Sleep: 10 Ways to Get a Good Night's Sleep

Sleep – are you getting enough? For some people, enough is four to six hours. Other people just don't feel right with less than eight hours. People need more or less sleep at different phases in their life. Women may need more or less sleep at different phases of the month.

The simplest way to tell if you're getting enough is by noticing every morning - do you feel rested? Do you wake up without an alarm clock and feel ready to get right out of bed and start your day?

Not getting enough sleep is one of the most direct ways that we self-sabotage our success and well-being. When we are better rested we not only feel better, but are calmer, smarter, more rational, nicer to be around and we look better. Why wouldn't we choose to have that every day??

1. Set the Stage - turn off the computer and television at least one hour before you'd like to fall asleep, and turn on some music that you find relaxing. Test what your stereo system will do when the recording is finished – does it SNAP! or does it “wrrrr” – this will make a difference as you’re drifting off. My CD player makes a very soft "wrrrr" noise (though I honestly can't remember the last time I was still awake when the CD was over).

2. Music without words - words can provoke and direct your thoughts more than instrumental music or pure vocal sounds.

3. Music with natural "breaths" - music where the soloist takes natural pauses to breathe can help you to slow down your own breath - try flute, other wind instruments or voice (either with no words or words in a language you don't understand).

4. A good book - For bedtime reading, try to stay away from material that gets you thinking about things you deal with during the day. Magazines or stories that distract you from your own life may help you to drift into sleep.

5. Imagery - If you find that your mind is racing when you are trying to sleep, picture a viewpoint where you're traveling down a road. See your thoughts as signposts that you're passing. Concentrate on letting them pass right by.

6. Progressive muscle relxation - Imagine that a ball of light is traveling along your body, beginning at the top of your head, going down to the tips of your toes, and then coming up again. As it passes your muscles, they fill with light and relax.

7. Take a nap - If your sleep has been interrupted or there've been unavoidable late nights, an afternoon nap can help you catch up. Experts advise that naps should be taken earlier in the afternoon, rather than later, and that we should keep them to 30 minutes or less. This will avoid disrupting your sleep at night.

8. Lavender Bath - Take a hot bath and add a couple of drops of lavender oil. Lavender has naturally occurring relaxing properties.

9. Chamomile Tea - Calms the nervous system and helps to promote restful sleep.

10. Take 500 mg Calcium with 250 mg Magnesium at bedtime – The calcium has a calming effect, and the magnesium works along with it.

The advice and information in this article is not meant to replace medical advice. If you suspect you have a serious sleeping problem such as sleep apnea, or if you experience insomnia or extreme fatigue, please consult a healthcare professional.

Sleep Your Way to Weight Loss

Research indicates the less you sleep, the more weight you may gain. How is it that the numbers of hours you sleep can affect your weight?
"In our fast paced society, sleep is sacrificed in order to have more time to get things done." shares Susan Mills-Gray, a Nutrition and Health Specialist with MU Extension. "Unfortunately, this lack of sleep seems to be a strong factor in the challenge of managing a healthy weight", Mills-Gray adds.
Several quality research studies have shown that sleep loss leads to higher levels of a hormone that triggers appetite, and lowers levels of a hormone that tells your body it's full, thus leading to pounds that cling. More specifically, researchers believe that sleep loss impacts two particular hormones - ghrelin and leptin - which are thought to play a key role in the interaction between less sleep and increased weight. Ghrelin, was discovered about eight years ago and is primarily produced by the stomach, triggers appetite in humans: the more ghrelin you have, the more you want to eat. Leptin, a hormone produced by fat cells, decreases appetite and boosts metabolism: low leptin levels can lead to an increased appetite. Lack of sleep causes more ghrelin and less leptin to be produced; therefore increased appetite overall. The body wakes up hungrier - searching for food to boost energy, when adequate sleep should have provided that energy.
What's the opportune amount of sleep in order to maintain a healthy weight? It seems to be eight hours. Let's take look at some specific studies and their findings:
A 2006 study a the U. of Warwick Medical School studied 43,000 persons and found that people who get less than five hours of sleep per night actually double their risk of becoming obese.
Laval University of Quebec released this finding in 2006, that children who slept even an hour or two less than other children became more overweight.
Studies released in 2004 by both the University of Bristol and Stanford University School of Medicine found that those who slept fewer hours had higher levels of ghrelin and lower levels of leptin, and that these hormone changes occurred during sleep.
This link between lack of sleep and increased weight gain makes sense. After all, sleeping allows our bodies to refresh and heal, and cutting down on that process can only do our bodies more harm than good. So slow down, get a good night's sleep and drop some weight while you sleep!

Enable sleep to come easier

A cure for insomnia takes a change of environment, reduction in worries and the chance to take control of your life. When your worries are behind you, and your life is in your hands, sleep should come easier.

Sleep-onset insomnia refers to the inability to fall asleep initially. Sleep-maintenance insomnia refers to the inability to stay asleep, with one or more awakenings during the night. Prevent insomnia by eating and drinking things that help you become soporific in the evenings, rather than things that tell your body its time to get excited again. The effects of caffeine can last up to 20 hours, so some people will have disturbed sleep patterns even when their last cup of coffee was in the morning. Besides regular coffee, black tea, green tea, cocoa, chocolate, some soft drinks, and many over-the-counter pharmaceuticals also contain caffeine. Curing insomnia could be as simple as cutting out the caffeine!

Dieting to improve sleep

Doctors will sometimes recommend eating a high-carbohydrate food as a prevention of insomnia. Try eating a slice of bread or some crackers before bed. Eating carbohydrates can significantly increase levels of a neurotransmitter called serotonin, which is known to act as an insomnia preventative, reducing anxiety and promote sleep.

Take a personal stocktake

Cure insomnia by taking a check of your personal situation. Is there one thing in particular than causes you to worry through the night? Night time is a good time to puzzle things over, but by the time you reach a dead-end, its time to let your dreams take over. More often than not, your brain will keep working on your troubles while you sleep, and you will wake up with a better perspective on everything. Behavioral or psychological counselling may be recommended as a cure for people with poor sleep habits or emotional disorders. Curing insomnia is definitely possible, so don’t despair. Everyone needs to sleep eventually.

Sleeping pills are just a temporary measure

Taking medication or sleeping pills for insomnia should only be considered a stopgap for more total curing methods. Insomnia medication that works in the long term involves balancing your diet and taking a good balance of vitamins and nutritional supplements. For example, the amino acid, L-tryptophan, has been used successfully as an insomnia medication, presumably because it is converted to the chemical messenger, serotonin. According to one preliminary trial, L-tryptophan supplementation was 100% effective at promoting sleep in people who awaken between three to six times per night, but not effective at all as an Insomnia medication for people who only awaken once or twice, nor in people who doze on and off throughout the night in a state blurred between sleep and wakefulness.

Does Your Child Have Difficulty Sleeping?

Sleep disorders in children are typically much different from the sleeping disorders that trouble adults. Studies have indicated that kids who don't get sufficient sleep at night will often doze-off in class, will not have the energy to exercise and will experience depression like feelings. Nightmares, bedwetting, and sleepwalking are common symptoms of a sleep disorder, so parents should know what to look for and address these issues. If you are concerned about your children's sleeping habits, then we've got some valuable suggestions about getting them into a consistent sleep schedule that will improve their quality of life. New parents tend to be very concerned about how much sleep their baby is getting. Newborn infants have irregular sleep cycles and sleep an average of 16 to 17 hours per day. Although, they might only sleep 1 or 2 hours at a time. As children get older, the total number of hours they require for sleep decreases. A pre-school child might still require 10 to 12 hours of sleep daily, whereas a school aged child sleeps about 10 hours each day. It is important to remember that each child's sleeping cycle can be unique. It is more probable that a child who has a sleeping disorder will most likely have behavioral and attention problems that are show during school. A recent study showed that 37% of school aged children experience significant, nocturnal sleeping issues. Problems often include a reluctance to go to sleep, disrupted sleep, nightmares, and sleepwalking. In more mature children, bedwetting can also become a challenge. Sleep problems are also common in kids with ADHD. It is important to try and figure out if these issues, especially if your child has difficulty falling asleep, are a side effect of any ADHD medication he or she might be taking. Sleep problems in children can no doubt be thwarted if a regular sleeping routine is followed to ensure that your child gets sufficient rest. Start by establishing a quiet environment before bedtime. This is a great time to take a bath and read a story. By winding down, your child will be able to fall asleep faster. Once the body adjusts to a set schedule, he or she is more likely to be sleepy at the same time every night. If your child suffers from night terrors or nightmares, then make them more comfortable by turning on a night light in the room and allowing him to sleep with a favorite toy. Physical comfort, such as a firm sleep foundation is also very important to get a good night of sleep, as well as roomy and cozy pajamas. Children learn from example, so follow a regular sleep schedule yourself. If your child's symptoms persist, then consider seeing a sleep specialist. Sometimes sleep problems in children can be caused by depression or other anxiety disorders. However, remember that each child is unique. If they're energetic and active during the day, then don't worry if they have a rough night every now and again.

Insomnia: Swap It For A Good Sleep

Insomnia, the culprit behind sleepless nights, is a disorder that more than a third of adults suffer from and is something not to be made light of. Insomnia can be treated however.

Found mostly in females and aged people, insomnia is a common sleeplessness disorder that can be classified into:

(a) Short term insomnia---lasting from a few days to a few weeks, caused generally due to anxiety or stress,
(b) Intermittent insomnia---lasting from a few weeks to six months, and the disorder is of an irregular type with periods of restful slumber interspaced with sleeplessness
(c) Chronic insomnia--- the worst of the three, with durations of sleeplessness on a daily basis continuing throughout the month.

There are some very simple techniques and methods to improve insomnia, involving small alterations in your day to day living and sleep habits. Since the disorder is common in all age groups, maintenance of good lifestyle habits is essential for a good night's sleep.

While sleep needs vary from new born babies to young children, they also vary for men and women as well. While newborns need a good 16 hrs of sleep, for adults, 7-8 hrs a day is the standard. With age the need to sleep decreases and hence older people are more vulnerable to insomnia than the young. The general complaints that insomniacs have is that of tiredness owing to lack of energy, lack of concentration and irritation.

Lack of magnesium can affect sleep. A magnesium rich diet can enhance sleep in people with low levels of this element. Benzodiazepine, a type of tranquilizer, and the recent innovation "Z drug” are the first preferences of medics nowadays and can be accessed only on prescription by a registered medical practitioner.

Following is a list of treatments for insomnia that one might use.

1. Aromatherapy, which includes the use of various essential oils which help in relaxation. Jasmine oil and mahabhringaraj oil are some examples of such oils.
2 Meditation as a source of relaxation is highly effective.
3. Treatment can also be done with the help of Chinese traditional medicine.
4. A magnesium rich diet is also quiet helpful.
5. Melatonin is another effective drug used to regulate waking and sleeping patterns in individuals.
6. Limited intake of coffee, sodas, tea, chocolate, alcohol and nicotine etc.
7. Adequate amount of exercise, but not before bed, is good too.
8. Treatment for change of behavioral trends can induce new sleeping patterns along with teaching you how to make your environment appropriate for sleeping.

There is a wide range of alternative therapies and natural medicines out there that will help improve insomnia. In some cases with the right guidance and right treatment, insomnia can be cured.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common and advanced form of snoring caused by an obstruction of an individual's airway.

OSA is characterized as intermittent cessation of respiration during sleep for at least 10 seconds with concomitant decreased blood oxygen saturation, interrupted normal breathing pattern, and arousal from sleep. Sleep apnea literally means "want of breath" in Greek. OSA has been proven to have significant affects on your health, even if it only occurs occasionally.

The New England Journal of Medicine, April 29, 1993 reported of the middle-aged adults, about 24% of men and 9% of women have 5 or more episodes of interrupted breathings per hour. Some are difficult to detect because they may not demonstrate noticeable symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness or lethargy waking up.

In the United States alone, it is estimated that 11,845,000 people between the ages of 30-60 have obstructive sleep apnea. Of the 31 million Americans who are 65 years and older, 46% or 7,440,000 of them have moderate or severe level of obstructive sleep apnea, reported by the National Commission on Sleep Disorder Research.

It's interesting to note that the physical difference between OSA and simple snoring is only millimeters in the actual airway. The consequences on your ability to get a good night's rest, and as a result, your overall health are dramatic.

Obstructive sleep apnea can stop a person from breathing for as long as 3 minutes and as frequent as 100 times per hour. Typically the person is awakened by the body grasping for some air and is often accompanied with a loud snort.

Although the person's sleep is broken up many times each hour, they are often unaware of anything except that they woke up feeling unrefreshed.

An individual's blood oxygen levels can drop significantly to less than 50% causing a state known as hypopnea. This condition significantly impacts multiple parts of the body including:

- All the vital organs which become strained as they struggle to sustain their normal activities while oxygen deprived.

- Normal metabolism is impaired.

- Glucose utilization in the cells of the body is diminished with respect to the presence of catacholamine, the chemical produced in the body as a consequence of reduced oxygen levels. This chemical suppresses the sensitivity of insulin making it difficult for glucose to enter into the cells for energy.

- Increased cortisol levels stimulate glucose formation which floods the blood with more glucose, and

- As a result of reduced oxygen levels in the blood, the sympathetic nerve activity increased which excites the heart rate and raises blood pressure.

These facts alone reveal why the health concerns of snoring can be grave. Presently OSA apnea claims about 3,000 lives per year in the United States. This estimate doesn't even account for the thousands more deaths caused by complications resulting from OSA.

Numerous studies have linked OSA as the underlying cause of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, automobile accident fatalities, excessive daytime sleepiness, loss of economic productivity, lack of libido, depression, and can even be the reason some relationships break up.

Sleep study and the creation of sleeping patterns

Sleep study in both animals and humans has brought extremely important information on the creation of certain sleeping patterns and schemes that often vary according to age and even existential changes. Moreover, special psychological research has revealed that there is a connection between behavior and sleeping patterns as well. Thus, a sleep study of the positions which the body assumes in the night trance indicate how the person relates with the world, other fellow human beings and life in general. For instance, a person who sleeps on the belly is considered not to care too much about the opinion the others make about oneself.

Someone who sleeps on one side is considered as needing a lot of affection and lots of love, since this sleeping pattern resembles the baby's position in the womb. Last but not least, the same sleep study indicates that those people who sleep on the back are open-minded, generous and altruist. Or if we consider the sleeping habits one develops according to age, we'll be surprised to find out how much we change over the years. Thus, it is well-known that the elderly usually sleep on their back, and less in other positions that require too much movement; yet, such conditions are developed in time due to the decreased body mobility.

Any sleep study that is written for the average reader is a door open to understanding the unknown behavior we manifest at night. For instance, there are periods of time when we sleep quietly without any dreams at all, but they alternate with more intense moments when the brain functions intensely. When one tries to understand the mechanisms that trigger the trance as explained in a sleep study, he or she needs to learn how a certain factor changes the healthy attributes of normal sleep. Insomnia, for instance, appears only when a link fails to function properly in the chain.

In case you suffer from insomnia, you cannot rely on one sleep study or another in order to self-diagnose; a professional medical opinion is required on the matter to see what the causes are and how to eliminate the discomfort. This is absolutely critical since, insomnia ranges from temporary to chronic states, and in case there is a depression or more serious problem underlying it, prompt intervention and treatment prevents further deterioration of the condition. Yet, besides the doctor's recommendations, one is free to research as much as one likes in order to better cope with the situation!

Sleepless in the city

Divorced male lawyers, aged 55, living in London are today pinpointed as the UK’s worst sleepers, in a new report by bed experts Silentnight.

Getting a meagre four hours a night, they are kept awake by work stress and admit to becoming bad tempered, emotional and underperforming at work as a result.

Today, the findings of the new Sleep Report by GFK NOP of 2,000 adults to launch Silentnight’s National Love Your Bed Week (August 4-10 2008), sheds light on what’s keeping us awake and what affect this has on our lives.

Single female bar workers, aged 20, from the East Midlands, are officially Britain’s best sleepers, snoozing an average of 10 hours a night.

And the Welsh top the poll as the most carefree in Britain – losing the least sleep over worries including the credit crunch and health problems.

The Silentnight results reveal only a quarter of Britons get the recommended eight hours a night, with the rest of us tossing and turning over family problems, work stress, health worries and discomfort. The current economic crisis doesn’t seem to be affecting us as directly as reported, with money worries only keeping a fifth of us awake at night.

The nation’s lack of sleep is having serious affects on our personal and professional lives: with one in five Brits suffering from depression, a lack of sex drive and underperforming at work; a third of us admitting to becoming oversensitive and snapping at friends and family; and a quarter noticing a significant difference in appearance.

And our sleeping habits vary across the regions:-

While London and Northern Ireland officially have most trouble snoozing, those in the East Midlands and the North get the most sleep with on average 10 hours a night.

When asked what keeps them awake, those in Anglia (51%) were most sleepless because of work, money worries keep up Londoners (27%) and those in the North West (26%) most, unlike those in Wales who were least likely to let personal finances stop them from sleeping (13%).

Our personal health is the biggest concern for those in East Midlands (40%) and the North (40%), but once again you won’t find the Welsh (13%) losing much sleep over that.

And it seems lots of us just can’t get comfortable, with a massive 43% of Anglians kept awake because of discomfort, followed by those in the South West (40%) and Scotland (38%). Those in the South West (34%) were the people most sleepless because of their partners but it seems we’re a lot more tolerant of our other halves in the North West (12%).

Those in Anglia are the people to avoid after a bad night’s sleep with a whopping 93% confessing to becoming bad tempered and likely to argue with friends and family. Those in Northern Ireland (27%) are most likely to suffer from depression due to lack of sleep and those in the East Midlands (31%) suffer from a lack of sex drive.

On the contrary it’s the Scots who sleep easy, with the majority (36%) admitting to always getting enough sleep.

Behaviour psychologist Donna Dawson comments:

“It is interesting to note that we all think that other people sleep better than we do – the truth is that we are all experiencing problems sleeping at night, whether it is a problem on our mind or a problem with the bed we are lying on!

“Although money problems seem to score lower than other issues that render us sleepless, ‘money worries’ could still be the real root of family problems, work stress and health issues. Whatever the reason, ‘not getting enough sleep’ has far-reaching effects: on our personal and family lives, our working performance, our social contacts, and even on our appearance.

“People judging us for the first time after a sleepless night would not realise that normally we were a well-adjusted, thoughtful person, instead of the snappy, unsociable wreck that they see before them. Consequently, we really owe it to ourselves to find a bed that we feel comfortable in, to give us at least a head start on a good night’s sleep.”

Steven Simpson at Silentnight comments:
“The survey results show just how big a problem lack of sleep can be for some people and the havoc it can wreak on our personal lives. We were surprised to see that more people were kept awake because of discomfort than money worries, but it just goes to show how important it is to choose the right bed.”