Sleeping Advice

Have you asked yourself “Am I Sleep Deprived”? If you don’t have a regular bedtime, are caffeine obsessed and a workaholic then consider yourself deprived of sleep! After a dreadful time at the office, all I want to do is to head home and relax, but unfortunately because of family demands, this is usually not possible. Sleep is an important part of our wellbeing. As a child, I was taught to sleep 8 hours everyday to grow up healthilyand to have good memory and attention span. Lack of sleep can be harmful and lead to chronic illnesses. If you are sleep deprived, you might consider doing the 10 commandments for a better sleep!

“A good night’s sleep” has long been the intention of millions of people suffering from sleep disorders around the world.  However, this objective is scarcely met with ease.  The reality of this scenario is that many will not seek the professional help to address the serious sleep disorders that plague them, resulting in numerous health consequences.  The World Association of Sleep Medicine (WASM) will be holding the third annual World Sleep Day on Friday, March 19, 2010.  The event is organized by the World Sleep Day Committee and is regarded as a platform for medical professionals to deliver the message of the importance of healthy sleep to the public.

Sleep is a function in which all vertebrates and some invertebrates participate, however the physiological purpose of sleep has yet to be discovered.  While sleep is necessary to be alert to optimally navigate daily tasks, research shows sleep may also be a factor in growth, regeneration, and memory.  With an estimated one third of adults suffering from clinically recognizable insomnia and approximately 80 additional sleep-related disorders, there is significant concern for the health consequences that occur with the lack of quality sleep.  Studies suggest that a lack of sleep is detrimental to health in ways such as the development of high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and other chronic ailments in those who consume less than 6 hours nightly.

The 10 Commandments of Sleep Hygiene listed below make common sense recommendations that are rarely complied with fully.

1. Fix a bedtime and an awakening time.
2. If you are in the habit of taking siestas do not exceed 45 minutes of daytime sleep.
3. Avoid excessive alcohol ingestion 4 hours before bedtime and do not smoke.
4. Avoid caffeine 6 hours before bedtime. This includes coffee, tea and many sodas, as well as chocolate.
5. Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods 4 hours before bedtime. A light snack before bed is acceptable.
6. Exercise regularly, but not right before bed.
7. Use comfortable bedding.
8. Find a comfortable temperature setting for sleeping and keep the room well ventilated.
9. Block out all distracting noise and eliminate as much light as possible.
10. Reserve the bed for sleep and sex. Don’t use the bed as an office, workroom or recreation room.

Violation of these commandments causes poor quality of nocturnal sleep, short duration of sleep, fragmentation of sleep and serious sleep deprivation.  These infringements may lead to poor alertness, lack of attention, reduced concentration, decreased work and academic productivity, and even motor vehicle accidents.  Physical health problems come next.

It is due to the widespread effects of sleep disorders and increasing number of sufferers worldwide, that World Sleep Day dedicates its efforts in 2010 to educate the world on important sleep topics.  The day’s events will take place online, featuring the organization of local groups promoting sleep health, presentation of educational materials, an award presentation to the best creation and exhibition of historic videos.

The third World Sleep Day is co-chaired by Antonio Culebras, MD, professor of neurology at SUNY, Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, and Liborio Parrino, MD, of Parma, Italy, and WASM’s Executive Director Allan O’Bryan.

World Sleep Day 2010 partners are pharmaceutical companies H. Lundbeck A/S and UCB.  More information regarding partners and affiliates may be obtained at www.worldsleepday.org.

Related articles:

• Sleep Your Way to Better Health (lifescript.com)
• Sleep Disorder Linked to Risk of Dementia (psychologytoday.com)
• How Much Sleep Do Kids Need? (aolhealth.com)

Have you ever had the most tiring day and all you wanted to do was to lie down and sleep? I have!  But sometimes I get disrupted by loud snoring and I wonder if I made that irritating noise or my roommate? But regardless, it is quite alarming during somber moments and most importantly snoring can disrupt your sleep! Based on Medical explanations, “Sleep Apnea is a form of disrupted breathing that often results in snoring and gasping for air while sleeping. As the body fights for air, the sufferer is forced to awake again and again throughout the night. These repetitive episodes result in constant tiredness and a broad spectrum of serious medical conditions”. Having these symptoms, if you are anything like me, you may be embarrassed to discuss this type of sleeping problem with a medical specialist. It is therefore perhaps a good thing there are sites that offer complete information on this condition. However, don’t be afraid to talk this over with your doctor too.

With more than a decade of clinical practice and research, SleepQuest, Inc. has announced the introduction of a comprehensive new website dedicated to the millions of people who suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

MySleepQuest.com brings all aspects of Sleep Apnea together in one website by offering important information about this life-long chronic condition. News, videos, educational content, therapy selection and an opportunity to discuss Sleep Apnea with a Sleep Care Specialist are all found on the site.

Most importantly, visitors across the country will be able to find out if they are at risk for Sleep Apnea by submitting an online questionnaire that will be reviewed by Sleep Specialists and Sleep Physicians.

The website is supported by Dr. William Dement, often referred to as the “Father of Sleep Medicine.” Dr. Dement is a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Stanford University School of Medicine, and the Division Chief of the Stanford University Division of Sleep.

The doctor is on a decades-long crusade to help people identify the symptoms of Sleep Apnea and dismiss the apprehensions they may have with the diagnostic or therapy process. After helping to establish the first sleep testing center and the field of sleep medicine, Dr. Dement has been supporting the use of at-home diagnostic and therapy services. For more than a decade, Dr. Dement has been the Chief Scientific Advisor for SleepQuest, Inc. and was instrumental in the development of MySleepQuest.com.

Dr. Dement has made exhaustive efforts to educate the public about the importance of a good night’s sleep and how each of us can increase our awareness of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders to help ourselves live a more productive and happier life. “We share a similar vision for better, less expensive and more convenient diagnostic and therapy access for the millions of undiagnosed patients with Sleep Apnea,” said Koenigsberg.

SleepQuest, Inc. is a national provider of comprehensive Sleep Apnea services, with Board Certified sleep medicine physicians overseeing diagnosis, therapy and ongoing clinical support.Accredited by the Joint Commission, their comprehensive and clinically validated “Continuum of Care” approach includes screening, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing patient management to achieve high compliance rates and successful medical and quality-of-life outcomes. For additional information, visit http://SleepQuest.com

Related articles:

• Sleep Apnea Who’s at Risk – Sleep Group Solutions Markets Direct to Patients (prweb.com)
• Losing Sleep Over Snoring (lifescript.com)
• Sleep Apnea Can Lead To Hypertension, Heart Attack or Stroke (eon.businesswire.com)

Being a career woman, I juggle so many things both in work and with the family. Because I want to accomplish so much both in my career and in my personal life, I tend to take sleeping for granted. To compensate for a lack of good sleep, I am likely to drink coffee and nibble sweets to give me renewed energy, but they say that being constantly irritable due to a lack of sleep is bad for my long-term  health and leads to a more stressful life. There are many different solutions to helping us sleep better.

Frontier Beverage Co. today announced the launch of Bulldozer™, the second low-calorie, low-sugar relaxation aid introduced by the company within the past few months.  Following in the path of its 12 oz. predecessor, Unwind™, this three-ounce shot allows you to bring on the ultimate state of relaxation.

“We designed Bulldozer to be the most powerful relaxation aid on the market, with the goal of knocking out the effects of energy drinks, caffeine and daily stresses with only three ounces,” said Terry Harris, Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Beverage Co.

“But don’t take our word; for a limited time, we will provide one free sample per household so that people can try Bulldozer for themselves,” added Harris.

Ideal for pounding before a long flight, downing after a revitalizing evening workout or chugging at any other time when you need a quick, non-alcoholic and legal way to relax, Bulldozer is a proprietary blend of B vitamins and antioxidant-rich acai and berry juices combined with natural relaxation agents melatonin, rose hips and valerian root.  All of these ingredients, commonly found in health or nutrition stores globally, have been used by herbalists for thousands of years for their curative properties in coping with both anxiety and insomnia.

“Bulldozer is a great alternative for those who have sleep problems,” added Harris. “Some of the customers who have sampled Bulldozer let us know that they had the best night’s sleep of their lives after trying just one serving.”

“What I love is that I not only get a great night sleep, but I also wake up feeling energized and refreshed,” said Michael Kennedy of Henderson, TN. “It is great to be able to start the day clear and well-rested rather than tired or foggy like I used to with other sleep aids; plus, it tastes great!”

“There are times when people don’t want to be flying high on energy-boosting products that speed everyone up, so we wanted to offer people a way to come back down to chill for a while,” continued Harris.  ”After all, the Laws of Physics state that ‘what comes up must come down’; Bulldozer is here to help the process along – with the speed and knock-you-down ability of a bulldozer.”

With a light tropical berry flavor and only 20 calories, Bulldozer is rolling out to markets across the country.  For a limited time, Unwind website visitors can order a free sample, paying only the cost of shipping, to try it out for themselves.

Insomnia is a growing problem in America; in fact, according to the American Sleep Foundation, more than 64 percent of Americans report that they have experienced sleep problems – an increase of more than 13 percent since 2001.

Related articles:

• Sleep Your Way to Better Health (lifescript.com)
• Not Sleeping Sucks: Could Cherry Juice Help Insomnia? (blisstree.com)
• 7 ways to get the best sleep ever (cnn.com)

They say that it’s better to be awake because you can enjoy the world when you are awake, but wouldn’t it be more enjoyable to see the world from a well rested disposition? Too many activities every day curtail the hours of rest that we can have to restore us to contentedness. Sometimes biting off more than we can chew can deprive us of the rest that we require and it can if we are deprived of sleep over an extended period, this can have long-term health implications. The Benefits of Sleeping better are immeasurable and you should never take sleep and rest for granted!

Too many people today accept sluggishness and fatigue as the inevitable side effects of hectic lives, and believe that there isn’t much they can do about it besides squeezing in another hour or two of sleep. Getting enough sleep is important (and Dr. Edlund provides plenty of expert advice on sleeping well) but it’s only one part of a much larger spectrum of rest. The benefits of making time for rest have proven extraordinary: when people engage the body’s power to restore and renew itself, they look younger, heal faster, lose weight more effectively, and experience greater joy in their work and their relationships.

Award-winning sleep, rest, and body clock expert Dr. Matthew Edlund has identified an ongoing health crisis. After years of clinical research and consultations with hundreds of patients, he discovered that many people aren’t just sleep-deprived, they’re rest-deprived. The result? Our hearts, minds, and central nervous systems are overloaded, our health is suffering, and we’ve forgotten what it feels like to be truly refreshed. Dr. Edlund’s new book The Power of Rest: Why Sleep Alone is Not Enough provides a comprehensive step-by-step solution to rebuilding our natural ability to rest.

Dr. Edlund has isolated the unique benefits of four crucial types of active rest to create a groundbreaking program that fits easily into even the busiest schedules. The four types of rest include:

• Physical Rest: Sleep is one form of passive physical rest, but engaging in active forms of physical rest is also crucial. Dr. Edlund’s 30-day plan provides a range of techniques for active physical rest, including breathing exercises, timed naps, baths, and yoga poses.
• Mental Rest: While we need to rest the body, it’s equally important to learn to focus and concentrate the mind. Mental rest involves reconfiguring one’s mind to quickly and easily obtain a sense of relaxed control, and Dr. Edlund has developed exercises—including self-hypnosis, relaxation, and visualization—designed to help maximize this process.
• Social Rest: Humans are hardwired to be extremely social—social connectedness is built into the structure of our brains. Studies show that people with strong social connections live longer, cope with stress better, and are healthier. The Power of Rest explains how to incorporate key social rest techniques into your life.
• Spiritual Rest: Certain spiritual practices can provide a profound sense of rest, inner peace, connection, and self-healing, and scientific studies have demonstrated that meditation can actually change the structure of the brain over time. Dr. Edlund provides exercises involving meditation, prayer and contemplation that bring renewal and a sense of well-being.

We wouldn’t expect our bodies to function without food and, Dr. Edlund argues, we shouldn’t expect to feel fully fueled and alert without rest. This step-by-step 30-day plan introduces one simple, no-cost technique each day—many of which can be accomplished in just a minute or two. Readers will learn to make room in their lives for this basic biological need, and how to quickly create a healthier, more successful, more vital and relaxed life.

About the author Matthew Edlund, M. D., M.O.H., is an award-winning expert on rest, body clocks, and sleep. Dr. Edlund’s work had been featured in O, the Oprah Magazine, Prevention, Shape, Redbook, Real Simple, More, and hundreds of other magazines and newspapers. He founded the West Coast Regional Sleep Disorders Center, and now runs both the Center for Circadian Medicine and the Gulf Coast Sleep Institute in Sarasota, Florida.

The Power of Rest Dr. Matthew Edlund HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers On-sale June 8, 2010 Hardcover / $25.99 / ISBN: 978-0-06-186276-2

Related articles:

• New Book ‘The Power of Rest’ Reveals Americans are Dangerously Rest-Deprived – and More Sleep Isn’t the Answer (prweb.com)
• Always Tired? Expert Tips to Get More Rest (lifescript.com)
• Sleep Deprivation (annetteholland.com)
• Lack of Sleep Can Trigger Migraine Proteins (psychologytoday.com)

I have always wanted a better sleep but because of the demands of my family, stress from work and partying until late, I don’t always get this.  My parents told me to count sheep, to read books or to watch TV till I felt sleepy, but according to science the best way is to tune into music!

Inner Splendor Media, a globally recognized producer of world music, relaxation and ambient sound recordings, is proud to offer Music for Deep Sleep, a series of recordings expertly designed to help listeners achieve restorative rest.

The latest installments in the series, Sweet Lullaby, the Best of Relaxing Piano Music, featuring Dizzy Reed and Experience True Rest, featuring D. Siddarth Shah, are both unique and highly effective aids for relaxation and sleep.

Sweet Lullaby is a solo piano recording of classic lullabies, played beautifully by pianist Dizzy Reed. Best known for his work with Guns ‘N Roses, Reed is a world-class musician with astonishing breadth and sensitivity. Featuring songs like “Rock-a-bye Baby” and “Amazing Grace,” this lush recording is powerful, simple, and effective in its goal: to induce peaceful relaxation.

Experience True Restis the latest recording by Dr. Siddharth Ashvin Shah, a globally known sleep expert who combines proven elements of modern Western and traditional Eastern thought into a blend of self-hypnosis, meditation and Yoga Nidra –the ancient art of intentional relaxation. Dr. Shah’s unique cross-pollination of the scientific and the spiritual will ease even the most restless and weary minds, helping listeners overcome the mental and physical obstacles to restorative sleep.

Both of these recordings were made with the utmost attention to clarity and purity of sound, creating an exceptionally relaxing and calming experience for any listener.

Related articles:

• How listening to Classical music can do wonders for your body and mind (healthlifestyleforever.com)
• 10 iPhone Apps for a Better Night’s Sleep (mashable.com)
• In Search of Sleep (lifescript.com)