Reset Your Sleep Cycle
YOUR DAILY FIT TIP
By Jennifer Gruenemay, ACE-Certified, Special to Lifescript
Published June 06, 2011
It’s REALLY difficult to wake up in the mornings for some people – a lot of people, in fact. We often wander through our day bleary-eyed and with dark circles under our eyes. As busy adults, we’re perpetually starved for sleep.
What’s at the root of this problem? Everyone has a circadian clock, which is an internal body clock that keeps you on a schedule. After a weekend of sleeping in, it can be really difficult to change your wake-up time to an earlier hour because your circadian clock has been programmed to sleep late and ignore the alarm clock. However, by getting to bed on time and consistently waking up at a set hour, you can reset this clock in as little as a few days.
First of all, go to bed at a reasonable hour every night. If you’re staying up late to watch your favorite shows, think about investing in TiVo and watching your programs when you actually have time (like on the weekends). Once you figure out how to get to bed at a reasonable hour, it’s time to give yourself a set time to wake up too, even on the weekends. Don’t groan – you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel when you get on a regular sleep cycle.
MY THOUGHTS
So true! Since I started walking-meaning waking up at 5am, my sleep cycle has changed. I'm actually sleepy by 8pm. That is something for someone who used to be up at 2am.
Showing posts with label sleep medication alternative medicine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleep medication alternative medicine. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
PILLOWS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN
PILLOW FOR PREGNANT WOMEN
from the article "What’s the Right Pillow for You?"
By Bonnie McCarthy, Special to Lifescript
Published January 30, 2011
Pregnant Women
Most women sleeping for two experience back pain, especially in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy.
So the right pillow is a must, says Thomas Holtgrave, N.P., a Long Beach, Calif., a nurse practitioner specializing in obstetrics and gynecology.
He advises expectant moms to sleep on their sides, which encourages blood flow between the two main vessels that run down the center of the body (the descending aorta and the inferior vena cava).
Avoid sleeping on your back, because the gravity of a pregnant uterus obstructs blood flow.
Pregnant women should sleep with one or two pillows under the head, and another between the stomach and bed to prop up the belly and take pressure off ligaments.
Add a pillow between your knees to minimize pressure on hips and lower back. Another small pillow propped behind the lower back can provide lumbar support, Holtgrave says.
Or here’s a simpler solution: A full-body pregnancy pillow shaped like a giant, contoured “U” or “C.” Many women find that these support them perfectly, Zarzana says.
MY THOUGHTS
that's a lot of pillows! there won't be space for your husband.
from the article "What’s the Right Pillow for You?"
By Bonnie McCarthy, Special to Lifescript
Published January 30, 2011
Pregnant Women
Most women sleeping for two experience back pain, especially in the eighth and ninth month of pregnancy.
So the right pillow is a must, says Thomas Holtgrave, N.P., a Long Beach, Calif., a nurse practitioner specializing in obstetrics and gynecology.
He advises expectant moms to sleep on their sides, which encourages blood flow between the two main vessels that run down the center of the body (the descending aorta and the inferior vena cava).
Avoid sleeping on your back, because the gravity of a pregnant uterus obstructs blood flow.
Pregnant women should sleep with one or two pillows under the head, and another between the stomach and bed to prop up the belly and take pressure off ligaments.
Add a pillow between your knees to minimize pressure on hips and lower back. Another small pillow propped behind the lower back can provide lumbar support, Holtgrave says.
Or here’s a simpler solution: A full-body pregnancy pillow shaped like a giant, contoured “U” or “C.” Many women find that these support them perfectly, Zarzana says.
MY THOUGHTS
that's a lot of pillows! there won't be space for your husband.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
PILLOW FOR STOMACH SLEEPERS
PILLOW FOR STOMACH SLEEPERS
from the article "What’s the Right Pillow for You?"
By Bonnie McCarthy, Special to Lifescript
Published January 30, 2011
Stomach Sleepers
Sleeping on your stomach is a no-no. Don’t do it.
When you lie on your stomach, you have to twist your head in order to breathe. That can lead to neck pain and headaches, Zarzana says. Stomach sleeping also stresses the lower back.
Break the habit by sleeping on your side with a body pillow in front of you, McAllister suggests. This type of pillow is three times as long as a king-size, allowing you to snooze on your side while keeping the front of your body comfortably supported.
MY THOUGHTS
i've never really met anyone who sleeps on his/her stomach. except babies. i hope you're not one of them. if you are, go and get the body pillow.
from the article "What’s the Right Pillow for You?"
By Bonnie McCarthy, Special to Lifescript
Published January 30, 2011
Stomach Sleepers
Sleeping on your stomach is a no-no. Don’t do it.
When you lie on your stomach, you have to twist your head in order to breathe. That can lead to neck pain and headaches, Zarzana says. Stomach sleeping also stresses the lower back.
Break the habit by sleeping on your side with a body pillow in front of you, McAllister suggests. This type of pillow is three times as long as a king-size, allowing you to snooze on your side while keeping the front of your body comfortably supported.
MY THOUGHTS
i've never really met anyone who sleeps on his/her stomach. except babies. i hope you're not one of them. if you are, go and get the body pillow.
Monday, March 7, 2011
PILLOW FOR NECK PAIN SUFFERERS
from the article "What’s the Right Pillow for You?"
By Bonnie McCarthy, Special to Lifescript
Published January 30, 2011
Neck Pain Sufferers
For the 35%-80% of the population who suffer from neck soreness, memory foam and water-based pillows are best, Zarzana says.
In fact, snoozing on a water-based pillow can relieve chronic neck pain, reduce the frequency of headaches and improve sleep by better supporting neck muscles, according to a 1997 Johns Hopkins University study.
MY THOUGHTS
in case you've forgotten, here's a memory pillow
and a water pillow
from the article "What’s the Right Pillow for You?"
By Bonnie McCarthy, Special to Lifescript
Published January 30, 2011
Neck Pain Sufferers
For the 35%-80% of the population who suffer from neck soreness, memory foam and water-based pillows are best, Zarzana says.
In fact, snoozing on a water-based pillow can relieve chronic neck pain, reduce the frequency of headaches and improve sleep by better supporting neck muscles, according to a 1997 Johns Hopkins University study.
MY THOUGHTS
in case you've forgotten, here's a memory pillow
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Thursday, November 4, 2010
Natural Cure for Insomnia
Is there a natural alternative to sleep medications?
By Cathy Wong, About.com Guide
Updated October 04, 2007
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
Sleep medication is appropriate in certain situations, and many of the newer medications have fewer side effects. If you're currently taking sleep medications, I'd suggest talking with your doctor about whether natural sleep aids might be a good option for you.
There are plenty of natural alternatives that may help people fall asleep and stay asleep. The ones that don't involve taking a herb or supplement can often be combined with medication.
•Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of short-term psychotherapy that involves modifying sleep habits and behavoirs, such as:
•using your bed and bedroom only for sleep
•going to bed and waking up at the same time every day
•avoiding napping during the day
•getting out of bed if you're having trouble falling asleep for longer than 15 minutes
•avoiding caffeine during the day
•minimizing light and noise in the bedroom
CBT is one of the better-researched natural sleep aids. For example, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association randomized 75 subjects to CBT, progressive muscle relaxation, or placebo. After 6 weeks, the number of nightly awakenings and time to get back to sleep had been reduced by almost 50 percent in the CBT group, compared to 16 percent in the progressive muscle relaxation group and 12 percent in the placebo group.
National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists
•Visualization is another drug-free option. It involves imagining a relaxing scene using all the senses. It is generally done about 20-25 minutes before the desired bedtime. For example, if you're imagining yourself on a tropical island, think of the way the warm breeze feels against your skin. Imagine the sweet scent of the flowers, look at the water and listen the waves…you get the picture. Involving more senses is generally thought to be more effective.
•Progressive Muscle Relaxation has also been explored as a natural remedy for sleep. Starting at one end of the body, it involves tensing then relaxing one muscle group at a time, working your way to the other end of the body.
Although the herb kava kava is a herb often marketed as a natural sleep aid, it should be avoided. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a consumer advisory about the potential risk of severe liver injury resulting from the use of dietary supplements containing kava. To date, there have been more than 25 reports of serious adverse effects from kava use in other countries, including four patients who required liver transplants.
Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally in the body. The pineal gland in the brain makes serotonin which is then converted into melatonin at night when it gets dark. It's also available as nutritional supplements.
A number of studies have found that melatonin supplements lessens the time it takes to fall asleep, promotes sleepiness, and lengthens sleep time. Most studies have been small and very short in duration, so more research is needed.
Some experts caution that melatonin should not be used by people with depression, schizophrenia, autoimmune diseases, and other serious illness. Pregnant and nursing women should not use melatonin. And although melatonin is produced in the body in very small amounts, the amounts found in supplements and used in studies have contained much larger amounts. Short-term side effects can include headache and sleeplessness, and it is not known what the long-term side effects are.
And finally, with any sleep difficulty, the first step should be consulting a doctor. Chronic insomnia can be a symptom of an underlying condition, such as depression, heart disease, sleep apnea, lung disease, hot flashes, or diabetes, so it's important to see a doctor if you are having trouble sleeping.
MY THOUGHTS
take out the tv from bedrooom. i've been sleeping so much better hen i did. exercise a couple of hours before bedtime with a hot bath afterwards also helps.
By Cathy Wong, About.com Guide
Updated October 04, 2007
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
Sleep medication is appropriate in certain situations, and many of the newer medications have fewer side effects. If you're currently taking sleep medications, I'd suggest talking with your doctor about whether natural sleep aids might be a good option for you.
There are plenty of natural alternatives that may help people fall asleep and stay asleep. The ones that don't involve taking a herb or supplement can often be combined with medication.
•Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of short-term psychotherapy that involves modifying sleep habits and behavoirs, such as:
•using your bed and bedroom only for sleep
•going to bed and waking up at the same time every day
•avoiding napping during the day
•getting out of bed if you're having trouble falling asleep for longer than 15 minutes
•avoiding caffeine during the day
•minimizing light and noise in the bedroom
CBT is one of the better-researched natural sleep aids. For example, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association randomized 75 subjects to CBT, progressive muscle relaxation, or placebo. After 6 weeks, the number of nightly awakenings and time to get back to sleep had been reduced by almost 50 percent in the CBT group, compared to 16 percent in the progressive muscle relaxation group and 12 percent in the placebo group.
National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists
•Visualization is another drug-free option. It involves imagining a relaxing scene using all the senses. It is generally done about 20-25 minutes before the desired bedtime. For example, if you're imagining yourself on a tropical island, think of the way the warm breeze feels against your skin. Imagine the sweet scent of the flowers, look at the water and listen the waves…you get the picture. Involving more senses is generally thought to be more effective.
•Progressive Muscle Relaxation has also been explored as a natural remedy for sleep. Starting at one end of the body, it involves tensing then relaxing one muscle group at a time, working your way to the other end of the body.
Although the herb kava kava is a herb often marketed as a natural sleep aid, it should be avoided. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a consumer advisory about the potential risk of severe liver injury resulting from the use of dietary supplements containing kava. To date, there have been more than 25 reports of serious adverse effects from kava use in other countries, including four patients who required liver transplants.
Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally in the body. The pineal gland in the brain makes serotonin which is then converted into melatonin at night when it gets dark. It's also available as nutritional supplements.
A number of studies have found that melatonin supplements lessens the time it takes to fall asleep, promotes sleepiness, and lengthens sleep time. Most studies have been small and very short in duration, so more research is needed.
Some experts caution that melatonin should not be used by people with depression, schizophrenia, autoimmune diseases, and other serious illness. Pregnant and nursing women should not use melatonin. And although melatonin is produced in the body in very small amounts, the amounts found in supplements and used in studies have contained much larger amounts. Short-term side effects can include headache and sleeplessness, and it is not known what the long-term side effects are.
And finally, with any sleep difficulty, the first step should be consulting a doctor. Chronic insomnia can be a symptom of an underlying condition, such as depression, heart disease, sleep apnea, lung disease, hot flashes, or diabetes, so it's important to see a doctor if you are having trouble sleeping.
MY THOUGHTS
take out the tv from bedrooom. i've been sleeping so much better hen i did. exercise a couple of hours before bedtime with a hot bath afterwards also helps.
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