Memory Foam

Tired of walking around in a daze after you finally get out of bed?  Here’s a few tips to help you be alert and ready for the day.

• Rise at a regular time - since your brain runs on a 24 hour clock, waking up at a consistent time will enable it to stop the production of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone.
• Let the sun shine in - exposure to an early morning blast of sunshine tells the brain to lower its melatonin output.   If it’s a cloudy day, a bright indoor light will do the trick.
• Add a B vitamin to your breakfast - these vitamins help boost the production of energizing adrenal hormones.  Within 30 minutes your alertness should increase and stay with you for the next 4 hours.

Of course, you need to make sure you allow yourself at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night to help your body receive the recovery time it needs from the day of work you put it through.  Memory foam pillows will encourage proper body positioning to alleviate snoring or joint pain problems.   With those aches and pains looked after, all you need to worry about is sleeping!

Do you want to lower your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, diabetes and cancer?  Does cutting your risk of colds in half plus shedding 24 lbs. in a year sound appealing?  You may be thinking, can there be such a health strategy?  This amazing solution does exist - it’s sleep.  Follow these 5 simple steps to help you get all the health restoring slumber you need:

1. Say good-night to your cell phone!  It is suspected that waves emitted by these phones can overstimulate the nervous system which means using a phone before bedtime can increase the difficulty of falling asleep.
2. Turn off all the lights.  Melatonin, which is a sleep-inducing hormone, can be affected by even small amounts of light.  This not only refers to sunlight but also the “blue light” from TVs and computer monitors.
3. Limit alcohol to mealtime.   The quantity and quality of sleep is affected by alcohol consumption.  Don’t worry, you can imbibe with dinner and the alcohol will be fully metabolized by bedtime.
4. Enjoy cookies as a snack!  A carbohydrate-rich snack increases the production of a sleep-inducing amino acid, tryptophan, and it also helps avoid acid indigestion by reducing stomach acidity.
5. Enjoy some stretching and music.  Enjoy soothing music and a good stretch when you first retire.  Stress hormones, anxiety, muscle tension, heart rate and blood pressure will all be lowered helping you to reach the first stage of sleep quickly.

Now that you will be sleeping better, it may also be time to look at a memory foam pillow which can enhance a good night’s sleep.  Remember by reaching 7 hours of sleep each night, you will keep yourself in top form both physically and mentally.

If you have sleep problems, there are a variety of potential causes. It could be as simple as excessive stress at your job or in your family life. These kinds of nagging, chronic emotional issues can really disrupt your sleep cycle. It could also be something more concrete like excessive consumption of caffeine. If you’re a coffee junky, make sure that you cut yourself off well before you go to bed, or you might find yourself counting sheep every night.

This can even be true of teas. Tea contains a staggering amount of caffeine, and while many people drink it to relax, it can actually be the cause of your sleepless nights. If you find that you can’t get rest after a big mug of nighttime tea, there is good news. You don’t have to cut yourself off from tea altogether. Rather, just switch to decaffeinated teas. This way, you can still enjoy the ritual but without any of the negative side effects.

Whether you are an Olympian athlete, a wanna-be Olympian athlete or a weekend athlete, you need to know one important ingredient in athletic performance and achieving competitive results - proper rest.  Regardless of the activity, a good night’s sleep provides energy to the brain and the body. 

When sleep is cut short, there is insufficient time for the body to repair muscles, consolidate memory and release of hormones.  Even the “greats” in sports, ensure they receive a good night’s rest.  They do not want any possibility of increase in fatigue, low-energy or poor focus at game time.  There is also the concern of a slower post-game recovery.

Put your game face on by getting the proper amount of sleep each night.  You’ll enjoy good fitness, good eating and good health.

No one can take away the pleasure of finding a flight for that vacation to a distant country.  While you pack and anticipate the fun you will have on your journey, you are likely to forget to plan for the possibility of the effects that jet lag may have on you.  There is no fun in arriving at your destination only to be so tired that you lose one or two days away to sleeping.  No one travels to see the inside of a hotel room, do they?  Let’s take a closer look at why we experience jet lag.

 Our bodies follow persistent patterns of behaviour over a 24 hour period, known as circadian rhythms and these rhythms become imbalanced by travelling to different time zones. Environmental changes such as the rise and fall of body temperature, plasma levels of certain hormones, exposure to sunlight, are a few of the changes which can alter when our bodies tell us we need to sleep and when we should awake.  When we enter a new time zone, our circadian rhythms take a longer time to adjust.

It is important to consider the following tips to help minimize the effects of jet lag:

• When possible select a flight which allows for an early evening arrival and then try to remain awake until 10:00 p.m. local time
• Several days prior to departure, go to bed earlier or later,  depending whether you are taking an eastward or westward trip
• Change your watch to the time zone of your destination as soon as you board
• Bring earplugs and blindfolds to minimize sound and light issues
• Consider taking along a memory foam travel pillow for comfort while travelling and staying in a hotel
• Get outside in the sunlight whenever possible as it is a powerful stimulant to regulate the biological clock

We all want to enjoy every day of our vacation, so don’t let jet-lag take your sleep away from you, robbing you of your full energy to maximize each day of your holiday!

Research is producing some disturbing news about Americans and the condition of severe excessive daytime sleepiness.  It is estimated that 19.5% of American adults suffer from moderate to severe sleepiness during the daytime.  A higher percentage of women are affected than men by this.  We can understand the potential for workplace injuries and driving accidents to increase as people are functioning at less than their full alertness while at work and driving to and from their place of employment.

What is keeping America awake?  There can be specific health issues, such as snoring or sleep apnea.  Sometimes we can choose to become sleep-deprived in an effort to “stay on top of things”.  The advancements in technology, certainly make that an easier possibility as we are able to do our banking or research on the computer 24/7!  Staying up after the children are in bed to catch up on household chores or planning for the next day’s activities, is a common and understandable choice, but at what cost to your own health?  Work can bring us home late or a family who has an activity packed calendar may prevent a regular routine for sleep.  Then we have those people who may go to bed at an early enough time only to toss and turn as they are stressed over work or responsibilities or upcoming events.  For those that are shift-workers, the irregular hours make it hard for the body to know when is the right time to sleep.

Sleepiness is underestimated in its daily life consequences for the general population but it is never a good idea to curtail your sleep.

Too many people are suffering from a poor night’s rest and too few recognize how hard this is on their body.  Did you know that approximately 80% of health-care professionals believe their patients purchase over-the-counter or store-bought sleep aids to fight insomnia?  A couple of indicators to a health-care professional that their patient may be suffering from insomnia are when the patient admits they have trouble falling and staying asleep plus symptoms of depression, anxiety or stress.  There is also concern over the high percentage of people who misuse prescription sleep aids.  We understand that lack of sleep will naturally affect our moods, attention/concentration span and our family relationships.  Quick solutions are sought after but it’s important to consider appropriate treatment options and/or lifestyle changes before you “run to your pill bottle”!

• KNOW - Insomnia is having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep and waking up too early.  It is also nearly twice as common in women than men.
• RECOGNIZE -Consequences of insomnia are decreased work performance, depression, mood changes and increased risk of auto accidents.  It is not necessarily just one of these but may be two or all of these indicators.
• TAKE ACTION -Evaluate your lifestyle and determine what you need to do.  Do you need to include more exercise in your daily life?  Do you need to relax before bed instead of doing stimulating activities like household chores, computer work or TV watching an hour before bedtime. 
• REALIZE - Feeling great starts with a good night’s sleep.
• OWN - If you have concerns, take the steps to change.  Learn about the information that is out there to help you, whether it is lifestyle changes  such as purchasing new mattress and/or new pillows, or medication.

Your best bet is to make your #1 priority a good night’s rest and then the rest of life will fall into place!

Have you ever caught yourself thinking that sleep is not that important, I can get by on a few hours?  Well, I’m here to tell you that sleep is vital to our health and well-being.  Our moods are regulated by the amount of sleep we receive as well as our learning and memory functions.  If you want to learn a new skill, be productive, concentrate better, gain better health, weight and/or energy level, all you may need is a good night’s sleep.

Generally, the rule of thumb is 7-9 hours of sleep each night for an adult.  Each time you miss a few hours of sleep, the sleep debt count goes higher and it becomes difficult to make up for the loss.  Unfortunately, that sleep debt also contributes to a sleepier feeling and less alert symptoms.

Often the adage we hear is to make sure exercise is part of your lifestyle.  I am not disputing that exercise is important in your lifestyle but we need to begin to recognize our bodies need, even crave, proper rest.  That rest time allows our bodies to renew themselves and prepare us for the challenges we will face the next day.  

Let’s make life better for ourselves and those around us by allowing 7-9 hours of pure pleasure by resting well and you’ll be on your way to good health!

Up to 10% of the U.S. population suffers from either a mild to moderate form of RLS, the Restless Leg Syndrome.  It seems this syndrome is hard to explain to a family doctor or friends.  Perhaps you are someone suffering from RLS but as of yet have not been able to have it diagnosed.  A description often used by sufferers is “ants crawling through my legs” or soda running through my veins”.  Ask yourself the questions below and see if you fall into the RLS Syndrome.

Here are  a few quick questions which may be indicators of a need to talk to a health care professional:

• When sitting or lying down, is there a strong urge to move your legs that is difficult to resist?
• Do the words “creepy-crawly, itching or pulling” describe your symptoms?
• Does moving your legs slow down the symptoms?
• Do these symptoms occur at night generally?
• Do you have involuntary leg movements while awake?
• Are you tired or lacking concentration during the day?
• Is anyone else in your family plagued with this?

If after reading these questions, you feel you may have RLS, take these points into consideration.  This is a treatable condition where you need to concentrate on managing the symptoms.  Small lifestyle changes you can take include limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake, taking iron supplements, enjoying a hot bath, exercising regularly, follow good sleep habits.

With RLS raising its ugly head usually during the evening or night, a solid sleep may be hard to achieve and we can appreciate how that can negatively impact our day.  Work towards a better night’s sleep by:

• maintaining a regular sleep schedule
• have in place a bed-time routine
• sleep in a dark, quiet, cool room
• purchase a quality mattress and pillows
• stop food intake around 8:00 p.m.
• exercise regularly
• avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine

There is no need to suffer alone.  Talk to family, friends, health-care specialists or seek out support groups.   Learn about new information on the subject and how others cope with RLS.

The joy and anticipation of awaiting for your newborn child can seem to quickly fade as the hours of sleep become less and less for a soon to-be-mom!  The first trimester a mom will tend to sleep more than usual as her body is working to protect and nurture the developing baby.  It’s usually later in the pregnancy that finding that deep uninterrupted sleep seems to become that illusive dream!

The biggest reason this occurs is the increasing size of the fetus which makes finding a comfortable sleeping position a challenge.  For those who love sleeping on their backs or stomachs, the adjustment to sleeping on their side can take awhile.  Basic movements in bed become slightly more difficult as a women’s body size changes!

Here are a few other common causes to interrupted sleep:

• Bathroom breaks - the increased pressure on the bladder and the ’stepped-up’ work of the kidneys contributes to this as well.
• Blood pumping - increased heart activity to send sufficient blood to the body increases the heart rate.
• Difficulty breathing - the diaphragm is pushed against by the growing uterus.
• Leg cramps and backaches - extra weight being carried can induce this plus the hormone, relaxin which develops during this time causes instability leading to injuries.
• Constipation and heartburn - the digestive system slows down and food remains in the stomach longer causing these symptoms.

Understanding the whys of sleep deprivation may help you to hang in there mom!  There are some helps out there, such as the memory foam adjustable leg support which can alleviate leg cramps and back ache, which may make this time a bit easier.  Remember, the wait will be worth it all when you look into your new born’s face!