Getting a good night s sleep is essential for mental and physical wellbeing. Ideally, one should get at least 8 hours of continuous sleep every night. However, some people find this hard to achieve. They may have trouble going to sleep, wake up frequently or have a very poor quality sleep. 

Here are a few tips to help you improve your sleep: 

Set a sleep schedule: Like children, adults also need to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. This should be followed for at least 6 days a week. Having a sleep in the day may seem like a good idea but this can affect your ability to go to sleep in time at night and make you wake up the next morning feeling tired. Hence, train your body to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
Avoid stimulants after sunset: Nicotine and caffeine can be very detrimental to your sleep cycle. The effects of these substances can often last for hours. Caffeine not only makes it difficult to fall asleep but can also make a person wake up frequently at night. Alcohol can make a person seem sleepy initially but can make him or her wake up earlier than usual and hence, disrupt the sleep schedule. So, avoid these substances for at least a few hours before going to bed. Instead, you could drink a cup of calming chamomile tea to soothe the nerves and help you sleep well.
Create the right sleep atmosphere: Ban the television, tablet and other mobile screens from your bedroom. The light from these devices makes it difficult to fall asleep and the material being seen can play on your mind for hours and make you toss and turn. Make your room as dark as possible to make it easier to fall asleep. Using blackout curtains can be a good idea. Also, make sure the noise and temperature levels are conducive to sleep.
Exercise: Exercise has many benefits. This includes better sleep quality. A workout tires the body and reduces the chances of waking up in the middle of the night. However, timing your exercise routine is very important. The ideal time for a workout is in the early morning or early evening. Do not work out just before going to bed as this can have a stimulating effect on the mind.
Limit naps: Avoid napping through the day. While this may seem like a good way to catch up on sleep, it can have a detrimental effect on the quality of your night sleep. If you must nap in the afternoon, keep it short. Training your body to associate sleep with darkness can make it easier for you to fall asleep at night.
Hence, if you are also having any sort of troubles with your sleep, immediately apply the above discussed tips in your daily life and you will see the results within a few days.

Suffering From Sleep Problems - 5 Tips To Help You Get Over Them!

Sleep Apnea refers to sleep disorder which is characterized by irregular pauses or interruption in breathing during sleep. Every pause usually lasts for a few minutes or seconds and occurs several times at night. This may indicate that your brain as well as rest of your body is not getting sufficient supply of oxygen. Sleep apnea is of two types - Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

Obstructive Sleep Apnea- This occurs when the air passage gets blocked, generally when the throat muscles periodically relax and obstruct your air passage during sleep. It is the most common type of sleep apnea and is characterized by snoring.
Central Sleep Apnea- In this case, the airway does not get blocked, but the brain stops passing signals to the muscles that control your breathing.
Mostly people who are diagnosed with a number of underlying medical conditions such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, chronic nasal congestion etc. are prone to Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Although Central Sleep Apnea is a less common type of sleep disorder, and does not lead to serious complications, various research studies show that Obstructive Sleep Apnea can pose adverse consequences if not treated at the right time.

One such fatal consequence is cardiovascular problems. Sudden drops in the levels of oxygen in blood that happens during Obstructive Sleep Apnea results can lead to increased blood pressure and damage of the cardiovascular system, which in turn increases the chance of a heart attack. Since men are more prone to heart ailments than women, men with sleep apnea are at a greater risk of heart ailments like stroke or heart failure, coronary artery disease and others.

Since Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs due to interruption in the breathing procedure, it can lead to abnormal irregular heartbeats, known as arrhythmia. Arrhythmia can decrease the level of oxygen in blood and if there s an underlying heart condition, these repetitive encounters of low blood oxygen can even lead to a sudden cardiac arrest.

Most research studies have established a positive correlation between sleep apnea and heart ailment. According to researchers, the risk of untimely death increases as the acuteness of sleep apnea increases. However, there are ways of seeking treatment for this particular sleep disorder. You should consult a doctor immediately and get yourself proper medical assistance to prevent the condition from aggravating.

Can Sleep Apnea Be Fatal?

300 Calories is the average calorific value of our daily sugar intake. It's no wonder then that dietician and weight loss gurus across the world will advise you to quit added sugar as the first step of a weight loss program. Added sugar refers to processed sugar in the form of cubes, sugar crystals or powdered sugar and does not include natural sugars found in fruits, vegetables etc. Apart from cakes and sweets, we eat added sugar in a number of ways including a number of packaged foods like sauce and salad dressings.
If you consume a lot of sugar on a daily basis, quitting added sugar could leave you with withdrawal symptoms. Quitting added sugar is not easy, but here are a few reasons it is well worth the effort.
1. You'll have fewer pimples
Sugar has inflammatory properties. This can trigger systemic inflammation leading to the acne. Thus quitting sugar can instantly reduce the number of pimples on your face and give you clearer skin.
2. It improves the health of your heart
Added sugar can raise insulin levels. This activates the sympathetic nervous system and increases blood pressure and heart rate. Stopping your consumption of added sugar can lower cholesterol levels and decrease the amount of triglycerides in the body. This lowers blood pressure and boosts cardiovascular health.
3. A friendly weight scale
Replacing toffees with dry fruits will considerably reduce your calorific intake. Similarly switching packaged salad dressing for fresh homemade dressing can also make your salad healthier. Given that we eat added sugar in so many forms, making a conscious decision to quit added sugar can have a big impact on your daily calorie intake. Studies show that this simple step can lead to a weight loss of up to 10 pounds in six months.
4. It'll make remembering names easier
Added sugar can hinder learning and memory. Over time, it can also damage communication between brain cells. Quitting sugar can boost both your short term as well as long term memory. You will also find it easier to focus on will be able to be attentive to something for longer periods of time.
5. A good night's sleep
You don't just need 8 hours of sleep a day; you need 8 hours of restful sleep at the right time. Sugar makes blood sugar fluctuate and the crash that follows a sugar high can make you feel sluggish around mid-day. Many people find that if they have an afternoon nap, it becomes more difficult for them to fall asleep at night. Sugar also releases cortisol that interferes with sleep. Thus quitting added sugar can keep you alert through the day and help you fall asleep easier at the end of the day.

See What Really Happens to Your Body When You Stop Eating Added Sugar

Sleep apnea is a potentially dangerous sleep disorder in which you stop and start breathing frequently while you are sleeping. Symptoms of sleep apnea often include loud snoring and fatigue even if you sleep uninterrupted through the night. Obesity and age are the common risk factors of sleep apnea.

The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea, in which the throat muscles contract and relax while you are asleep. The other type of sleep apnea, called central sleep apnea, usually occurs in people who have been diagnosed with brain tumors, infections or heart failure, or have had a stroke.

Treatment of sleep apnea includes:

CPAP: The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) device is generally recommended in the treatment of sleep apnea. CPAP is a breathing machine that stops your airways from getting blocked when you are sleeping. The CPAP device is normally the size of a tissue box. It comes with a mask that you put over your mouth and nose. The machine attached to the mask pumps a continuous flow of air that keeps your airways clear as you sleep.
BPAP: The Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BPAP) device is used as an alternative to the CPAP device, if you find it hard to adjust to the CPAP. If you have a weak pattern of breathing, the BPAP can be helpful.
ASV: The Adaptive Servo-ventilation (ASV) device is used to treat both central and obstructive sleep apnea.
Treatment for other medical conditions: Sometimes sleep apnea can be caused by underlying health conditions. Problems such as rhinitis (nasal passage inflammation) and hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid gland) can cause sleep apnea. In such cases, your doctor needs to diagnose these conditions first before treating your sleep apnea.
Lifestyle changes: Excessive weight sometimes can cause sleep apnea; so losing excessive weight should be a priority. Also, alcohol and tobacco can contribute to your symptoms, so try avoiding those.
Medication: Usually, doctors do not prescribe any medicine, since sedatives and sleeping pills actually worsen sleep apnea. But, in case of sleep apnea in children, doctors typically suggest intra nasal corticosteroid medicine to treat the symptoms.
Surgery: Surgeries to increase the size of your airway or to remove your adenoids, tonsils or extra tissues in the rear of your throat or your nose can prove helpful.

Sleep Apnea - 7 Ways it Can Be Treated!

Sleep is the normal physiological process of our body which is as important as respiration and digestion. Sleep is vital for maintaining our physical and mental health. Normal adults require 8 hours of sleep every day, whereas it 14 to 15 hours of sleep is recommended for for infants and toddlers.

What are the different stages of Sleep

Every human has a natural circadian clock in their body, which is responsible for maintaining our sleep - wake homeostasis. The different stages of sleep include REM and NREM that is rapid eye movement sleep and non rapid eye movement sleep respectively. REM is the deep sleep stage in which it is very difficult to wake up the person as this stage includes the sensory inhibition and all voluntary muscles along with almost all interactions with the surroundings are inhibited. Therefore, a person s physical stress and tiredness also gets relieved during this stage of sleep. NREM sleep is the stage between REM and awakening and here the person may have sensory connection with his or her surroundings, but may not respond.

Sleep and its benefits
Sleep and stress have a very strong connection with each other. The best way to relieve stress and any other mental disturbance is sleep. It is essential to have knowledge about sleep psychiatry for almost all physicians as they face many sleep deprived patients in their day to day practice.

    Sleep is not only responsible for relieving mental stress and depression, but has other benefits as well
    Sleep is also essential for the normal physiological growth in early infancy and it is vital for development of normal alertness, attention and knowledge
    It also relaxes our voluntary muscles and thereby, relieves us from physical stress
    Sleep disturbance may also aggravate diseases in our body. Sleep is also the state of recovery and healing.

Sleep psychiatry also insist on meditation and ensures that people have normal pattern of sleep, in order to maintain the mental health of the person in a normal state.

Sleep Pyschiatry: Its Stages and Benefits

Even though you might feel it is impossible to sleep without pillows, you will be surprised to know that sleeping without a pillow is a good way of preventing neck, back, and shoulder pain. Remember when you were a child, you would fall asleep at any place without waiting for a pillow? The human body can thus adapt to any situation owing to its resilience. And as we age, we are still able to rest our body comfortably without needing a pillow or any other form of support.

The Many Benefits Of Sleeping Without A Pillow-
If you have already encountered some signs and symptoms of sleep deprivation, you will need to find the root of the problem. In doing this, you may find that all these health issues may stem from the pillow you sleep on. If you, like many others, believe that pillows are an indispensable part of your sleep, you may be wrong. Your soft and cozy pillow may do you harm without leaving any scope of suspicion. Here are some of the most compelling advantages of not using a pillow while sleeping:

Neck and Shoulder Benefits: When you don t have a pillow while sleeping, your back, neck and shoulder muscles will extend naturally without causing any aches or sprains. When you sleep on a pillow that is very soft, it will strain the muscles on the neck while also decreasing the flow of blood to the head. When your head is tilted downwards on any pillow that is not able to provide optimum support for the head, the airflow to the respiratory system is much reduced. If you are already suffering from neck and shoulder pain, you may try sleeping a night without any support to see if the pain subsides.
Spinal benefits: Sleeping on your back without a pillow allows the spine to rest completely with the natural curves of the body. Sleeping with a thick pillow can displace your spine.
Sleep Benefits: When you are not having any neck and head support while sleeping, your body would be able to rest optimally. When you sleep on pillows that do not offer good support, your body starts compensating by engaging the back and neck muscles. This causes more strain when the body is supposed to be resting to overcome everyday stress.
Facial Benefits: Many people tend to bury their face in the pillow while sleeping. This will prevent your face from being able to breathe and perspire. The pores on the skin surface will not have any access to air. This leads to the formation of oil and grease on the face, and it will give way to blackheads as the added dust and impurities on the surface of the pillow will come in contact with your face.
For all these compelling reasons, you can try to forgo your pillows and observe improvement in your general health.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Sleeping With A Pillow- Is It Good Or Bad For You?

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