June 1st, 2010
Get your mornings started off right!
Sleepy News has published many articles that give advice on how to prepare your evenings for a solid night’s sleep. But a topic that we have not touched on enough, is how to prepare for the morning and the day ahead. Sleep touches many aspects of our lives, and the evening should not be the only source for scrutiny. Waking up in the mornings and starting your day can also have a crucial impact on how your day goes, not to mention your overall well-being. Falling asleep may be challenging for some, but waking up can be even more difficult. The good news is, it doesn’t have to be!
Check out these great tips on how you can start your day off on the right foot.
- Get enough sleep. You can’t start your morning without waking up first, and we all know by now that a good night’s sleep is the very first step towards a bright morning and a better day. The amount of sleep that is required varies from person to person, but doctor’s tend to suggest that adults should clock in around 7-9 hours a sleep each night.
- Eat breakfast, whether you’re hungry or not! The old saying goes, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” The only fallacy in that statement, is that it’s just an old saying – it is, in fact, the truth. Think about the word, “breakfast.” The term literally means breaking your fast. Considering you just spent the last 8 hours without consuming food or water, your body is in need of some nutritional substance so that it may engage in the day ahead. Think of it like this: If you jump in your car in the morning and it has no gas, would you expect it to get you to work? The answer of course is no… and your body is no different. Fuel up in the morning in order to productively and healthily engage in your day.
- If you don’t have the time for a full meal in the morning, at least drink a glass of juice. This is a great way to provide your body the energy it needs to get through to the next meal. Juices such as orange juice or apple juice are a great source of natural sugars (which convert to energy), while providing a great source of vitamins and antioxidants. Avoid drinks with fat in them (such as milk) which take longer to digest, and may give you a feeling of fullness leading to skipping breakfast altogether.
- Wake up early enough to avoid feeling rushed. We’ve all had mornings where our alarm didn’t go off, or we overslept and were rushed to get to work on time. Think about the feelings you experienced in these situations. Do the words frantic, stressed, scared or worried come to mind? By planning ahead and making sure that you are given enough time in the morning to wake up properly, eat breakfast and prepare yourself for the day ahead, you are giving yourself a great gift – the gift of a leisurely morning, and a day that is not started in chaos.
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May 28th, 2010
Sleep Tips by Dr. Michael J. Breus
This article by Dr. Michael J. Breus reminds us of the power of sleep, while educating us on the different phases of sleep. A great, concise article that refreshes our memory on the basics of sleep and it’s contribution to wellness.
Huffington Post Article: Sleep Tips: The Ultimate Battery Recharge
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May 26th, 2010
Sleep research for survivors of brain injury
Considering melatonin is one of the three active ingredients in Dream Water, we are always happy to share the latest news and research surrounding melatonin and it’s direct effects on sleep. The latest news we’ve uncovered shows a correlation to low melatonin levels – and thus, trouble sleeping – with people who have experienced brain trauma.
The study itself was performed by Shantha Rajaratnam, PhD, of Monash University in Victoria, Australia, and was published in the medical print journal Neurology – a publication of The American Academy of Neurology. The researchers compared the sleep patterns of patients that had experienced traumatic head injuries and those who have not. Over the course of their observations, they found a significant difference in the two groups. Not only did the healthy participants have higher levels of melatonin in the evening, but they were able to fall asleep faster and with greater ease than the brain injured participants. On average, the brain trauma participants took 62 minutes to fall asleep whereas the healthy group took on average 27 minutes. The brain injured group also spent more time in non-REM sleep, or the light-sleep cycle. Considering the brain’s role in regulating sleep patterns and melatonin’s powerful effect on sleep, it is no surprise that the brain injury group did experience radically different sleep patterns.
Research author Dr. Rajaratnam comments, “We’ve known that people often have problems with sleep after a brain injury, but we haven’t known much about the exact causes of these problems… These results suggest that the brain injury may disrupt the brain structures that regulate sleep, including the production of melatonin. Future studies should examine whether taking supplemental melatonin can improve sleep in people with brain injuries.”
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May 24th, 2010
Woman loses weight through sleep hypnosis!
The story of Suzie Gibbs in the United Kingdom is not an unusual one. For a decade, she was suffered from severe back problems and other physical ailments due to her obesity. In an effort to shed the weight, she tried all of the usual tricks ranging from pricey diet pills to extreme crash diets. When nothing proved to be effective in battling the extra weight, she decided to give hypnosis a try.
After working with a hypnotherapist in London at the suggestion of a friend, she found a new way to combat the weight problems. The hypnotherapy sessions began with her listening to a CD every night before she went to sleep for a month. The goal of the hypnotherapy was to make her believe that she was working out – while she slept! According to Suzie, the program was so effective that her stomach muscles contracted as she slept which also sped up her metabolism, meaning she burned off calories quicker. In some way, the nightly hypnosis had convinced her subconsciously that she was burning off the extra pounds and even made her to believe that she loved to workout. Even though this form of therapy seems a bit strange, Suzie admitted to being desperate for a solution and seems to be quite happy about the results.
“Within a week I’d lost a pound and I carried on gradually losing weight,” comments Suze. “My muscles felt more toned and tight all over. I also found myself dreaming about things such as riding a bike and lifting weights in the gym and I was loving every moment of it. Within a few months I actually wanted to work out during my daytime hours – something I’d never felt before in my entire life. I took up walking and cycling and joined a gym. Now, instead of my heart sinking at the thought of exercise, I look forward to being active.”
Though there is no medical research that suggests hypnosis during sleep can be an active agent in losing weight, it has proven helpful to people in reaching a subconscious state in which they mentally win the battle – a battle that is one of the most imperative steps in victory for any weight loss program. Just another great example of how sleep can be a terrific and useful tool to getting back to a normal, healthy state – inside and out!
Resource:
www.DailyMail.co.uk
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May 20th, 2010
Boost your mood with sleep
As human-beings we experience strong emotional ups and downs. While we always expect to feel the “ups,” it is normal and natural to also feel the “downs.” There are many ways that we can fight these boughts of depression, without the need for a therapist or prescription medication. One great way to boost your mood is with a healthy bout of sleep.
Studies show that depression and sleep often go hand in hand. The less you sleep, or the more irregular your sleep patterns, the higher you chances are to feel depressed. There is also a converse relationship with sleep and depression – sometimes depression can be the instigator for insomnia. It’s a common chicken vs. egg dilema.
If you are looking for ways to naturally boost your mood, be sure that you are engaging in a healthy sleep regimen. Doctors usually recommend to their depressed patients that they get enough sleep and maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule. And when we say “enough sleep,” this generally means 7-10 hours of sleep every night – even on the weekends. It is also important to stick to a sleep schedule, meaning you go to sleep and wake up in the mornings at the same time every day. By helping your body regulate it’s natural sleep time, you can also regulate and improve your body’s own chemical makeup – thus, defeating any bouts of depression and stabilizing your moods.
Word to the wise: Cheer up with a healthy dose of sleep!
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May 18th, 2010
Working on your waistline? Get some sleep!
A great waistline boosting study was released in the past week, from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Their major finding? Women who slept less tended to have bigger bellies and waistlines. This can is a great revelation for all females looking to shape up for the upcoming summer months and vacations.
The study focused on 400 women in Sweden, who underwent extensive overnight sleep studies in their own homes. After studying each woman’s sleep habits during the night, a nurse would measure their waist circumference and BMI the following morning. When the researchers analyzed the data they collected, they found a significant correlation between women who slept poorly and their waist measurements. They also found that women who were obese slept less overall and had less REM sleep. Even more shocking, was the finding that the link between poor sleep quality and obesity was stronger in younger women.
Word to the wise? Get more sleep! Not only will this help you function better during they day, but it will help regulate your body’s natural functioning – including your overall weight. If you are busy clocking hours in the gym and skipping the lattes in an effort to battle the bulge, don’t underestimate the power of sleep as well. It is more powerful than you think!
Resource:
www.SleepEducation.com
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May 17th, 2010
Are poor kids more vulnerable to the effects of bad sleep?
A new and rather shocking study was released this month by the journal of Child Development, that suggests that poor children are more vulnerable to the effects of bad sleep than their peers. The researchers of this study looked at children’s responses to the effects of poor sleep at both the third grade and fifth grade levels, across varying socioeconomic levels.
The results showed that children in lower class families tended to have higher levels of externalizing and internalizing the effects of their lack of sleep. The externalizing generally resulted in aggression and delinquency, while the internalizing symptoms resulted in depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. The research also showed that when these same children slept well, their side effects were comparable to those of their peers.
The researchers’ comments on this finding? “The significance of children’s sleep to their development is receiving increased attention,” according to Mona El-Sheikh, Alumni Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Auburn University and the study’s lead author. “Our findings can inform intervention programs as well as parent education programs. Programs that are tailored to families’ resources and challenges are likely to be more effective.”
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