Hangovers and Long Meetings: Diet Help When You Need It Most

 

In life, love, wellness and everything in between, timing is crucial, and this is no less true when it comes to what you eat. According to Marta Montenegro, the creator of the Montenegro Method DVD workout series with a master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology, ‘Depending on the time of day or what situation you’re in, your body needs certain nutritional properties to help you get through—so you can work and live at your optimal level. Food creates all kinds of hormonal reactions in your body—reactions that affect your mood, your alertness, your energy level, and everything in between. So while you may already know what you need to eat, it’s also important to know when to eat it.’ With that in mind, let’s take a look the best foods for your wellbeing, and the best times to eat them.

 

1. After a Tough Workout: While amping up your fitness is eventually good for your muscles, immediately after a workout they will be stressed and broken down. They then grow in preparation for the next challenge, but you need to give them proper nutrition in order to take full advantage of that growth cycle. Andrea Hacker Thompson, MS, RD, of the ACSM Fit Society Page, recommends a carbohydrate-to-protein ratio of 2:1 for short, low-to moderate intensity workouts or 3:1 in long, high intensity training sessions. Montenegro adds, ‘Eat 30 minutes to one hour after completing your workout, because that’s the best window for your body to absorb the nutrients after a workout.’

 

2. After a Long Meeting: Lauren O’Connor, RD, from Nutri-Savvy advises munching on almonds when feeling foggy in or after a meeting, as they provide you with a little protein and plenty of healthy fats. Montenegro details, ‘Research published in the journal Neuron shows protein, not sugar, activates the cells that keep us awake and burning calories. While whole grain carbohydrates provide the glucose that keeps the brain going, protein is what guarantees that you won’t forget what the meeting was about in the first place. That’s especially true when protein is rich in the amino acid tyrosine, a neurotransmitter that is critical for brain energy and alertness.’

 

3. After an Endurance Event: At the finish line, the name of the game is replacing sweat loss, as you need to replace those glycogen stores. Registered dietician and certified fitness trainer Shari Portnoy, RD, CPT says the best post-marathon foods and drinks will contain mostly carbohydrates, some vitamins and small amount of protein to help replenish those deleted stores. Ximena Jimenez, RD, national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, points out that chocolate-flavoured milk has the ideal 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein, and it helps replace other nutrients. Jimenez enthuses, ‘It’s actually a great source of electrolytes, especially potassium.’

 

4. After a Bad Night’s Sleep: Not only does a restless night make you feel groggy the next day, it also gets in the way of your waistline. Montenegro notes, ‘Researchers at UCLA researchers found that poor sleep causes increased ghrelin and decreased leptin during the day, which can lead to an increased appetite and overeating. To combat this, start your day off with lean protein. Try an ounce of nuts or three ounces (abut a size of a deck of cards) of lean meat, which will keep you feeling satisfied longer. You can also try Greek yogurt mixed with a banana and some Chia seeds sprinkled in.’

 

5. After a Night Out: The morning after a night on the town provides a hangover as well as sleep deprivation, so what you eat is key. Luckily, Jimenez has the morning fix you need: ‘The next day have a virgin Bloody Mary. It’s an easy hangover cure. The tomato juice will replenish your body from water and electrolyte losses caused by an alcohol binge.’

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Categories: long meetings, meetings diet, montenegro, nbsp, night, Protein, Workout

Hangovers and Long Meetings: Diet Help When You Need It Most

 

In life, love, wellness and everything in between, timing is crucial, and this is no less true when it comes to what you eat. According to Marta Montenegro, the creator of the Montenegro Method DVD workout series with a master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology, ‘Depending on the time of day or what situation you’re in, your body needs certain nutritional properties to help you get through—so you can work and live at your optimal level. Food creates all kinds of hormonal reactions in your body—reactions that affect your mood, your alertness, your energy level, and everything in between. So while you may already know what you need to eat, it’s also important to know when to eat it.’ With that in mind, let’s take a look the best foods for your wellbeing, and the best times to eat them.

 

1. After a Tough Workout: While amping up your fitness is eventually good for your muscles, immediately after a workout they will be stressed and broken down. They then grow in preparation for the next challenge, but you need to give them proper nutrition in order to take full advantage of that growth cycle. Andrea Hacker Thompson, MS, RD, of the ACSM Fit Society Page, recommends a carbohydrate-to-protein ratio of 2:1 for short, low-to moderate intensity workouts or 3:1 in long, high intensity training sessions. Montenegro adds, ‘Eat 30 minutes to one hour after completing your workout, because that’s the best window for your body to absorb the nutrients after a workout.’

 

2. After a Long Meeting: Lauren O’Connor, RD, from Nutri-Savvy advises munching on almonds when feeling foggy in or after a meeting, as they provide you with a little protein and plenty of healthy fats. Montenegro details, ‘Research published in the journal Neuron shows protein, not sugar, activates the cells that keep us awake and burning calories. While whole grain carbohydrates provide the glucose that keeps the brain going, protein is what guarantees that you won’t forget what the meeting was about in the first place. That’s especially true when protein is rich in the amino acid tyrosine, a neurotransmitter that is critical for brain energy and alertness.’

 

3. After an Endurance Event: At the finish line, the name of the game is replacing sweat loss, as you need to replace those glycogen stores. Registered dietician and certified fitness trainer Shari Portnoy, RD, CPT says the best post-marathon foods and drinks will contain mostly carbohydrates, some vitamins and small amount of protein to help replenish those deleted stores. Ximena Jimenez, RD, national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, points out that chocolate-flavoured milk has the ideal 3:1 ratio of carbs to protein, and it helps replace other nutrients. Jimenez enthuses, ‘It’s actually a great source of electrolytes, especially potassium.’

 

4. After a Bad Night’s Sleep: Not only does a restless night make you feel groggy the next day, it also gets in the way of your waistline. Montenegro notes, ‘Researchers at UCLA researchers found that poor sleep causes increased ghrelin and decreased leptin during the day, which can lead to an increased appetite and overeating. To combat this, start your day off with lean protein. Try an ounce of nuts or three ounces (abut a size of a deck of cards) of lean meat, which will keep you feeling satisfied longer. You can also try Greek yogurt mixed with a banana and some Chia seeds sprinkled in.’

 

5. After a Night Out: The morning after a night on the town provides a hangover as well as sleep deprivation, so what you eat is key. Luckily, Jimenez has the morning fix you need: ‘The next day have a virgin Bloody Mary. It’s an easy hangover cure. The tomato juice will replenish your body from water and electrolyte losses caused by an alcohol binge.’

The post Hangovers and Long Meetings: Diet Help When You Need It Most appeared first on .

Categories: long meetings, meetings diet, montenegro, nbsp, night, Protein, Workout

Sleep Like a Baby

 

In the past parents regularly put their babies outside in their prams to give them a good dose of fresh air each day. But today many parents worry about babies being too hot or too cold and so keep them indoors more often. And with the increase of cars and indoor shopping centres, children are spending less and less time outside.

 

There is however a big incentive for parents to take their children out for fresh air each day and that’s a good night’s sleep! Recent research has shown that babies who are exposed to natural daylight during the afternoon will sleep longer at night time. The study which was published in the Journal of Sleep Research suggested that spending time outdoors in natural daylight helped babies to establish their circadian rhythm which is essential for setting the body clock, allowing babies to distinguish between day and night.

 

Interestingly, the time of day is important when heading outdoors with baby as experts have found that afternoon daylight in particular is most beneficial. During the study the sleeping habits of 56 babies were recorded and those who slept the longest at night time were found to have been exposed to twice as much light between midday and 4pm.

 

So if you’re a parent who would like to improve your baby’s sleep patterns, try to get out in the fresh air each day. Don’t worry about the weather – even on an overcast or rainy day, your baby will still get the benefits. Keep waterproofs and rain covers ready so that you can pop out whatever the conditions.

 

For more information about healthy sleep for all ages, visit: www.sleepcouncil.org.uk

 

Categories: babies, fresh air, natural daylight, nbsp, night, Night time, sleep, time

Night-Time Outdoor Exercise Session: How to Stay Safe

 

Exercising outdoors is certainly cheaper than going to a gym, but what about outdoor fitness at night? You may not have time to workout in the day, but exercising in the dark seems a little more risky to your wellbeing than it’s worth. Luckily, we’ve got some top safety tips from health and fitness writer Leanne Beattie, so you can work on your wellness when the sun goes down.

 

1. Plan Ahead for Safety: You need to undertake a bit of planning in order to stay safe at night, so here are a few things to consider before heading outside:

 

• ‘Plan your route and tell someone where you will be,’ Beattie instructs. ‘Let your friends or family members know when to expect you back and make sure they know your exercise route.’


• Beattie recommends carrying a ‘phone at all times. It’s also a good idea to locate all public telephones along your route in case your phone is lost or stolen along the way.’


• ‘Carry identification,’ says Beattie. ‘Bring a driver’s license or some sort of ID tag. At the very least, make sure you name, phone number and emergency medical information is printed inside of your shoe or on a card in your pocket.’


• ‘Don’t wear jewellery or carry money,’ Beattie notes. ‘This can help reduce your risk of being targeted for a robbery.’


• Beattie advises, ‘Dress to be seen. Wear reflective materials and bright colours so drivers can see you easily. Although most running shoes now have reflective materials built into them, you can increase your visibility by wearing specially designed running pants, shorts, jackets or even a reflective vest. Carry a flashlight or a flashing device to make you even more noticeable on dark streets.’

 

2. While You’re Out: While planning ahead is important, safety doesn’t stop when you’re out on the road – you need to bear the following in mind:

 

• ‘Don’t exercise alone,’ Beattie warns. ‘There is safety in numbers, so exercise with someone else—even your dog—whenever possible.’


• Beattie cautions, ‘Stay alert. You are the most vulnerable to potential attack when you’re lost in your thoughts and not paying complete attention to your surroundings. Look ahead, to the sides, and turn to watch behind you every once in a while. Be aware of any suspicious people on your route.’


• ‘Don’t wear headphones,’ Beattie suggests. ‘Music restricts your hearing and distracts you from what’s happening in your environment. Wearing headphones can therefore prevent you from hearing an oncoming car or potential attacker. Listen to your surroundings and learn which sounds are normal and which signify potential danger.’


• Beattie points out, ‘Be aware of your environment. Know which businesses are open and where you can go for help in case of an emergency.’


• Beattie outlines, ‘Change your route periodically. The less predictable you are, the less likely it is that someone else can learn your habits or follow you. Avoid unpopulated areas, poorly lit or deserted streets and overgrown trails. Stick with busier streets that are well-lit.’


• ‘Exercise against traffic so you can see oncoming cars,’ says Beattie. ‘Stay clear of parked cars and bushes along the side of the road.’


• ‘Obey your gut feelings and trust your intuition,’ Beattie urges. ‘If you are uneasy about a person or a location along your route, trust your feelings and avoid what is making you anxious.’


• Beattie comments, ‘If you think you’re being followed, change direction immediately and head for the safety of an open store or a lighted home. Use caution if anyone in a vehicle stops and asks you for directions. Remain at least an arm’s length away if you choose to answer.’

 

Categories: night, outdoor exercise, Safety

10 Guilty Pleasures for Hopelessly Boring Couples

When you’re young, you’re desperate to try new things – especially when it comes to your sexual wellness. But once you grow up, get married, have kids etc. you can start pining for those teenage favourites, like soppy, cheesy and uber-romantic dates. Family wellness expert Chaunie Brusie, author of Tiny Blue Lines: Reclaiming Your Life and Preparing For Your Baby, details, ‘When my husband and I were dating, one of our favourite things to do was take a late-night walk around our college campus and hit up the local convenience store for our respective favourite pints of ice cream…Now, officially “grown up,” with a house, a mortgage, careers, kids, and even a fourth baby on the way, it seems like those carefree, ice cream-eating days of dating of old are gone forever. But I was inspired…to create my own list of guilty pleasures for couples, even this hopelessly boring one.’ Why not try one of Brusie’s guilty pleasures on your next date night?

 

1. Late Night Ice Cream Sessions: ‘Because obviously,’ states Brusie. ‘Did you really think this wouldn’t make the list? Bonus points for enjoying your ice cream accompanied by a cheesy movie and/or anywhere outside.’

 

2. Watching The Sunrise Under a Cosy Blanket: According to Brusie, there’s no limit to ‘how beautiful this guilty pleasure can be. If you have to play hooky from work together to make this one happen, all the more romantic.’

 

3. Staying Up All Night Together: ‘I’m not talking about staying up all night together because you have no choice with small, screaming children,’ says Brusie. ‘I’m talking about staying up all night just for fun, and indulge in some crazy, cheesy, calorie-ridden meal because nothing tastes better in the middle of the night.’

 

4. Couples’ Massages: Brusie asks, ‘Need I say more? There’s always the DIY option if your budget does not approve.’

 

5. Sleeping Alone…To Start With: According to Brusie, ‘Maybe this is just a phenomenon of the long-married, but there’s something that makes sleeping alone in your marital bed that feels gloriously guilty. Maybe your husband is out on the town for a boys’ night, or maybe you’re sipping cocktails for a bachelorette party, but starting out alone then slipping underneath the covers can certainly spice things up a bit.’

 

6. Cookie Dough: Brusie asserts, ‘Salmonella warnings, be damned. Heat up the kitchen by mixing up a batch of homemade cookies — and feeding each other the dough. Somehow, I love cookie dough more than the cookies.’

 

7. A Late Night On the Town: ‘I’m going to let my parenting side show here,’ Brusie admits. ‘But is there anything more reckless than a night of drinking with your man when you know you don’t have to get up with kids the next day? Call me crazy, but I can’t properly enjoy a night out if I know I have a morning in the next day. Babysitter + booze = night made.’

 

8. Shameless Netflix Marathons: Brusie points out, ‘We’ve all been there. But if you and your man can get on board with the same show? It’s a match made in sitcom heaven. My husband and I so rarely agree on TV shows, me being more Call The Midwife and he being all Star Trek every season that I don’t even count this one as guilty.’

 

9. Browsing Dream House Plans Together: ‘So you’ll never really be able to build that 4,000-square-foot home with the pool and swim-up bar,’ Brusie allows. ‘But it never hurts to look and dream together, right?’

 

10. Making Out in the Car: Brusie comments, ‘Don’t believe me? Give it a whirl, even if you’re just stopped in the grocery store parking lot. I’m not sure why this can be so exciting, but I guess we can all just be thankful that we are cheap dates these days.’

Categories: brusie, cookie dough, date night, guilty, guilty pleasures, ice cream, late night, long-term relationship, making plans, nbsp, night, night nbsp

Up All Night? Six Ways to Treat Your Insomnia

Sleep is essential to the human body’s ability to function, yet there are millions of people who struggle to fall asleep every night due to insomnia. There are few things more frustrating than lying in bed, exhausted, without being able to fall asleep. While there are many different insomnia treatments out there for sufferers of the condition to try, these are six of the most effective:

 

Melatonin Supplements

Melatonin is a natural hormone your body produces at night to make you fall asleep easier. Inadequate production of melatonin often manifests in difficulty getting to sleep and insomnia. This problem is easily treatable with a melatonin supplement. The normalized levels of melatonin in the body help sufferers of low melatonin-induced insomnia fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

 

Sleeping Pills

While sleeping pills are not a long-term solution to insomnia, they can be used to provide sleep during your worst nights. There are prescription sleeping pills specifically made to treat insomnia, but prolonged used of these drugs can result in dependency and worsen the insomniac’s condition.

 

Proper Sleep Hygiene

Designating a specific time and place to go to sleep—and sticking to your designations—is one of the best ways to practice good sleep habits. When you go to bed at different times, or in different locations, your body’s sleep schedule and recognition response get confused. A sleep systems expert from Crowley Furniture Mattress Store often advises people to set aside their bed for sleeping purposes only, as reading, eating, etc. on your bed causes your body to respond to it as it would an active place, rather than a restful place. Only use your bed when you go to sleep at night, and be sure to keep roughly the same sleeping hours every night. This will restore your body’s natural sleep-recognition cycle and help you get to sleep faster.

 

Avoiding Alcohol

Many people think that a drink or two will actually word as a sleep aid, since it relaxes and tires the drinker out. While a drink will make you sleepy, alcohol actually prevents the body from sleeping properly by blocking the REM cycle. Since this cycle is necessary for deep sleep and a sense of restfulness, those who drink before bed will usually wake up feeling as if they did not sleep at all.

 

Getting Out of Bed

A common habit of many insomniacs is rolling around in bed for hours, trying to fall asleep. Doing this, however, raises stress levels, making it even harder to get to sleep. If you are having trouble sleeping, try getting out of bed and participating in a relaxing activity until you feel tired. Read a book, take a bath, or drink a cup of tea—do whatever you find works to lower your stress levels and allow you to get back to sleep.

 

Abdominal Breathing Exercises

 

Relaxation techniques are a great way to prepare the body sleep. Deep breathing with your chest, stomach and back will slowly help you become more relaxed. Breathing exercises like this clear the mind and send calming signals through the body, stopping the release of the stress hormones which are often responsible for insomnia.

 

There are many possible causes of insomnia, so it may require a lot of trial-and-error with treatments to determine what, exactly, works for your insomnia.

Categories: body, breathing exercises, fall asleep, insomnia, nbsp, night, sleep, Sleeping, sleeping pills, Stress Levels, treat

Five Shocking Things You Didn"t Know About A Good Night"s Rest

With hectic schedules, constant electronic connection and family responsibilities. Many people are finding themselves struggling to go down each night for restful sleep after a long day had ended. However, a number of factors you may not know about can contribute to poor sleep patterns and their bad effects throughout the day.

 

1 – Mild Phobias Sometimes Cause Sleep Problems

If you have problems falling asleep, it may be because of mild phobias that you aren’t aware of, but still cause enough mental distress to keep you awake. These fears can range from fear of the dark to issues of personal safety or stress from events earlier in life. These issues may require professional help to allow a good night’s sleep.

 

2 – Night Time Breathing Problems Can Have Serious Health Effects

Sleep apnea causes periods of halted breathing during the night that can disturb sleep and lead to serious health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and even dementia. Your dentist can fit you with a dental appliance that helps to support the tissues of the mouth and throat so that you can breathe effectively all night long and get full night’s worth of healthy, refreshing sleep. The professionals from Sheron Dental say that obstructive breathing can be one of the largest sleep issues that adults struggle with.

 

3 – A Good Night’s Sleep Helps You To Maintain A Healthy Weight

A number of studies confirm that people who get less than six hours of sleep each night tend to gain weight more easily than those who sleep longer. Researchers believe this occurs because poor sleep habits can increase the amount of a stress hormone in the body called cortisol. This hormone is associated with weight gain, especially around the waist.

 

4 – Sleep Problems Affect Immune System Function

Lack of sleep can affect your immune system function, making you more vulnerable to getting colds, the flu and other transient illnesses that are ordinarily in your environment. Getting the right amount of sleep on a consistent basis is a great way to ensure that you can resist these pathogens so that you can stay healthy.

 

5 – Timing of Exercise Can Help You Sleep Better

Regular exercise is important for your overall good health. However, if you exercise too close to you bedtime, it can interfere with your ability to relax before sleep and fall asleep easily. Ensure that your exercise routine is completed at least 6 hours before your bedtime to allow your body to return to a proper resting state.

 

Your sleep is an important to your health as good diet, regular exercise and proper medical care. Ensure that you are doing all you can to foster good sleep habits every night. Your body is a combination of many systems and for optimum health all those systems need to be working together properly. Sleep plays a vital role, allowing your body to rebuild itself and be ready for the next day. Learn from this tips and apply what you are lacking into your life.

 

About the Author:

Brionna Kennedy is native to the Pacific Northwest, growing up in Washington, then moving down to Oregon for college. She enjoys writing on fashion and business, but any subject will do, she loves to learn about new topics. When she isn’t writing, she lives for the outdoors. Oregon has been the perfect setting to indulge her love of kayaking, rock climbing, and hiking.

Categories: good, health, mild phobias, nbsp, night, nights, poor sleep, regular exercise, shocking, sleep, sleep habits, sleep problems

The Secrets to Helping You Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is vitally important for your health and wellness. When you are not getting a full night’s sleep, you can find that your physical and emotional wellbeing are affected. Fortunately, there are some simple lifestyle changes that you could make to help you get a better night’s sleep.

 

First of all, try to keep regular hours. Having some kind of routine can be very important for your sleep cycles. Try to go to bed at roughly the same time every day – make sure you choose a time when you are most likely to be feeling sleepy.

 

You should also try to ensure that your sleeping environment is as restful as possible. Make sure that your bedroom is reserved solely for rest, sleep (and lovemaking!) Oust all distractions such as televisions and computer screens, to avoid distractions. You should also make sure the room is a restful temperature and that the lighting and noise are controlled to help the bedroom environment be as relaxing as possible.

 

A comfortable bed is also a great pathway to a good night’s sleep, so make sure that you invest in a high quality mattress that is neither too hard nor too soft and make sure your bed is not too noisy and that it allows plenty of room to move around as much as you wish during the night.

 

If you tend to sleep with a pet, relocate it to somewhere else in the house. Not only is sleeping with a pet unhygienic, it can actually be causing you far more restlessness than you realise. Pets often move around during the night and make a noise, plus the breathing atmosphere created by a room full of animal fur can cause night time respiratory issues that can keep you awake.

 

If you follow all these steps, you are likely to get a much better night’s sleep.

Categories: better, night, sleep

Sleep Yourself Slim: How to Lose Weight Whilst Sleeping

It sounds ideal, doesn’t it? Sleeping your way to reduced weight and better wellness and wellbeing? You may be laughing, but the truth is that sleep is very important if you are trying to lose weight – possibly even more important than fitness.

 

A new study has shown that getting a good night’s sleep is a very important factor when it comes to weight loss. Researchers discovered that both men and women who were able to get at least six hours of sleep per night coped better with the normal stresses and strains of everyday life, and were also twice as likely to lose weight when they were on a diet as those who were getting less sleep than this.

 

Scientists believe that if you get between six and eight hours of sleep per night, your hormones are likely to be more balanced especially the hormones that govern how hungry or full you feel. Stress hormones are also likely to be balanced, and this, in turn, means that you are likely to feel happier and are less likely to binge on unhealthy food or comfort eat.

 

The study was carried out with 500 overweight Americans, and they had to cut back their daily calorie intake by about 500 calories, as well as increasing the amount of exercise that they did until they were exercising for three hours per week. They were also advised to eat a diet that was low in fat and rich in fruits and vegetables. Researchers provided weekly group meetings for help and support, and during this they asked dieters about their sleep habits, time spent in front of a screen and how stressed they felt. It was found that those who had between six and eight hours of sleep were likely to have lost the most weight.

Categories: hours, Lose weight, loss, nbsp, night, sleep, weight

Night-Time Snacking: Is Your Internal Body Clock to Blame?

Night-time eating may not seem like a major health concern, but it’s one that a lot of people struggle with. According to registered dietician Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, author of S.A.S.S! Yourself Slim: Conquer Cravings, Drop Pounds and Lose Inches, ‘Over the years, many of my clients on quests to eat healthier and lose weight have told me, “I do great all day, but at night, everything just seems to fall apart.” Sometimes this happens because evening hours are less busy and structured, or because we create patterns that once formed, are difficult to break, like nibbling while cooking, or always eating a sweet treat after dinner.’

However, a new study, published in the journal Obesity, has suggested that craving cookies after dark is physiologically programmed into your body. The researchers blame your circadian system – or internal clock – for tampering with your wellness, as it prompts you to reach for sweet, starchy, and salty foods in the evenings, especially around 8:00 pm. There may be an evolutionary element involved here, with your ancestors developing this built-in need to feed in order to store fat for survival when food was scarce. However, today you’re not going out of your cave and throwing a spear at a mammoth; you have everything you need at your local supermarket, and so your night-time cravings can take a hefty toll on your health and your waistline. So, how do you stop yourself going overboard in the evening?

1. Use your head: ‘For many people, eating in general, regardless of what time, tends to be mindless,’ Sass notes. ‘But when you start thinking about food as fuel for activity, it can help bring the importance of quality and balance into focus. In a nutshell, the fate of a meal or snack depends on what’s going in your body during your post-noshing hours. Eating the bulk of your food in the evening, when your activity level is low, results in winding up with far more fuel than you body needs, and the surplus gets sent straight to your fat cells.’ While you sleep, your body does the bulk of its maintenance, healing, and repair work, so processed junk food isn’t what you need to build muscle tissue, maintain a healthy immune system, or keep your skin looking radiant.

2. Break the pattern: Making a conscious effort to break the pattern of routine night-time eating can help, even if you just change the order in which you perform your evening activities. Sass explains, ‘Simply breaking the connections between certain activities and eating can help your brain let go of the notion that it doesn’t feel “right” not to follow through. Setting up new routines may seem forced or awkward at first, but before long, the healthier pattern will become your new normal.’

3. Pre-plan your meals: If you get home after a long day and there are no healthy options ready and waiting for you, you’re more likely to make a meal out of less than optimal snacks, or reach for comfort foods. Sass advises, ‘If you don’t feel like being creative, keep the ingredients for a few quick go-to meals on hand, so you can whip them up in a jiffy. One of my favourite quickies is a simple lentil salad. I always keep my fridge stocked with organic greens, and steamed vacuum-sealed lentils (you can find these in the produce section). I simply toss the greens with balsamic vinegar, add a scoop of lentils, sprinkle with sliced almonds, and pair with a serving of 100% whole grain crackers (or crush them on top).’

 

Categories: body, circadian rhythm, eating, night, Night time, sass, Snacking, time, time eating

Is it True That More Sleep Will Help You Lose Weight?

Sleep – we know it is one of the essential things that our bodies need to survive. Recharging your proverbial batteries is required every day. If we missed even one night of sleep we would find ourselves sluggish and tired for probably several days afterwards. And we all know the great feeling of a good night sleep and how it can affect our moods. Conversely, if you have a bad night sleep it can make your irritable, grouchy and unpleasant to be around. So for many people, sleep is a lovely thing that does wonders for them during the day.

 

And yet, despite our great attitude towards getting a good night sleep, it seems that many of us take it for granted in a sense. Certainly many people consider getting plenty of sleep to be at a premium – it is a luxury that is confined only to weekends and days off. But is this actually doing our health any good? It’s common knowledge that when people go to the doctor’s suffering with illnesses and conditions, getting more sleep is one of the most commonly prescribed treatments. Our modern lifestyles seem to have given us a chronic lack of sleep, which isn’t good for us.

 

But interestingly, it has now been revealed that sleeping more can even help you lose weight. And indeed, conversely, not getting enough sleep can lead to you putting on weight. A team of researchers at the Sleep Medicine Program at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City have said that the amount that you sleep and possibly even the quality of your sleep may work in tandem to affect the hormonal activity that causes changes in our appetites.

 

The researchers were able to discover that sleep and sleep disruption effect drastic changes in to the body – including possibly altering weight loss, and ultimately a person’s weight. This suggests very interesting things about how sleep could be changing our bodies in ways that we don’t currently understand. It is true that doctors have known for a long time that many hormones are affected by sleep, but it wasn’t until recently that appetite was noted to be a major part of this as well. What illuminated this was research on the hormones leptin and ghrelin.

 

The hormones leptin and ghrelin work in a system that seems to be able to control feelings of hunger and fullness. Ghrelin – which is produced by the body in the gastrointestinal tract – stimulates appetite, while leptin – which is created in fat cells – sends a signal to the brain when you are full. It seems that when we don’t get enough sleep ghrelin in stimulated in a way that means your appetite increased, while the levels of leptin mean that you’ll  feel less sated by the food that you eat.

 

Clearly these two things working at once can lead you into a situation where you feel the need to eat more, because you appetite is high and when you do eat food you don’t feel any satisfaction from it. This is turn leads to serious problems regarding overeating. And understandably when we overeat we are likely to put on weight. This becomes a problem because if we are not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, we will often find ourselves in a position that makes us more likely to overeat.

 

To counteract this it is recommended that you try to get plenty of sleep if you have found yourself gaining weight recently. It is likely that the lack of sleep is a big issue for you.

Categories: appetite, deep sleep, hormones leptin, Lose weight, nbsp, night, night sleep, sleep, sleep more, weight

City of Lights Gets Curfew as France Implements Regulations

As one of the world’s most comprehensive lighting ordinances went into effect last month, France — including the City of Light — grew darker late at night. Between the hours of 1am and 7am, shop lights are turned off, lights inside office buildings must be extinguished within an hour of workers leaving the premises and the lighting on France’s building facades cannot be turned on before sunset. Within the next two years, there will also be regulations restricting lighting on billboards – but why? Excessive use of light makes a deep impact on environmental wellness, not only harming the wellbeing of animals but also adversely affecting our health and wellness.

 

France’s enlightened approach should eventually cut the country’s carbon dioxide emissions by 250,000 tons per year, save the annual energy consumption of about 750,000 households, and slash France’s overall energy bill by 200 million Euros, or 167.8 million pounds. According to France’s Environment Ministry, their goal is to ‘reduce the print of artificial lighting on the nocturnal environment,’ which is a powerful acknowledgement that excessive use of lighting is negatively impacting health and our ecosystems, as well as proving that light pollution is readily within our grasp to control.

 

Paul Bogard, author of The End of Night: Searching for Natural Darkness in an Age of Artificial Light and editor of Let There Be Night: Testimony on Behalf of the Dark, explains, ‘Researchers are increasingly focusing on the impacts of so-called ecological light pollution, warning that disrupting these natural patterns of light and dark, and thus the structures and functions of ecosystems, is having profound impacts. The problem is worsening as China, India, Brazil, and numerous other countries are becoming increasingly affluent and urbanised. Satellite views of Earth at night show vast areas of North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia glowing white, with only the world’s remotest regions — Siberia, the Tibetan plateau, the Sahara Desert, the Amazon, and the Australian outback — still cloaked in darkness.’

 

Italian astronomer Fabio Falchi, a creator of the World Atlas of the Artificial Night Sky Brightness, the computer-generated maps that dramatically depict the extent of light pollution across the globe, comments, ‘We have levels of light hundreds and thousands of time higher than the natural level during the night. What would happen if we modified the day and lowered the light a hundred or a thousand times?’ He concedes that this would be much worse, but his point is that ‘you cannot modify [light] half the time without consequences.’ Few countries and cities are doing anything to lessen their light pollution, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

 

However, the approach of using LEDs may be doing more harm than good to the planet. ‘Technological advances such as LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, can improve our ability to reduce and better regulate lighting,’ says Bogard. ‘But these same new lights may actually make things worse because they contain heavy doses of a “blue-rich” white light that is especially disruptive to circadian rhythms.’ This was the conclusion of Falchi and others in a recent article from the Journal of Environmental Management, which noted that LEDs could ‘exacerbate known and possible unknown effects of light pollution on human health (and the) environment’ by more than five times.

 

Bogard asserts, ‘Scientists are investigating new ways to provide society with the lighting it demands for security, commerce, and aesthetics, while greatly reducing the flood of light that is increasingly interfering with human health and the ability of many creatures to function.’ Explaining France’s new lighting rules, Delphine Batho, who was, until recently, France’s environment minister, described the government’s desire to ‘change the culture’ to include responsible use of light. Bogard comments, ‘This change is to be applauded, for what increasing numbers of studies — as well as our own eyes — tell us is that we are using far more light than we need, and at tremendous cost.’

Categories: Excessive Lighting, France, human health, Light, light pollution, lighting, night, pollution, Regulations

Seniors: Get a Better Night"s Rest With These Tips

As we age it becomes increasingly difficult to get a good night’s sleep, as our sleep patterns change dramatically. The great restful sleep we used to enjoy in our younger days gradually dissipates until it’s difficult to even fall asleep, let alone be well rested. By the time we reach 70, our night time sleep has shrunk by almost half meaning we get just 6.6 hours, compared to 11.6 when we are infants. There are a number of problems which can interfere with our ability to sleep, from dietary complaints to bone problems, which should be examined by a GP, but these are some ways to improve your sleep pattern. From lifestyle changes to simply being more active, your lifestyle choices could be to blame for your lack of sleep. These are easily modified though, so that you can rest and sleep for longer – effective sleep is vital for our wellbeing.

 

Exercise is a great way to help your ability to sleep. Studies suggest that seniors who exercised slept an average of 50 minute more each night than those who led a sedentary lifestyle. In addition to that, women who were physically active rated their quality of sleep far higher than those who didn’t exercise. A brisk walk could be enough each day to improve your ability to sleep – if you’re new to exercise, build up to regular exercise to avoid injury and stress to the body. Changing your routine could actually help seniors to fall asleep more easily. Light meals in the evening are advised, such as fish and vegetables instead of spaghetti, as this will cut the risk of a disturbed nights sleep. The same can be said of liquids right before bedtime, which will only increase the need to wake up in the middle of the night needing the bathroom. It’s also helpful to avoid stressful activities right before bed, so save the tax forms or potentially stressful phone calls until the morning – they will only serve to upset a calmed mind. A nice warm bath and reading a book, or listening to music, to help you calm your mind before bed can be beneficial for many people.

If you live in a busy area, or are easily woken by noises outside, this will lead to a regularly disrupted sleep. Ear plugs can solve this problem fairly easily, helping to block out any unwanted noise to help you drift off peacefully and get a restful nights sleep. There are many varieties to choose from and they’re easily found – your local supermarket or pharmacy should stock them. Paradoxical thinking can also be effective – this works by tricking your body into trying to stay up as late as possible, instead of trying to fall asleep. This technique has proven effective for many people over the years. There are various variations on this concept, which may be worth looking into if your other changes haven’t work. Medication can be used, of course, but should be an absolute last resort. You should speak to your GP if you think you may need sleep medication to help you sleep more thoroughly, and this should be monitored closely as it is easy to form a habit with these pills. You may find that a combination of the above changes leads to a better nights sleep, but if there are health problems you have which are leading to a disrupted sleep these should be solved first – for example, people with arthritis often struggle to sleep because of the pain. Resolving these issues with the help of your GP could help you regain your sleep pattern again.

Categories: Age, disrupted sleep, easily, exercise, fall asleep, night, nights, nights sleep, seniors, sleep, sleep pattern, techniques

Early Birds v/s Night Owls: Why Are Morning People Happier?

You may doubt the mental wellness of people who enjoy getting up early, but according to a recent study published in the American Psychological Association journal Emotion, early birds are generally happier than night owls. Researchers found that self-dubbed “morning people” had a better physical and emotional wellbeing, possibly due to that fact that society caters to a morning person’s schedule. Most people work the standard nine to five, rather than later hours, and you know leaving things until the afternoon never works. So how can your corporate wellness benefit from a little early bird wisdom?

 

1. Make a to-do list the day before: Andrew Jensen, a business efficiency consultant, explains, ‘Some people like to do the to-do schedule in the morning, but then they might have already lost office time writing it out. It helps to do that to-do schedule the night before. It also will help you sleep better.’

 

2. Get a full night’s rest: While we’re on the subject of sleeping better, your workday is heavily influenced the night before, as a lack of sleep ruins your concentration and productivity. Try to get a good seven to nine hours every night, and you’ll be employee of the month in no time.

 

3. Stop hitting the snooze button: Jensen notes, ‘Anyone can be made into a morning person. Anyone can make morning their most productive time. It could be that for the entire week, you set your alarm clock a little bit earlier, and you get out of bed on the first alarm. It may be a pain at first, but eventually you’ll get to the point where you’re getting your seven to eight hours of sleep at night, you’re waking up with all your energy, and accomplishing the things around the house you need to before going to the office.’

 

4. Exercise in the morning, instead of after work: ‘Exercise improves mood and energy levels,’ Jensen asserts. ‘There have been studies done on employees who’ve exercised before work or during the work day. Those employees have been found to have better time-management skills, and an improved mental sharpness. … Those same studies found these workers are more patient with their peers.’

 

5. Create a morning ritual: Whether you get up early to read the paper, pray or meditate, or surf the web, Jensen urges, ‘it’s important to have that quiet time with just you.’

 

6. Don’t neglect breakfast: Not only is this an important part of health and weight maintenance, but breakfast gives you the fuel you need to recharge after a night of fasting, and concentrate for the day ahead. If you’re not a breakfast person, just grab something light and healthy.

 

7. Don’t be late: Sometimes you miss the bus or get caught in traffic, and arriving on time becomes impossible. Still, once you’ve worked out how long it takes to get into the office, it’s a good idea to get in as early as possible. Even if your boss doesn’t mind you coming in half an hour later, the sooner you get in, the sooner you can get your work done and go home – it’s a no-brainer.

 

8. Tackle the big projects first: This goes hand-in-hand with your “night before to-do list”, as you now know what needs doing, and in which order. Jump in as soon as you get there (otherwise you’ll just keep procrastinating) and tackle the tough stuff straightaway. Jensen warns, ‘Don’t jump into meaningless projects when you’re at your mental peak for the day.’ If you’re an employer, don’t make your workers sit through a meeting in the morning. Jensen argues, ‘You should use your prime skills during the prime time of the day. I believe that mornings are the most productive time.’ However, very important meetings are another story. ‘Sometimes you have to schedule a crucial meeting, or a client meeting,’ Jensen allows. ‘In which case you’d want to plan for a time when employees are at their peak.’

Categories: early birds, exercise, Morning, morning people, morning person, Morning Ritual, nbsp, night, night owls, productive time, sleep, time

Could Your Child’s Environment Influence Nap Time?

Although you can blame your child’s genes for how long he or she sleeps at night, a good nap time depends on his or her environmental wellness. This is according to a new study in twins, published online in the journal Paediatrics, which found that genes may play a big role in babies’ and toddlers’ night time sleep wellness, while environment is key during nap time. This is based on data from nearly 1,000 twins, who were followed to the age of four. So, can you control how much sleep your little one gets at night, or is nap-time the only period you have power over?

 

According to study leader Evelyne Touchette, of Laval University in Quebec, Canada, you ‘should not give up on trying to correct inadequate sleep duration or bad sleep habits early in childhood.’ This is because environment was still found influence babies’ and toddlers’ night-time sleep, even seemingly overshadowing genes by the age of 18 months. Touchette noted that the reasons for the study results remain unclear, but she surmised that environment may take over genes at 18 months because the maturation of the brain may be key in infants’ ability to sleep for longer stretches at night. However, after this point your child’s genes take charge of their wellbeing once more, and for this there is clear explanation, Touchette said.

 

Hawley Montgomery-Downs, an associate professor of psychology at West Virginia University in Morgantown who was not involved in the study, commented that it’s impossible to break down children’s sleep into “nature or nurture” questions, noting, ‘Everything is a complex interaction between genes and environment.’ She added, ‘We’ve still got a lot to learn about children’s sleep.’ Still, what can you, as a parent for whom bedtime is anything but peaceful, take away from this study?

 

It’s often a battle to get your child to settle down and fall asleep, especially when you have so many questions about getting it right. How much sleep does your child need? Is your child waking up too often in the night or is that normal? Does your child nap enough, too much or too little? Unfortunately, Montgomery-Downs said that there are no clear-cut answers, but experts do have some general advice, based on what’s typical for young children. The National Sleep Foundation notes that babies from the age of three to 11 months tend to sleep for nine to 12 hours a night, albeit not straight through. These infants also take an average of one to four naps a day, and this number decreases as they approach a year. According to the Foundation, toddlers have an average of 12 to 14 hours of sleep over 24 hours, with most taking at least one daytime nap.

 

But what do those stats mean to you as a parent? Should you be worried if your child is a stubborn napper, or sleeps less than other kids their age? ‘Just because most kids average a certain amount of sleep doesn’t mean that’s the “normal” amount,’ Montgomery-Downs explained. ‘We know that with adults, there’s a lot of individual variation in how much sleep a person needs.’ And so the same might be said of your kids, although the research isn’t there to know for sure. However, Touchette advised against feeding your child each time they wake, as her team discovered that this make five-month-old’s less likely to sleep for six straight hours at night. She added that staying with your child until he falls asleep and picking him up each time he fusses are not good ideas, either, but Montgomery-Downs recommended setting a routine, including a consistent bedtime and a soothing activity such as reading a story.

Categories: Child, Child Sleep, montgomery downs, nap time, Naps, night, Night time, Research, sleep, time, time sleep, toddlers night

Up All Night: How to Get a Better Night’s Sleep

Nothing ruins your day quite like a bad night’s sleep; your brain gets fuzzier, your mood becomes a little more irritable and even dragging yourself off the sofa can be a hassle. However, sleep problems are not just a regular little annoyance; they’re a real wellness problem, often with a physical health concern lying underneath. Luckily, a physical problem means that there’s a physical solution, so how can you protect your wellbeing against the dreaded bad night’s sleep?

 

1. When you keep waking up in the middle of the night…

Waking up in the middle of the night is more and more of an issue as you age, and it prevents you from getting that deep, restful REM sleep you need to look young and fresh, and just function on a basic level! The most important thing to do is relax and not freak yourself out about not getting enough sleep, as worrying about it will make it harder to get back to sleep. There are simple steps you can take to ensure you get back to sleep:

 

• Keep the room dark, even when you wake up. Use a small torch or book light to navigate your way around if you need to, but never turn a light on – even in the bathroom.


• Don’t turn on your TV or computer when you wake, as even a minute of light from the screen will “reset” your internal clock, stimulate your central nervous system and make it harder for you to fall back asleep.


• Avoid eating as this can rev up your digestive system and keep you awake. However, if hunger woke you up in the first place, you might need a snack to nod off again.


• Keep a pen and paper next to your bed, and write down all the worries and to-do lists that are racing through your mind.

 

2. When you wake up with a headache or sore jaw…

You might be grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw while you sleep, which is a common sleep disorder called bruxism. You should consult your dentist, who can check for damage to your teeth and suggest ways to prevent this damage in future. This will often include lifestyle changes, such as cutting out chewing gum and alcohol before bed, or wearing a dental guard or splint at night. If the problem persists, you may want to consider Botox injections to your jaw muscle, or a biofeedback device called Grindcare.

 

3. When you constantly need to use the bathroom…

Getting up to go to the loo throughout the night is known as nocturia, which, according to the National Sleep Foundation, causes 65% of older adults to experience sleep deprivation. The first thing to do is look at how often you wake up, and why. If you’re a man, your prostate may be to blame so it’s a good idea to get checked out. If you’re a woman, go to your GP to see if you have an underlying urinary issue, such as incontinence, an overactive bladder, urinary tract infections, or cystitis. Whether you have an underlying problem or it’s just a natural part of growing older, there are things you can do to stop your bladder waking you in the night:

 

• Try kegel exercises to strengthen the muscles at the neck of your bladder.


• Don’t drink liquids for three hours before bedtime.


• Reduce your intake of caffeine, as this can irritate your bladder.


• At dinner or after dinner, avoid foods with high liquid content, such as soup or fruit.

Categories: nbsp, night, problem, sleep, sleep nbsp, sleep problems, Sore Head, wake, waking

How Menopause Could Impact Your Sleep Pattern

One of the most common symptoms of menopause is disrupted sleep. In fact, 61 percent of women aged between 45 and 60 say that they suffer from sleepless nights and other sleep-related problems. However, most women don’t consider this problem to be serious enough to seek treatment for, so it goes on. A lack of sleep can increase your risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain and immune system dysfunction, so it’s more important than people think. Here are five of the most common ways the menopause can sabotage sleep, and how you can solve it. If you’re concerned about any aspect of your menopausal symptoms, though, you should seek the advice of your GP who can talk through your concerns with you. This may result in supplements or medication to control some of your symptoms.

 

Night sweats are common with menopause, as you get hot flushes during the night which causes you to wake up drenched in sweat. These temperature fluctuations can cause a disrupted night’s sleep though, as well as making you feel uncomfortable. One of the lesser-known roles that oestrogen plays in the body is that is controls your inner temperature. When the levels of this hormone drop, your temperature gauge suddenly doesn’t have a control. One of the ways to deal with this is to check your medication with your GP, as some pills can lead to night sweats which make the problem worse, but you can also help yourself by keeping the window open slightly when you sleep and sleep in cotton pj’s. Turn the temperature down in your house and regulate your own temperature with blankets, which you can thrown on and off when you need to. Some women find that herbal remedies also work effectively, specifically those which contain black cohosh.

Stress and hormones aren’t a good mix, so when you combine these with your menopause you’re in for a disturbed night’s sleep. PMS and extreme mood swings can leave you feeling unrested and anxious, even leading to depression. Progesterone is one of the key hormones involved in the menopause but this is also responsible for calming the nervous system and relaxation. Speak to your GP about progesterone cream which can help to combat the symptoms of menopause, one of which is sleeplessness. Some women find that supplements are useful with this problem as well, namely vitamin B6 and 5-HTP.

Disrupted sleep can affect as many as 79 percent of menopausal women, who struggle to stay asleep. The withdrawal of oestrogen in the body can lead to a stress response system, which means you find yourself waking up at the slightest sound. As a result, you’re also more susceptible to stress. The best way to deal with this is to eat by a regular schedule so that your blood sugar levels are regulated and your adrenal glands are kept stress-free. Exercise can also help to regulate stress, as well as boosting the levels of serotonin which fights stress. Some form of aerobic exercise, preferably before dinner, will help you to drift off into a sound sleep. You can also help yourself by setting yourself up to have an undisturbed sleep – for example, empty your bladder before you go to sleep so that you’re not at risk of waking up needing the toilet, and avoid citrus or caffeine which can trigger the bladder.A probiotic or cranberry juice will help to clear any underlying infection, which may trigger your bladder to be overactive, and you may find practicing your kegel exercises effective in helping to control your bladder.

Categories: disrupted sleep, Menopause, night, night sweats, sleep, Stress, Women

How to Deal With the Difficult Problem of Waking at Night

Nocturia is one of the most unsettling health concerns experienced by men and women as they get older. Nocturia means waking in the night to go to the toilet. As you get older, the wellness and wellbeing of your bladder deteriorates, and your body becomes less able to hold fluids for a long period of time. This is due to a decline in antidiuretic hormones within the human body. Even drinking the same amount as you did before, you may find that you are waking more often to go to the loo.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, around 65 percent of older people suffer from sleep deprivation as a result of having to wake up frequently in the night to go to the bathroom. Ironically, aging also makes it more difficult to fall asleep, so waking up in the night is doubly problematic. The best solution to the problem is, therefore, to attempt to not wake up in the night at all.

The best way to help achieve this is to not drink any liquids for around three hours before you go to bed. You should also cut down on tea and coffee, both of which irritate the bladder and make you feel like you need to go to the toilet more often. Bear in mind that some foods contain a high liquid content, too, such as fruits and soups, so it is best to avoid these in the evenings. You should also consider not eating for three hours before bed, as this can lead to digestive problems such as heartburn and reflux.

You can also get a prescription of anti-diuretic from your doctor, which may help cut down on night time urination. It is worth bearing in mind, though, that there are other problems which may be causing night time urination. In men, this may be a sign of inflammation of the prostate or a tumour in the prostate, so it is worth going in for a prostate exam if you are suffering from this. Going to the toilet frequently can also signal a urinary issue in women, such as an infection.

Categories: nbsp, night, Night time, nocturia, time, time urination, toilet, waking

Tips for Getting the Sleep You Deserve

How you feel during the day has a lot to do with the amount and quality of sleep you have at night. To lead a productive life in which you can give the best of yourself to the world you need to ensure you rest appropriately. People that have difficulties sleeping will experience moodiness and reduced concentration. Insomnia sufferers will even go through stages of slowed speech, apathy and reduced memory.

In collaboration with UK based health cash plans provider Paycare we’ve consulted author of several sleep books, chief medical liaison of Philips Respironics and professor of Medicine, Dr. Lee-Chiong and asked him about his best tips for a good night’s sleep to help us stay as fresh and sharp as possible during the day.

 

What are your best tips to sleep better?

“My number one tip for better sleep is to disconnect before bedtime. This means turning off your TV, computer and cell phone, and disengaging from the concerns of your job or school work. Other tips for better sleep are clearing your schedule and avoiding any ‘waking activities,’ such as exercise, right before you go to bed. As the third pillar of health and well-being, along with diet and exercise, it is very important that people take the time to sleep; and taking the time to sleep means disconnecting from all the concerns and issues of the day.”

 

How do you ensure you get a good night’s rest?

“The first step to getting a good night’s rest is to stop expecting your sleep will be perfect every night. Like everything else in life, there will be ups and downs. You will have good sleep some nights and bad sleep other nights. The key is to create an environment that is most comfortable to you. Disconnect. Don’t become overly anxious that tonight’s sleep will not be perfect as you lay down your head to rest.”

Do you have a ritual before you go to bed?

“Sleep comes naturally for most people and is best unplanned. A bedtime ritual should be regular but not regimented. You should avoid the things that prevent you from sleeping, and these may vary from person to person. Some individuals might sleep poorly if there is light in the room, yet others, especially those fearful of the dark, may find some solace in having a soft light in the bedroom. I always recommend that you should find your own best ways to sleep well. My ritual before going to bed is making sure my room is dark and cool.”

 

What prevents us from getting a good night’s rest?

“The best night’s rest requires the proper duration, timing, quality and consolidation (i.e., infrequent awakenings during the night) of sleep. Disruptions of any one of these factors may prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep. Thus, insufficient duration of sleep (not allowing enough time to sleep), improper timing of sleep (such as seen with shift work or jet lag), and poor quality or abnormal consolidation of sleep (due to noise, pain, sleep apnea or excessive caffeine) can all prevent you from getting a good night’s rest.”

 

So there you have it. These are the best tips to sleep better. If you abide by these guidelines you’ll feel better rested and more in control of whatever life throws at you.

 

Categories: night, Rest, sleep, time, Tips

What Are The Best And Worst Foods To Help You Get To Sleep?

Sleep is extremely important to your wellness. Any number of health concerns can be linked back to a lack of sleep. No matter what you do during the day, when you finally lay your head on the pillow at night, what you really want is to fall straight asleep with no hassle.

 

It’s not always as simple as that, however, and no matter how much you know it would benefit your wellbeing, it can be hard to force yourself to drift off to sleep. It’s very annoying when you are lying awake and wanting to be asleep, especially when you know full well that there are all kinds of health benefits to sleep.

 

Many studies have shown that what you eat can have a huge effect on how well you sleep at night. If you want to get a better night’s sleep, there are certain foods that you should absolutely avoid and there are others that you should aim to include in your diet.

 

Cherries, for example, are thought to be very good foods as they are one of the few natural sources of melatonin. This chemical is responsible for keeping our internal body clocks regular. This is sometimes prescribed, and one small study has found that drinking tart cherry juice can improve the length and quality of sleep in adults.

 

Conversely, foods that are high in fat (particularly fast foods such as bacon cheeseburgers) can be very damaging to your sleep patterns. The fat in these foods stimulates your stomach to produce acid, which can then spill upwards into the oesophagus, causing painful heartburn, which makes sleep more tricky.

 

Funnily enough, the trick your grandmother always taught you – drinking a glass of milk before bed – is actually true. Milk contains an amino acid called tryptophan which can help you to sleep.

Categories: asleep, foods, insomnia, nbsp, night, sleep