Foods That Encourage Sleep

– Dairy Foods

Mothers often tell their kids to drink a glass of milk before bedtime, and there’s a reason why. Milk and other dairy products contain a substance known as tryptophan, which promotes sleep. Other foods that contain tryptophan are nuts, bananas, and honey, as well as some meats, like turkey and chicken.

– Magnesium-rich Foods

Magnesium can help soothe the nerves, which then helps in making a person sleepier. Foods that you can try include blackberries and apples, and also nuts, such as cashews and almonds.

Foods That Keep You Up

– Caffeine

You, together with billions of people around the world, have known the effects of caffeine. It is a stimulant. Devouring caffeine-rich food or drinks a few hours before bedtime can keep you awake for hours. So, it’s best to avoid coffee and other foods that may contain this substance.

– Foods with Theobromine

Theobromine is a compound that stimulates the senses. It is often found in chocolates.

– Spicy Foods and Sugars

Foods that contain garlic, ginger, hot peppers, and other spices are stimulating. So are sugar-rich food items. These should be avoided before bedtime.

3 Beneficial Nighttime Practices

Aside from diet, certain practices and factors also induce sleep. Below are some examples.

1. Create a bedroom that is conducive to sleeping.

Today, a lot of people have all sorts of electronic appliances and gadgets in their rooms. Some have even set up their own home office in their bedroom. The presence of devices can keep individuals awake. Instead of going to sleep, they might choose to watch television, surf the net, or listen to music. Appliances also create “white noise” that can keep you up. In order to create a more sleep-conducive bedroom, remove all distractions. Get rid of clutter too.

2. Choose the right mattress.

It is also important to make sure that your bed is comfortable, not lumpy, too firm, or too soft. If you are not comfy in your own bed, it will be harder for you to fall asleep. Don’t take for granted bedroom accessories too, like pillows and mattress toppers, because these could help in promoting comfort.

3. Have a regular schedule.

Your body works better if you have a routine. Your body will tell you when it’s time to sleep if you always go to bed at the same time. With regular practice, you might no longer need your alarm clock too because you will also learn to wake up at the same time each day.

Citations:

• Rupert Ganzer. “Milk Vitamin D”. September 24, 2008. Online image. Flickr. June 12, 2013.

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Claire Thorpe is a freelancer who specializes in home and health issues. She discusses many things, like firm mattresses, food and diet, and so much more. She hopes that her write-ups will help consumers in making better choices.

Our relationship with technology has changed to a great degree over the last few decades. While it was once either a luxury or a tool, today it is a fundamental part of everything we do. From the way we earn a living, to the way we communicate with friends and even how we relax in the evenings. In fact, it’s almost reached the point where the majority of our time is spent looking at one screen or another, and this is of course going to have a number of implications on our health and on our lifestyle. Read on to find out how technology could even be impacting on our sleep, and how it may in fact be damaging your health as a result.

Finding it Hard to Sleep?

There are still those among us who are fortunate enough to be able to fall immediately to sleep and who have no difficulty with dozing off. However, if you find that you are one of the silent majority who finds themselves lying awake for hours on end then it may be that your reliance on technology isn’t helping.

Part of the reason for this is that technology is highly stimulating. When you’re at work looking at a monitor you will be answering e-mails, dealing with things going wrong and peering at small text. Then you’ll come home and either play on the Xbox or watch TV – which essentially means shooting zombies or watching people shout at each other. During this process your body will respond as though you were involved in the action yourself – your heart rate will increase, as will your metabolism, and your mind will be racing to try and keep up.

Thus, when you go and lie down in the dark, your brain and your heart rate will still be racing more than they should be and you’ll be less able to doze off. You’ll worrying about answering some e-mail or other, or you’ll still see flashing lights when you close your eyes. Once you’ve overstimulated yourself it’s not easy to calm down and fall asleep; so make sure that you spend a few hours just before bed reading quietly or doing something else that doesn’t involve technology.

Rude Interruptions

If you do still manage to get to sleep though, you may find that your technology still finds a way to steel your attention. Because actually that’s what a lot of technology is designed to do these days – whether it gets you to look at it by blinking or whether it gets you to listen to it by bleeping.

The biggest culprit here is your mobile phone which may buzz intermittently whenever you get a text; even when you don’t get a text the sheer anticipation of getting one is enough to damage your sleep. And your radio-clock isn’t much better for glowing bright red and making your room too bright to sleep in.

The solution is to take un-needed technology (like that phone) out of your bedroom and to put it instead in the living room: you can check your messages in the morning. Meanwhile if you have a bright alarm clock then just turn it around or push something in front of the LED.

General Health

These are the direct ways in which technology affects our sleep and our mental health, but they can also impact on it indirectly to. The fact that technology makes so much of our time sedentary for instance, means that most of us are a little more out of shape than we were before and that of course can affect our health. If you find that you often wake up tired even after a full night’s sleep for example, then it may be that you’re snoring or suffering from apnea and that this is causing sleep deprivation. Losing weight around your neck and face can help to prevent this – so perhaps it’s time to stop spending quite so much time on your various devices.

Note though that technology isn’t all bad, and in fact in some cases it can even help you get to sleep if you use things like relaxation CDs or even CPAP machines to help combat apnea. The key is to make sure that you don’t over-do the media consumption and to sometimes remember to unplug.

Remember: you’re not a computer – you can’t just switch off.

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Today’s guest author, Abbey Brooks, is a sales executive at CPAPonly, a leading dealer in CPAP machines for sale based in Australia. She is a hardworker and strives to perform well at her job. She enjoys listening to soft music in her spare time.

Main health effects of sleep deprivation (See Wikipedia:Sleep deprivation). Model: Mikael Häggström. To discuss image, please see Template talk:Häggström diagrams (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The relationship between sleep and exercise is one that has been well documented. While some reports have suggested sleep is aided by exercise, other studies have been less conclusive. The end result is an answer that isn’t quite cut and dry: exercise can help with sleep, but other variables must also be weighed.

The Time of Exercise

It used to be believed that exercising at night wasn’t conducive to a restful sleep. However, according to a recent article on MSN, the way nighttime exercise affects people may vary from individual to individual.

Exercise increases adrenaline, which may leave people feeling pumped and stimulated. Yet, adrenaline can also have a calming influence. The elevation of body temperature that ultimately comes with exercise can also help kick start the body’s sleep mechanisms.

Even with the above, time can still be a factor. On average, people tend to sleep better around 30 minutes after exercise. Thus, while exercising late may not disrupt sleep, jumping directly from the treadmill to the mattress isn’t ideal.

Another consideration is the use of energy drinks: for people who work out at night, ingesting an energy drink beforehand can lead to much more exercise in the form of tossing and turning all night long.

The Type of Exercise

Not surprisingly, the type of exercise is believed to play a role in the ability to sleep. Aerobic exercise, specifically, appears to have the most positive influence on restfulness.

Per MSN, a study at Northwestern University found that people who exercised aerobically for 40 minutes a day, 4 days a week slept better. One reason for this may be the fact that exercise can help tire your body out, but the strongest correlation likely involves exercise’s ability to reduce stress.

Because exercise releases endorphins, it naturally decreases anxiety. Since insomnia or sleepless episodes are often tied to anxiety, exercise can’t help but be positive stimuli.

The Intensity of Exercise

Many studies have shown that the ability of exercise to improve sleep may also rely on its intensity. A poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that the correlation between exercise and sleep was simple: the harder people worked out, the better they slept. According to their findings, nearly 50 percent of people who didn’t exercise reported difficulties with sleep; among those who regularly engaged in vigorous exercise, only 17 percent reported sleep difficulties. Those who engaged in light exercise reported some sleep difficulties (24 percent) but nowhere near as much as those who were sedentary. This allows one to conclude that sleep’s relationship to working out is similar to health’s relationship: even some exercise is better than none.

Other Considerations

Exercise can have a direct influence on sleep, but it can also have a secondary influence as well. Exercise helps keep people healthy; it improves immunity, decreases healing times, and conditions the body. A healthy person will almost always sleep better than someone who is fighting a cough or a stubborn runny nose. Exercise also controls weight, which ultimately can affect things like sleep apnea.

In the end, the moral of the bedtime story is obvious: work out hard during the day, and rest easy during the night.

Terry Nash is a freelance health and fitness blogger, and has suffered from a fair share of sleeping problems. He recently contacted Apnix Sleep Diagnostics to find peace at night.

1.  Sleep Schedule: One of the biggest factors in getting a good night’s sleep is your sleep schedule.  Going to bed at a different hour every night screws with your body’s circadian rhythms and makes it very hard for your body to know when it’s supposed to fall asleep.

2.  Pre-Sleep Ritual: In addition to having a set sleep schedule, having a ritual before going to bed will help relax your body and condition it to falling asleep.  This could be a pre sleep drink (be wary of alcohol [see below]), a hot shower, a good book, some relaxing music…something that will transition your body from wakefulness to sleepiness.

3.  Omit Technology: Many, many studies have been conducted in order to research the effects technology has on our sleep.  These studies have precipitated the theory that technology, especially exposure to bright screens, interferes with our body’s rhythms and keeps our brains in a wakeful state.  Instead of reading on your Kindle or playing games on your phone/tablet/laptop, pick up a paperbound book, magazine or crossword puzzle.

4.  Exercise: Getting regular exercise is a very important factor in assuring a good night’s sleep.  Exercise helps burn off extra energy and physically exhausts your body.  However, working out too close to your bedtime can have the opposite effect as your heart rate might be too high to allow your body to fall asleep.

5.  Minimize Naps: Napping too long or too frequently can greatly affect your sleep for the worst.  Napping essentially recharges your body’s battery, and with that extra energy and rest, your body doesn’t necessarily want to fall asleep at night; it doesn’t think it needs the sleep after the nap.  Try to limit your naps to no longer than 30 minutes.

6.  Go to Bed When You’re Tired: This may sound counterintuitive to the first rule about setting up a sleep schedule but this factor will help you develop a good sleep schedule over time.  You can’t force your way into sleep, and trying to fall asleep while your mind isn’t ready is only going to make you angry.  Instead, leave your bedroom and do something else until you’re tired.

7.  Watch the Alcohol: Consuming alcohol prior to sleeping is one of the worst things you can do when trying to get a good night’s sleep.  While your body is “sleeping” it’s actually working to process the alcohol in your system; think of a computer running a complicated task while in “sleep” mode.  You can’t have one and the other; in order to get proper sleep your body has to be at rest.

8.  Eliminate Allergens:  Allergens can cause respiratory problems and disrupt your sleep. If you’re prone to allergy attacks or sensitive to certain allergens it might be helpful to buy new bedding or invest in an air filter for your bedroom.

9.  Cut Down on the Caffeine:  This may sound like a no-brainer but people are drinking loads and loads of caffeine every day, and many do so in the last couple hours before sleep with a dessert coffee, soda or tea.  Chamomile is a great alternative and can greatly improve your night’s sleep.

10.  Quit Smoking: Similar to number 9, cigarettes—more specifically the nicotine inside them—produce a stimulant effect in the body and make it understandably harder to fall asleep, in addition to other harmful byproducts.  Cutting cigarettes out of your life will help you sleep and live better.

While it might take some time, focusing on each of these factors will lead to a more productive sleep and therefore a more productive day.

About the Author: Brandon Travis likes to spend his free time swimming and training for his next triathlon. When he’s not working out he likes to review sites that have anti snoring devices like irollover.com.

Ditch the Electronics

The first thing to do is to make the bedroom an electronics free zone. Leave your smartphone, iPod and games consoles downstairs, and get rid of televisions and DVD players in the bedroom too. Experts agree that traditional methods of winding down before sleep such as reading a book are far better than watching television or playing with the apps on your phone. If you share your room with someone else, make sure they leave all their gadgets downstairs too.

Stimulants

If you are having problems sleeping, avoid all stimulants during the evening. After 6pm avoid caffeinated drinks like tea, coffee or cola, and try to minimise consumption of other foods like chocolate and other sugar laden treats. There is a mistaken belief that alcohol will help you switch off and relax and this is not the case; alcohol is a stimulant and will have the opposite effect. One glass of wine may not cause any problems but again it is not wise to become dependent on alcohol or any other drug to help you get to sleep.

Routine

Anyone who has ever tried to get a child to sleep through knows how important routine is to teach the body when it’s time to sleep. There is no magic formula for great sleep, and the key is working out what works for you. Some people like to invest in good quality Princesse Tam Tam nightwear, have a bath as soon as they get in from work and lounge around in their pyjamas for the evening. Others prefer to eat early and drink lots of tea through the evening while they surf the net. Think about what works for you and stick to it. Don’t be tempted to go to bed when you are not feeling tired and ready to sleep as you will not find it easy to get to sleep.

Counting Sheep

Getting your brain to switch off when you’re trying to sleep can be the hardest part of the whole process and there is a lot to be said for the old fashioned idea of counting sheep. There are some very easy to learn relaxation techniques which can help your brain wind down too. Some people find that tensing and relaxing all of their muscles in a sequence helps, others prefer to imagine themselves lying on a tropical beach and listening to the waves crash on the shore. Another tried and tested technique is to use lavender, either dropped on the pillow or as a scent in the room.

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Morag Peers is a keen blogger and parent who knows a thing or two about lack of sleep! Check her out now on Google+

Blackout Blinds

Blackout blinds are essential for complete darkness, especially if you reside in a city. Even country homes often have nightlights atop barns and outbuildings that can interfere with getting to sleep. There are many stylish and trendy blackout blinds to match any décor, such as Roman blinds or roller shades. Quality blinds should reject 100% of UV light and visible rays. Mylar lining is the secret behind these blinds and although mildly expensive at around $90 to 100 dollars a set, they are worth every penny in creating your sleep sanctuary.

Soothing Music

Listening to classical or new age music before bed can induce sleep quickly, due to the slower BPM’s or beats per minute that some of the song selections have. Our heart rhythms naturally try to copy the rhythms around us, so picking music with BPM’s under 80 is essential. Well-known artists such as Enya or Brahms can help soothe your frazzled nerves and take you to a peaceful place of rest.

Heated blanket

Have you ever noticed how sleepy you get when you are lying comfortably in your back yard, reading a good book in the summer sun? Using a heated blanket when falling asleep would produce the same, lovely effect. The less you move, the less heat you generate, so it helps to have a good quality heated blanket to help you become drowsy.

Soft lighting

Florescent lighting isn’t just terrible to have in a women’s dressing room; it’s also not the kind of lighting you want in a relaxing sleep space. Harsh lighting wakes the body up and causes you to be more alert. Lights fitted with a dimmer or several small lamps are the best choice as you can control the intensity of the light. Bulb wattage less than 75 will also be kinder to your eyes while you are reading, watching television or listening to soft music. Remove the bright light from the bedroom and ease your body and mind into a restful slumber.

Calming scents

According to research, lavender eases both anxiety and insomnia. Misting your pillow and allowing it to dry for 10 minutes or so before bed will go far in assisting you to sleep. People have been using lavender for thousands of years in many ways, especially using sprigs in their pillows for a good night’s rest. Other calming scents, from your favorite candles (flameless are best) to herbs and incense can calm your body naturally when sleep seems far away. Experiment and find yourself falling asleep faster and staying asleep longer than ever before.

This article was written by the team at Super Blinds Mart, Australia’s cheapest range of blockout blinds and shutters online.

Here are three things that patients may be concerned about and what to expect if you are assessed.

1) The slumber study/assessment

The first step to determining whether or not sleep apnea is a problem for you is to answer a series of questions and then undergo a sleep study if needed.

Sleep test questions often include the following:

• Do you snore or has anyone ever told you that you do?
• Has someone ever said that you often have trouble breathing while you sleep?
• Do you seem to have a hard time staying awake and/or concentrating during the day?

If you answer yes to some or all of these questions, the chances are high that apnea could be to blame.

Based on your answers, your doctor may refer you for a study. During such a study, your body will be monitored either at home or in a lab with sensors that will collect information needed for your diagnosis.

Although this may sound scary, it isn’t. If you do need to be assessed in a lab, it will be more like a hotel room than anything else. You can typically bring a book, your pillow and other items that make you feel comfortable.

2)Reasons for treatment

Some people may think that this process is a bit of a pain and wonder why they can’t just skip it altogether. Although it’s easy to take care of this disease, the side effects can be scary if left untreated.

Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and other conditions could result from something as simple as regularly not getting enough air while sleeping.

If it’s discovered that you have difficulty breathing during the night due to an airway issue, you will probably be diagnosed with sleep apnea. If this is the case, you can be treated easily, without the need for medications, surgery or anything invasive.

3) How to treat it

Typically, all that’s needed is a machine that slips over your face and regulates your breathing while you’re asleep.  Many insurance plans cover some or all of the cost of these devices if they’re deemed medically necessary.

Go online to sites like WakeUpToSleep.com to learn more about these products and how they can improve your quality of life.

Sleeping disorders is one of Ashley’s favorite topics to write about. If you’re looking for more information regarding WakeUpToSleep, please visit https://www.wakeuptosleep.com/

1. Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a potentially life threatening sleep disorder. The condition causes temporary loss of breath during sleep when upper airways get blocked. People often forget about these episodes when morning comes around, however, tell tale signs of sleep apnea are loud, chronic snoring and chest pains or sore throat on waking up. If you think that you may have sleep apnea, it is vital to get it checked out by a doctor as soon as possible.

2. Tossing and Turning

You may think that tossing and turning is just being restless, however, there’s an underlying cause to your fidgeting: overheating. If you find that you’re tossing and turning a lot at night make sure your room is not too hot; the ideal temperature under the sheets should be around 30 degrees celsius.

3. Work

Everybody has an internal body clock, however, the hands of these timepieces don’t always work within the time frame we set upon ourselves, causing us to lose sleep. If you find that you function better late at night, you could try shift work, however, if you’re more alert in the morning, then early starts might work best for you.

4. Stress

Stress is a major cause of sleep loss; it can cause anxiety attacks during sleep and nightmares, leading to insomnia. To reduce the stress in your life it is important to strike a balance between work and free time.

5. Uncomfortable mattress

We often blame ourselves for lack of sleep, however, sometimes external factors are to blame. To get a great night’s sleep, you need a mattress that distributes your weight evenly while also offering enough support and padding to allow blood to flow freely around your body.

6. Pets in the Bed

By keeping your pet out of your bed at night, you’ll help to avoid any unnecessary disturbances such as collar jingling and foot gnawing.

7. Nightcaps

Alcohol might make you drowsy, but it doesn’t help you get a good night’s sleep. Although a nightcap may make you feel tired, it actually alters your sleep pattern, causing you to wake up later in the night.

8. Diet

Your diet plays a big part in how you sleep. As always, eating a balanced diet helps your body to function correctly at night, while a poor diet, one that contains a lot of fat, alcohol and caffeine can keep you up at night.

9. Irregular sleeping patterns

Humans are animals of routine and to get a good night’s sleep, you need a set pattern before bed. Avoid sleep during the day and have a regular bedtime.

10. Poor sleeping posture

Some positions may seem comfy when you’re awake, however, when your body relaxes during sleep this posture could become uncomfortable, causing you to wake up during the night. To get a good night’s sleep, a supportive memory foam pillow can help you to strike the perfect pose for bedtime.

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Theresa is a nurse and mother of a son who suffers from very poor sleep. She hopes this article helps anyone with similar problems.

There’s no magic number for the amount of sleep you need, and some people can function after sleeping much less than others. We all know what it feels like after a night of no or reduced sleep ­– your eyes feel heavy and you might be short-tempered. If this happens occasionally then it won’t affect your health, but an ongoing lack of sleep, known as insomnia , can affect you mentally and physically. After a few sleepless nights you find it difficult to concentrate and make decisions. If this continues then you’re more likely to get high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and be overweight.

The good news is that there are many things you can do to improve your sleep, starting with the tips below.

Tip 1: Create a bedtime ritual

To help establish a sleep pattern, get into a daily routine before you go to bed. Try running a warm bath and listening to some soothing music, perhaps with a candle to help you feel mellow and relaxed. Going to bed and getting up at the same time can help too.

Tip 2: Think about what you’re eating and drinking

You may be tempted to have a heavy or rich meal before bed, but this can keep you up, especially if you eat within a few hours before going to sleep. Instead, try having your dinner early in the evening.

If you usually like a cup of tea or coffee at night, swap it for something milky or herbal because caffeine can stay in your body for many hours and keep you awake.

Alcohol can also be appealing and it can help you to nod off, but it can mean a restless night of sleep.  What’s more, it can make you snore loudly so it might not just mean a sleepless night for you.

Tip 3: Ensure your room is comfortable

To help you drift off into a deep sleep, make sure your room isn’t too hot, cold, light or noisy. A comfortable and supportive mattress is also important. To get the best comfort and support, make sure that it’s not too soft or too hard.

Tip 4: Try not to think about what sleep you’re missing

Lying in bed, wide awake, thinking about how much sleep you’re missing out on can make your mind associate your bedroom as a place of frustration. If you can’t sleep, instead of tossing and turning, get up and do something you find relaxing. You could even try some simple relaxation exercises. After some time you should feel sleepy and ready to go back to bed.

Tip 5: Know when to visit your doctor

If you’re still having problems with insomnia, make an appointment to see your doctor. He or she can investigate whether your sleepless nights are caused by a physical or psychological reason, or if you have a sleep condition such as sleep apnoea. Getting the right treatment and advice will help to give you peace of mind and get the sleep that you need.

Produced by Rebecca Canvin , Bupa Health Information Team.

Seek Medical Consult When Needed

A person may never know that he or she has an existing sleep disorder. Sleep disorders often are unobservable to the affected person. It is ideal to talk with a health care provider about a possible sleep disorder if snoring is experienced. Moreover, excessive fatigue during the day may also require a visit to a health care provider.

For issues like difficulty falling asleep or perhaps staying asleep, a consult should also be sought. These are typical signs of a sleep disorder. There are instances wherein the health care provider can diagnose a sleep disorder simply based on sleep habits and schedule. However, the health care provider may also need the results from a sleep study and other diagnostic examinations to properly diagnose sleep disorders.

Sleep Studies as an Effective Diagnostic Tool

Sleep studies can diagnose several conditions like sleep apnea and other sleep related breathing disorders. This test may or may not be paired with other diagnostic exams. Other types of diagnostic exams may also diagnose sleep related seizure disorders or movement disorders like a periodic limb movement disorder. Sleep studies and diagnostic exams can help diagnose sleep disorders, which cause extreme daytime fatigue.

When Is A Sleep Study Needed?

A health care provider may require a sleep study for a person experiencing any of the following signs and symptoms:

• Experiencing excessively loud and frequent snoring that disrupts the sleep of a bed partner and the person affected.

• Excessive daytime fatigue

• Instances when the affected person wakes up tired, with a headache or perhaps a sore throat.

• Falling asleep while driving

• Disrupted sleep and poor sleep quality

• High blood pressure

• Sudden onset of sleep anytime of the day or narcolepsy

• Insomnia or difficulty falling asleep

• Sexual Dysfunction

• Depression

• Abnormal movements during sleep like sleep walking, sleep talking, and kicking legs while asleep

A health care provider will work with the person experiencing these signs and symptoms to determine whether a sleep study is further needed. A sleep study would further establish a concrete diagnosis of the condition of the affected person. There are no known risks of this kind of test, and sleep study is determined to be safe and effective. This type of test will also help determine a sleep disturbance. Sleep disturbance is typically measured by checking a person’s breathing pattern and jaw and leg movements.

Treatment Options

Once diagnosis has been established, treatment may be initiated. Health care providers offer varied options to further control or correct the health condition. Today, there are a lot of treatment options readily available. If a person decides to get help he or she may consult a health care provider and do some research beforehand. This way, risks of living with a sleep disorder and treatment processes are known before initiation of a sleep study.

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Alana Reznick is a freelance health and wellness blogger, currently residing in southern Texas. To help her sleeping woes, she recently pursued a home sleep study with the health professionals at Apnix Sleep Diagnostics.