Random Sleep Articles http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us Overcoming Sleep Disorders http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/overcoming-sleep-disorders.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/overcoming-sleep-disorders.html Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:12:04 -0500 mattress will also mean that the sleeper is more comfortable throughout the night, and is therefore less likely to be moving around, which is a behaviour that lightens sleep and means that the residual benefits of sleep are not felt.

If the problem is difficult to identify it may be useful for the sufferer to keep a dream log, or simply note down when they are unable to sleep and any ideas of why this might be. This will help the sufferer to see where problems are arising from, and this will make it easier to diagnose and treat the problem in the long term. Herbal medicines can also help, as they are designed to help and aid relaxation in a natural way. It is best to look for natural solutions to the problem before turning to sleeping pills or other such drugs, as in some cases if this is done the user may be pumping their system with chemicals which are simply not needed. The problem will usually be quite easy to rectify, without the use of dangerous prescription drugs.


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To see the latest deals and offers available for the best beds, visit www.bedstar.co.uk today and help yourself to overcome your sleeping disorder.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> 11 Sure-Fire Ways to Get a Good Night Sleep http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/11-sure-fire-ways-to-get-a-good-night-sleep.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/11-sure-fire-ways-to-get-a-good-night-sleep.html Sat, 24 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Lack of sleep can result in stress, lack of concentration, moodiness, memory loss, lower motivation and fatigue. Here are 11 surefire ways to get good night’s sleep for those who experience difficulty in getting sleep.

1. Maintain regular bedtime routine. Try to go to bed at the same time and get up in the morning at the same time. Keeping a regular schedule helps the body expect sleep at the same time every day.

2. Maintain the sleep schedule even on weekends and holidays. Following the sleep schedule even on weekends does not disturb the internal clock of the body and helps to maintain circadian rhythm.

3. Regardless of how much sleep had the before night, get up the same time in the morning. If the amount of sleep is reduced due to some reasons, don’t oversleep to make up for a poor night’s sleep.

4. The bedroom should not be too hot or too cold. High temperatures can lead to disturbances in the quality of sleep. The optimum temperature is 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. If the room is too cold, use humidifier or warm blankets.

5. Bedroom surroundings should be quiet and calm. There should not be any disturbance from outside noises. Use white noise machine or fan to block outside noise.

6. Take warm bath before going to bed. It is a great way to relax the body. Don’t use too hot water as it may worsen the situation. Use bath salts such as Epsom salt or baking soda which will relax the body and help in removing toxins from the body.

7. Use the mood tracker to identify whether foods, beverages, certain activities or other substances have a negative impact on the ability to sleep. Mood tracker tells about the good things that promote sleep. Using mood trackers, the causes for sleep problems can be identified.

8. Massage is a great way to relax tensed and tired muscles. Take help of bed partner to massage the body before going to bed. It can be a simple massage which involves massaging neck, foot and hands.

9. Don’t nap during daytime if there is trouble sleeping during night. Napping during daytime disturbs the body clock and it makes even more difficult to sleep at night.

10. Stop smoking as it releases adrenaline in the body and is a stimulant. It interrupts with quality of sleep.

11. Exercise regularly for half an hour regularly. Exercise in the late afternoon or in the morning. Exercise increases the body temperatures and has an arousing effect. Therefore body gets exhausted and helps to sleep and increases quality of sleep if it is done three to four hours before bedtime.

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101 Sure-Fire Ways to Get a Good Night Sleep

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Good Sleep for Good Health http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/good-sleep-for-good-health.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/good-sleep-for-good-health.html Wed, 27 May 2009 10:13:02 -0500
The stages of sleep

There are 5 different stages of sleep and we need to move through all of them each night if we want to feel our best. We start our sleep in stage 1 and progress to stage 5 and then go back and forth between 2 and 5 repeatedly during the night. Stages 4 and 5 are the deepest levels of sleep called REM or Rapid Eye Movement sleep. It is during this stage that we dream the most and important processes in the body take place.

Chronic lack of sleep can have adverse effects on our mental and physical health in several ways. It can cause us to gain weight, make us prone to insulin resistance and it can speed up the aging process.

Weight gain

Important activities take place in the body during sleep which contribute to health and healing. During REM sleep injured tissues are repaired by the production of growth hormones. These hormones stimulate the production of protein in the muscle as well as the breakdown of fat. This helps to control the allocation of fat to muscle in the body. Constantly missing out on the deepest levels of sleep can lower the amount of growth hormones thereby causing the accumulation of more fat. Lack of sleep can also lead to a lower level of leptin which is a blood protein that helps to regulate appetite.

Insulin resistance

Chronic lack of sleep can also affect how the body uses carbohydrates and glucose. In individuals who are chronically low on sleep, blood sugar levels rise to a higher level and return to the normal state more slowly. Their bodies also secrete a smaller amount of insulin. Studies have shown that individuals who experience a chronic sleep deficit will usually develop insulin resistance.

Sleep and aging

Not getting enough sleep can also contribute to premature aging. Lack of sleep causes the brain to produce less than the normal amount of hormones, which is a condition found the in the elderly. Getting enough sleep can help to turn back the clock.

Quantity vs. quality

When it comes to sleep quality is as important as quantity. You need to have sufficient time in each of the stages of sleep, to feel your best the next day. Not getting enough sleep can lead to irritability, lack of clear thinking and lethargy the next day. It can also lead to a weakening of the immune system and make you more susceptible to sickness.

Different people require different amounts of sleep. Usually adults need around eight hours per night while children require approximately 10 hours and infants around 16 hours per night.

If you skimp on sleep you seriously risk both your physical and mental health. If something must be cut back in your schedule, make sure it's not sleep. You will look and feel better for it!



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Kevin Kielty lives in North Carolina and writes articles on health insurance. If you are looking for rate quotes on health insurance in North Carolina, visit Blue Cross Blue Shield NC (BCBSNC), also known as Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Is it a social conscience or self-interest that should motivate us to dispose of medications safely? http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/is-it-a-social-conscience-or-self-interest-that-should-motivate-us-to-dispose-of-medications-safely.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/is-it-a-social-conscience-or-self-interest-that-should-motivate-us-to-dispose-of-medications-safely.html Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Do you ever wonder what happens after casual disposal? Your local waste management authority comes round to collect the refuse which is then dumped. There is little or no effort to sort the waste. Most authorities simply drive to the nearest landfill site and tip each load on to the growing mound of other rubbish. This pile then rots down as rain washes through it so, sooner or later, dissolved drugs end up in the watertable and potentially get recycled into your drinking water. The medications flushed go more directly into the water supply. So here is the worry. The rivers downstream from you supply water to the local towns and cities. That water supply contains what the experts call a “sub-lethal” cocktail of antibiotics, sedatives, painkillers, hormones and whatever else you so casually threw away. Perhaps you have no interest in the people downstream of you. I wonder what the people upstream think of you.

But, back to Ambien. Ambien is, of course, a nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic. I am never reassured by the prefix “non”. In fact, Ambien works in exactly the same way as a conventional benzodiazepine and is probably just as addictive. For this reason, Ambien is listed by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) as a controlled substance in Schedule IV. You will be pleased and delighted to know that the US Government has your interests at heart. It always wants to protect you and the environment (“always” is probably a slight exaggeration). State and Federal regulations limit the handling and disposal of controlled substances to DEA-authorised individuals and organisations. The DEA’s Office of Diversion Control aims to prevent the diversion of legitimately manufactured (or used) controlled substances into the illegal drug traffic. If there is no-one else immediately available to handle the disposal, the controlled substances should be collected by a law enforcement officer. So, if your local pharmacy has not registered with the DEA, their only way of disposing of your unwanted drugs is to call the cops. No wonder they looked so pleased when you asked.

But San Mateo County, California has placed collection boxes inside the entrance halls of eleven police departments. Anyone can walk in and leave their unwanted medications (including Ambien but excluding all illegal substances) and walk out — no questions asked. And is this a welcome service? Over the first fifteen months of the program, local citizens have deposited 1,800 pounds of medications (not all Ambien, of course). So there is clearly a demand for this kind of service.

It is pure self-interest, of course. Who wants to get high from drinking tap water? Hmmm. Wait, that is not quite the right question. How many men want to take female hormones — I am sure breasts would be alright. And do we really want all those bacteria out there to get used to all those antibiotics in the water? If you don’t know the answers to these and other questions of social conscience (or self-interest), take an Ambien and sleep on it.




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Learn more about the information you read here on ambien and by John Scott at http://www.sweetdreamsadvice.com/blog/is-it-a-social-conscience-or-self-interest-that-should-motivate-us-to-dispose-of-medications-safely.html.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Exercise For A Great Night Sleep http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/exercise-for-a-great-night-sleep.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/exercise-for-a-great-night-sleep.html Thu, 06 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600
Regardless of why we have a problem with snoring, however, exercise is something that should be done as it helps in almost every case. What kind of exercise, however, is best to help silence your snoring?

If you are having problems with snoring because you are overweight, you would be better to focus on interval training and weight lifting rather than long-term aerobic exercises. The reason why this is the case is because these are going to help you to burn fat faster and at the same time, increase your breathing capacity.

By building up the larger muscles of the body which are found in the legs and core, you will be burning more calories, even while you are resting. This helps to burn fat from your body without adding mass to your neck area which will restrict your breathing to a certain extent.

If you do not have a problem with weight but still have a problem with snoring, you might want to consider doing some long-term aerobic exercises. Running, swimming and even walking are good examples of this type of exercise.

These will help to increase the capacity of your lungs and exercise this part of your body along with exercising the rest of it. This will help you to sleep better and more soundly, along with helping you with your snoring problem.

One thing that you might want to be cautious about, however, is exercising if you have a heart condition. Sleep apnea which is often associated with snoring can cause heart problems and in the case of some types of sleep apnea, may actually be a symptom of heart problems.

If you feel that you have a problem with your heart or health, make sure that you talk to your doctor before going on to any type of exercise programs such as this. More than likely, they will be able to guide you to a healthy form of exercising that will not compromise your life in the process.

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Joe Golson - Health And Wellness Coach
Natural Health And Wellness Enthusiast,writer and promoter of GNLD Natural Health And Wellness products.Visit our websites :For Stress Management Techniques visit :Stress Management TechniquesFor Natural Health And Wellness products Visit: Healthy Herbal Alternatives

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Mom Snoring Is A Tragedy To The Society http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/mom-snoring-is-a-tragedy-to-the-society.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/mom-snoring-is-a-tragedy-to-the-society.html Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500
It is estimated that mom snoring starts from the age of 35 years going upwards. Most of the times,it has been noted that as our moms increase age wise, so does the snoring habit increase proportionally.Also notably again as they change their day to day routines so do more causes of snoring likely to emerge in their lives.

Swedish researchers have it that there are more risk factors for moms who snore to deliver smaller babies.This is because as a mom who snores,you face a lot of breathing disruptions as you sleep.This increases the consequences of upper airway resistance which affects the fetus.Your baby as a snoring mom is more likely to have a retardation problem in his growth pattern and even have problems with his face and a possible delay in his whole life.

High blood pressure also tends to be high in snoring moms.This takes place because according to research, habitual mom snorers face problems of hindrance in the air pathways during their sleeping times.This highly contributes to you having short periods of sleep thus contributing increase in stress levels which of cause increase chances of getting high blood pressure.

As mom snoring brings about disruptions while breathing,it brings about a sleeping disorder known as apnea which highly relates to stoppage of breath. This is because your air passage does not let air flow freely due to the throat sometimes constricting.Other risks being realized by habitual mom snorers are,preeclampsia, weight gain, abnormal accumulation of fluid inside the tissues just to name a few.

As moms age, snoring tends to become a common thing to observe during sleeping times more often than any other time before.They may fall a sleep in the plane and immediately start snoring something that they may not be aware of. The situation may be some how embarrassing but it can not be ignored and this may force you to search for remedies that will help you stop snoring.

Now that the threat of mom snoring is known,particularly during the pregnancy period, one should not view this problem as purely embarrassing but also as a very serious and delicate problem which needs immediate and necessary remedies to combat.Let us talk to our moms and advice them to consult specialized doctors so that they get appropriate solutions and cure for this snoring problem that may prove to be fatal if not tackled early enough.



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Wangeci Kinyanjui has been researching and reporting on Health Matters for years. For more information on mom snoring visit her site at MOM SNORING

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Sleeping Aides http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/sleeping-aides.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/sleeping-aides.html Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0600 If you are experiencing a sleep disorder such as insomnia, it may be tempting to head to the pharmacy or even invest in herbal remedies. However, some Sleep Aids are not in the form of pills or aromatherapy but simply the result of modifying behaviors, which decrease the quality of sleep.

Relaxation techniques can often help insomnia and most are free. These techniques help sleep come faster, last longer and improve restfulness upon waking. One example of relaxation techniques is visualizing a calming scene such as one of nature. Imagine yourself at a tropical island or in a beautiful forest. Think of the sounds of water or birds, smells of the ocean and the feel of the cool breeze against your skin so that all of your senses become involved.

Yoga has become popular recently for its positive effects on the body and mind, which include calming. A regular routine of yoga can be an effective sleeping aid and yoga is easy to do. Whether at home in front of the television or with a group of people at a gym, there are many styles and techniques in yoga to fit any individual.

Many relaxation methods are based on meditation (although generally without the traditional religious connotations), which is practiced to help a person "think" him or herself into a more relaxed and calm state. Meditation includes sitting comfortably in a quiet place with eyes closed.

Relaxation response is one type of meditation method, which can aid in sleep. The relaxation response can help to lower blood pressure and decrease oxygen intake as well as slow breathing and heart rate. The focus of the relaxation response is a word or phrase, which is meaningful to them while breathing slowly. This process may be interrupted by negative thoughts or emotions but instead of letting them interrupt the relaxation response, the individual for continue for about ten to twenty minutes per day, four times per week.

Alternatively, insomnia sufferers can try mindfulness as a sleeping aid. This meditation method focuses on breathing and the intake and expulsion of breath from the body. The individual passively allows thoughts to come and go.



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Patricia Stevens owns and operates http://www.sleepapniahelp.com Sleep Apnia Help

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Dreams and Their Meanings http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/dreams-and-their-meanings.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/dreams-and-their-meanings.html Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Scientists have been studying dreams for less than 50 years. American scientist, Professor Nathaniel Kleitman from the University of Chicago is recognized as the father of sleep research and is credited as the first scholar to study sleep. Kleitman and his student Eugene Aserinsky discovered REM sleep (Rapid Eye Movement). They demonstrated that REM is correlated with dreaming, brain activity and is a normal stage of sleep. Vividly recalled dreams mostly occur during REM sleep.

Do you have trouble remembering dreams after you wake up in the morning? Scientific research indicates we can remember about 80 percent of each dream episode if we are awaked immediately after its completion. But this drops to about 30 percent with in the next eight minutes or so and then rapidly declines to about five percent.

Generally speaking, dreams often relate to what might be, rather than what actually is. Our dreams could be suggesting many things. Have you ever asked yourself; what does my dream mean? Maybe you might wish to broaden your horizons or explore new avenues and opportunities. Sometimes dreams seem to warn us of dangers or to caution us to think more carefully about a particular course of action. We all dream. Have you ever had a snake dream, an ocean dream, a teeth dream, a bad dream, hair dreams or maybe just some strange dreams. One thing that is clear, our dreams are far too important to be ignored.

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href=http://url.com>dream2see.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Instead of counting sheep, we should be counting prescriptions http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/instead-of-counting-sheep-we-should-be-counting-prescriptions.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/instead-of-counting-sheep-we-should-be-counting-prescriptions.html Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500 In 2006 in the US, the clinical gold standard for insomnia was controlled-release Ambien. Millions of prescriptions a year were and are written. Moving across the Atlantic, the situation is no less “impressive”. According to the latest figures, there are around half a million people in England taking sleeping pills at any one time. The National Health Service records show 820,000 prescriptions are written every month. It is estimated that some 330,000 pills are taken every day. This would make insomnia the most common psychological condition in Britain.

Why is insomnia so common? One explanation is that we now live a 24/7 lifestyle. Television and cable transmit tempting programs into our homes round the clock. We can surf the net, talk or sms on our handphones. We drink too much coffee. We live in an overstimulated world. But why would that lead to what, in real terms, would have to be described as an epidemic? Perhaps it is an age thing. As we all get older, do we need less sleep?

A better explanation seems to be that we have changed our attitude towards sleep. The first step is to distinguish between insomnia as the inability to get to sleep when we want to and sleeplessness where something keeps us awake, e.g. a change in our biological clock after flying to a different time zone. This makes insomnia mainly a psychological condition with insomniacs significantly more likely to be depressed than ordinary sleepers. This means that the more anxious we get about “falling asleep” the more difficult it is likely to become.

Generations ago, people did not take sleep for granted. Indeed, they were often worried about appearing lazy if they slept too much — Leonardo da Vinci pronounced sleep a waste of valuable time, napping about fifteen minutes every four hours. Now we are indoctrinated with the idea that unless we sleep seven or eight hours a night, our worlds will end. Hence, the National Sleep Foundation in the US recommends eight hours, but it is a fact that 70% of the population get less than this. A range of between five-and-a-half and nine-and-a-half hours per night is probably normal. In The New Black: Mourning, Melancholia and Depression, Darian Leader suggests that insomnia is usually a symptom of anxiety. Rather than routinely prescribe ambien, he consistently seeks to identify and treat the cause of the inability to sleep.

We could enjoy the peace of the night-time world when everyone else is asleep. The phone does not ring. No-one disturbs us. But the sleep-deprived brain does not function well and, for the majority, nights cannot be used creatively or productively. People are simply too tired whatever time of the day or night it is. Go for long enough without sleep and madness waits for us. This creates a billion dollar/pound industry to produce medications to knock us out. We are not deterred even though there can be withdrawal symptoms to negotiate when we try to stop taking the pills. Ambien is better than no treatment. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a good alternative but often not available. Other than CBT, we are into the self-help world of relaxation techniques. Perhaps this last option recognises that insomniacs are often too busy thinking about “stuff” to get to sleep. If they were bored, they might just drop off. One thing is certain, if you are not going to rely on ambien, the worst thing is to try to make yourself sleep. Like most things, the harder you try to do what should come naturally, the more unnatural you make it and the harder it becomes.

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John Scott contributes regularly to http://www.sweetdreamsadvice.com and covers a wide range of topics including ambien. For more information, go to http://www.sweetdreamsadvice.com/blog/instead-of-counting-sheep-we-should-be-counting-prescriptions.html.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Facts About Insomnia – Amazing Tips to Conquer Insomnia http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/facts-about-insomnia-amazing-tips-to-conquer-insomnia.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/sleep/facts-about-insomnia-amazing-tips-to-conquer-insomnia.html Sat, 07 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500
Basic Facts About Insomnia

Simply put, insomnia is the inability to fall asleep when you want to. It is characterized by little or poor-quality sleep.

There are three types of insomnia depending on the duration of the condition: 1) Transient or short-term insomnia, as the term implies, lasts only for one night to a few weeks; 2) Intermittent insomnia is short-term but recurring; 3) Chronic insomnia is the most serious as it happens at least three times a week for a month, year, or even a lifetime.

A main effect of insomnia is excessive sleepiness, which can be accompanied with restlessness, fatigue, lethargy, and irritability, among others. It can also cause problems in concentrating and focusing. The insomniac is there but not quite there. This is most common among chronic insomnia sufferers, who may find themselves in a constant state of limbo.

Insomniacs can be also more accident-prone. The cause of one out of every five highway accidents is the driver falling asleep momentarily.

In the long term, insomnia can affect relationships at home and work, hobbies, recreational activities, and general state of mind. More than just a sleep disorder, it can greatly affect quality of life; that’s why it is vital to know the facts about insomnia.

Insomnia Causes

Sleeplessness may be caused by any or a combination of the following:

7) Diet high in stimulants. Caffeine is the main culprit. Drinking too much coffee, tea, colas and eating too much chocolate, especially in the evening, can cause problems sleeping. Alcohol is also not recommended – a nightcap may induce sleepiness at first, but prevents you from going into deep sleep, or the REM state, and thus, lets you sleep less soundly.

8) Environmental factors. Noise, light, sudden weather changes, a room that is too hot or too cold, can disturb sleep, if not delay it.

9) Change in routine. Traveling often, sleeping in an unfamiliar bed, and a job with variable schedules are examples of routine interruptions that can cause insomnia, though short-term.

10) Stress or stressful life events. Work-related problems, relationship problems, anticipation of an upcoming event like a presentation or medical exam, and sudden life events like divorce and death of a loved one are only some examples. Anxiety related to stress may very well be the number one reason why you can’t catch a wink.


11) Medical conditions. Asthma, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, peptic ulcer, anxiety disorders, can prevent you from falling into restful slumber.

12) Hormones. A woman suffering from menopausal symptoms like hot flushes and night sweating may have trouble sleeping. Insomnia in teenagers, meanwhile, occur mostly because of the onset of puberty, where sleeping needs and sleeping patterns usually change.

Insomnia Treatment the Natural Way

There are different insomnia treatment options, ranging from the natural insomnia herbs to the medical. Medical treatment, usually through sleeping pills, have unpleasant side effects and can ironically cause further insomnia in the long run, so therapy and natural methods are safer and more effective. Below are some examples.

6) Aromatherapy. For bouts of sleeplessness from time to time, taking a bath before going to bed using a few drops of essential oils like lavender, marjoram, or ylang-ylang can help. Or you can drop these oils directly on your pillow.

7) Flower essence therapy. White chestnut particularly helps cure insomnia gradually, usually in just a few weeks. Flower remedies can be bought in some health food stores or via mail in some websites.

8) Herbal therapy. Valerian is known as the best herbal treatment for insomnia, as it decreases nervous system activity. Use as per dosage instructions in the pack.

9) Relaxation therapy. This involves progressive muscle relaxation training, imagery training, hypnosis among others. This can be learned alone or with the help of a qualified practitioner. These techniques can relax your body and mind and make you feel drowsy and ready for bed.

10) Reconditioning. This method involves re-associating the bedroom and bed with sleep only. In applying this technique, activities like eating, reading, and watching TV cannot be done in bed. Napping for more than 30 to 45 minutes during the day is also discouraged. A fixed wake-up time is also scheduled to train the body.

Knowing these facts about insomnia, you and your loved ones can deal with the condition better should it come.

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Self-help expert Michael Lee has prepared an amazing FREE course revealing secret tips to cure insomnia and enjoy energizing deep sleep at http://www.20daypersuasion.com/sleep-secret.htm

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>