss is All in Your Head! He offers world-class advice on health and fitness, inner balance and stress management, and achieving one’s full potential the inner keys to extraordinary performance. An inspiring message of hope and achievement, based on his own extraordinary story. For more information, visit: www.avtarwellness.com/


Filed Under: Sleep Disorders, May 2012, Weight Control, Exercise & Fitness Tips Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

SerenitePlus for Natural Sleep

April 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

The perfect combination of rest, sleep and refreshed mornings is in a bottle.  The effects of valerian, melatonin and 5-HTP is a harmony that naturally rings of healthy sleep.

You don’t have to search for years to find something that supports ongoing sleep health, naturally. SerenitePlus is a product that works:

  • Reduces night-time restlessness
  • Provides evening support of healthy sleep
  • Maintains ongoing, long-term support of the sleep cycle
  • Promote natural sleep patterns for a good night’s sleep
  • Maintain regular satisfying sleep, harmony and rest
  • Reduces stress

The therapeutic effects of SerenitePlus from Native Remedies are attributed to these all-natural herbs:

  • Valerian root for for its soothing and calming properties and for its ability to encourage peaceful slumber.
  • Melatonin to influence healthy sleep patterns and the quality of sleep.
  • 5-HTP is important for a healthy sleep cycle, as well as for a balanced mood and feelings of well-being.
  • Passion flower to soothe worry and support mental peace and harmony.

This remedy has been used safely and effectively for many years. The new and improved herbal formula is based on up-to-date scientific knowledge of natural sleep patterns.

Not only will you sleep better every night, but you will also feel fresher and with more energy in the day.  You’ll be grateful for the difference in your life a positive boost will make.

SerenitePlus for a good night’s sleep.

 

SerenitePlus for you.

 

Filed Under: Product Review & Recommendation, Recommendation, Sleep Disorders, May 2012 Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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