May 14th, 2010
College students are facing severe sleep problems
Recent news has been released from a study performed at the AU Medical Clinic: College students are facing severe sleep problems. This revelation may not be so shocking, considering all the drastic changes that are happening to young adults – both in way of lifestyle and in biological development.
When you think of college students, you may immediately think of all-night parties, daily pizza deliveries and soon to be adults learning to manage life without the constant crutch of mom and dad. While this phase of life is quite exciting, there are significant lifestyle factors of student life that are causing a considerable spike in sleep disorders and insomnia.
One of these factors is the nocturnal nature of the college kid. When students enter college life, they are exposed to an active night life consisting of alcohol fueled parties, amped up social lives and last minute work on the overdue term paper. College students are also battling the unavoidable – exams. With the pressures of studying for and passing exams, students experience a spike in their stress levels. Students also tend to react to exams by cutting into their sleep hours with late night studying and preparation.
Not only does the college lifestyle contribute to this spike in sleep problems, there are other factors at work when it comes to the young adult. Students of approximately 21 years old actually experience a shift in their biological make-up – their sleep patterns begin to change naturally in preparation for full adulthood. When these natural changes in sleep behavior combine with the extreme rigors of the college life, sleep disorders are almost expected to pop up with students.
Researcher Dr. Fred Kam notes, “[Sleep disorders are] easy to see.. in a freshman, especially those who live in the dorms, because it is not a quiet atmosphere late at night. You tend to see it in that group and the students 21 and older who start hitting the bars, and they suffer from sleeping disorders. A lot of students aren’t nocturnal. They tend to do stuff later at night. They don’t have a particular pattern for sleeping, and the one they had in high school easily gets thrown off.”
What advice does Dr. Kam give to these suffering students? “You have to eliminate all activities or any kind of stimulants. You don’t want to be playing Halo at 3 a.m. or within two hours of going to bed.”
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May 11th, 2010
Make a sleep schedule, and stick to it!
You may be used to us preaching constantly about healthy sleep habits. We’ve barraged you with advice, screaming at the top of our lungs: “Manage your stress!”, “Eat the right foods!”, “Get regular exercise!”, “Eliminate light in the bedroom!”. It gets pretty annoying, we know. Our Dream Water articles are not meant to lecture you into sleepy time submission, but rather to help you rid your life of pesky insomnia while helping you to be the healthiest person you can be. In saying this, we have one more very important piece of advice: Make a sleep schedule, and stick to it!
As if there weren’t enough research to prove the benefits of a regular routine or schedule and it’s impact on healthy sleep habits, yet another study emerges to prove the same. From the journal Sleep, we find the results of a great study performed on residents of an Israeli retirement community whose mean age was 75. Considering this age produces some of the most difficult to treat forms of insomnia due to phsycial ailments and the biological changes that come with aging, this group of participants were perfect candidates for proving that regular sleep routines really are quite powerful in treating and preventing sleep problems.
The main take away from this study? Your body needs a routine. Though it’s flesh and blood, your body is somewhat of a machine with many intricate layers and parts that work in a dynamic fashion all based on timing, schedules and in essence, systematic routine. It makes perfect sense that the routine of your daily life can have such an effect on your internal system; it’s simple cause and effect. Routine is actually comforting to your body.
The impact of a disrupted routine can be felt dramatically when you travel across time zones. Have you ever experienced jet lag that caused disruption in your sleep patterns, energy levels and even digestive functioning? The impact of a disrupted routine can cause our bodies to start working erratically, as your horomone levels and biological processes become confused. Imagine your disrupted internal workings like that of a person who spins around in circles for one minute. When you stop spinning, you become disoriented and may lose your balance. This is essentially what happens to your body when routine is not present.
Take control of you health, and your natural sleep patterns, by introducing and maintaining a sleep schedule. The following sleep routine rules will help you maintain a healthy life balance, while allowing you a better and more reliable night of sleep:
- Go to bed at the same time every night. Get out of bed the same time every morning. Be sure to schedule this so that you clock in at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
- Do not change your schedule on the weekends. As tempting as it may be to sleep in a bit on your lazy Saturdays, this disturbance in your routine may throw you off track.
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May 6th, 2010
Melatonin – A natural treatment for sleep disorders
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May 6th, 2010
The Cure for Sleep Problems? Go Au Naturale
Every day, we are bombarded with commercials and magazine ads that advertise some sort of medication. They all promise to allieve your problem, while leaving you happier and healthier than ever before – just like the beautiful, smiling people you see on their commercials (don’t you find it funny these “healed participants” are either bicycling, strolling on the beach or gardening?!) What is dismaying about these drug commercials, is the listing of side effects that are mentioned in the last 15 seconds of the ad. The funny thing is, the side effects they mention are sometimes worse than the original problem! Seems like a vicious cycle to me.
All of this is enough to raise a healthy speculation of the millions of drugs that are out there. At times, I’m sure you’ve stopped to wonder: What kind of chemicals am I putting into my body? Is this really healthy? This is SO not natural! And that is exactly what you should be pondering. The treatment of physical problems or disease does not have to be so un-natural. There are many natural alternatives available – all of which have been used for centuries, and work naturally with your body’s biological make-up. So, why don’t we know much about all-natural treatments? Well, the answer is simple: they don’t rake in the millions of dollars. Seems a bit cynical, but it’s the unfortunate truth.
When it comes to treating sleep disorders, there are several all-natural solutions and lifestyle choices that have been proven by medical professionals to be as effective as, or more effective than, prescription medications. Considering sleep disorders affect 50 to 70 million Americans (20% of our population!), this is a topic that hits home for many of us. It may be a relief to many of us to discover that obtaining a decent night’s rest doesn’t come at the price of insurance premiums and tranquilizers.
Sleep is a natural process – we all sleep; our bodies are designed to control the entire process. When we are in a naturally healthy state, our bodies fall asleep without force or interference on our part - it just happens, like breathing. When sleep problems arise, it is not generally because our bodies forget how to manage the process - it is because we have somehow misaligned or dislodged our body from what is natural and healthy. That’s right… it’s your fault! When we invite unnatural things into our lifes, such as caffeine, stress, hectic schedules, alcohol, and unhealthy diets, we are creating a toxic environment for our biological systems. How can you expect your body to work naturally, if you don’t live naturally?
Take this as a bit of inspiration. Try to focus more on getting back to basics. By managing your stress levels, watching what you eat, keeping yourself on a regular schedule, and staying physically fit, you can and will battle your sleep issues – and you may also find that it helps other bodily systems as well. As soon as you adopt a lifestyle of all-natural living, you will find that you body is much more cooperative - and not reactive!
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May 2nd, 2010
Which Sleep Personality are you?
New research from the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service shows that your personality can be determined by your sleep position.
According to the research, the most common sleep position is the Fetus Position. A whopping 41% of people in this study, reports to sleeping on their side with their legs tucked up in a cozy little curl. The study suggests that the Fetus Position indicates the personality of someone who may appear to be strong and tough-willed, but truly sensitive and meek on the inside.
The second most common sleep position is The Log, or rather, a sleep position where someone lies on their side with their arms and lets poised straight down. The personality type associated with this sleeping position is that of a social butterfly with a bit of a trusting problem. Of the people studied, 15% reported to sleep in the Log Position.
The third most common position for sleeping, is The Yearner. This sleep position consists of a person lying on their side with their arms outstretched before them – almost like an open hug. The Yearner’s personality is quite open minded, yet with a cynical and suspicious side.
Read more from the original report, here at Yahoo Shine!
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May 2nd, 2010
May is Better Sleep Month
This lovely month of May is home of Mother’s Day, blooming flowers and the beginning of warm summer days. But what you may not know, is that May is also Better Sleep Month. No, we didn’t just make that up. Even if the President himself doesn’t declare it a national holiday, we can still all celebrate by learning how to sleep better.
Better Sleep Month is a great time to look back on our archived articles that give great tips and advice on how to sleep restfully every single night.
Happy sleeping, Dream Water fans!
- Five Common Sleep Mistakes
- Foods that Help you Sleep
- Tips for Sleeping with a Runny Nose
- Best Sleep Positions for Achy Backs
- Tips for Managing Stress Related Insomnia
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April 28th, 2010
Artificial Light at Night Disrupts Cell Division
New research has been published, that makes a startling claim against the exposure of artificial light during night. As you may already know, it is known that exposure to artificial light during or before your sleep hours can actually prevent your naturally occuring biological clock from winding down and thus preventing you from easily falling asleep. But this new revelation shares even more evidence that light at night can be even more dubious than previously suspected.
The research was performed by Dr. Rachel Ben-Shlomo of the University of Haifa-Oranim Department of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology along with Prof. Charalambos P. Kyriacou of the University of Leicester. The study has been published in the journal Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics. The experiments that were carried out in this research point out that even one pulse of artificial light in the evening hours, can inhibit cell’s natural division – an essential part of a healthy body and immune system. The scientiests revealed that the cell division is essentially harmed and that the transcription of a large number of genes is affected. They state that it is important to note that those genes showing changes in their expression included genes that are connected to the formation of cancer as well as genes that assist in the fight against cancer.
Dr. Ben-Shlomo, comments on the research: “What is certain is that the natural division is affected… Damage to cell division is characteristic of cancer, and it is therefore important to understand the causes of this damage.”
More research into this topic is certainly necessary before one ties a definite link between artificial light and actual cancer, but it is certainly something to be wary of when you are preparing for your evening. When you are settling down for bedtime, be sure that all forms of artificial light are limited – including things such as TV, computer screens, cell phone screens, bright alarm clocks, light from street lamps and even night lights. Not only will this hopefully benefit your natural cell division, but you are sure to help your body ease into sleep without too much fuss.
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April 25th, 2010
Indoor water fountains may help you sleep
The use of water fountains indoors may have a great aesthetic appeal due to their lovely natural design elements, but they are also natural white noise generators which may aide you in your quest for sleep. The trickling of these water fountains produces a low level of constant, soothing noise that helps the mind to tune out other sounds or distractions. White noise also helps to evoke a sense of calm and relaxation that produces a deeper state of REM sleep. When you have a wall fountain or tabletop fountain in your bedroom, you will find that it helps you to fall asleep with greater ease and stay asleep as well. Indoor water fountains can also be placed in nurseries as well, as they will help lull your child into a calm and peaceful state which will help them to fall asleep with greater ease.
Indoor water fountains can be bought fairly cheap these days, and come in many different sizes and styles. They are generally very easy to set up, require little maintenance, and most run from the power of batteries which is great news for your electricity bill! Try one out for yourself, and experience the difference it can make in your sleep habits. You will be surprised at how effective a water fountain can be in bringing you closer to your dreams!
For those with exquisite designer taste, check out these fountains from Kinetic Fountains. Another great online retailer of indoor water fountains is WaterGifts.com. There are many different designs available, and you are sure to find one that fits your style just right.
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