In a world where you just have to live wiser and perform according to what companies are paying you for, employees need to know when they should also reach the point of overdoing it. It is true that employees would be wise to know when to take a break, short naps that can help them maintain their level of efficiency when they are on the job.

Allowing employees to nap is fine but while many companies are hesitant due to abuse, here are some reasons why employees need naps:

Here are five tips from 1800mattress.com consultants on how to improve Sleep Quality without changing Sleep Quantity:

Sleep Schedule: Try your best to stay on a regular pattern of going to sleep and getting up to within a one-hour window for consistency.

Wind Down Routine: Establish a regular routine to follow before sleep to help train the body to wind down and to prepare for sleep. Avoid bringing laptops, blackberries, etc., into the bedroom to limit distractions.

Sleep Temperature: Try to have your bedroom between 65-70 degrees as cooler environments are more conducive to prolonged sleep and can minimize sleep disturbances through the night.
Limit Distraction: If you must watch TV, have it on a sleep timer. Try and keep the room as dark and quiet as possible. Turn alarm clocks so you can’t see their glow as the urge to check the time can add to stress and disturb rest.

Inspect your mattress: If it squeaks, you wake up with back pain, toss and turn at night, sleep better away from home, etc., it’s probably time for a new mattress. The item most depended on to provide restorative sleep could be the biggest reason you are not getting it. Mattresses should be replaced every 5-7 years.

(Source) Furniture World

Sleep Apnea has been a growing concern today and a lot of people are trying to find ways around it. Indeed, sleep problems are becoming serious and unlike before when making up for lost sleep was an ideal solution, it has all the more gotten worst.

Such has been the call for sleep solutions that have to cater to these growing pains. Sleep apnea is something that should be brought to the attention of sleep specialists and with the efforts of Covidien, bringing together the physicians, patients and the necessary equipment and resources can hopefully address and resolve these sleep disorder issues growing rampant today.

Covidien created the “Unite to Treat Sleep Apnea” initiative in response to the increased demand for sleep apnea treatment. According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 12 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, and an additional 10 million remain undiagnosed.

“Undiagnosed and untreated sleep apnea is an urgent issue, as it reduces productivity and shortens life spans. This partnership is designed to help keep drivers in the transportation industry safe by increasing the availability of diagnostic and therapeutic resources,” said Scott Drake, President, Respiratory and Monitoring Solutions, Covidien. “Initiatives like ‘Unite to Treat Sleep Apnea’ are valuable because they further the diagnosis, treatment and compliance of this life-threatening disease.”

(Source) Business Wire

This belief has been passed on through ages. The food we eat can have a bearing on how we sleep and that is why people should really pick what they eat.

Spicy foods are fine to digest but not before you sleep. It would be best to consider that once we want to sleep, our digestive system may not entirely be able to handle the spicy food that some people just cannot avoid.

So aside from having trouble to sleep because of constant tossing and turning, you feel that discomfort of not being able to sleep well because you want to really find the proper sleep position with nothing bothering you in bed.

Several things may account for the effect. An obvious possibility is indigestion. But the scientists also noted that after eating the spicy meals the subjects had elevated body temperatures during their first sleep cycles, which has been linked in other studies to poorer sleep quality.

(Source) The New York Times

We all know that coffee is the drink to have when you are sleepy. But the belief that it contributes to sleep deprivation is something up for questioning. Apparently this was the case for this study conducted regarding the tests conducted which proved that aroma of coffee does indeed help lessen the stress of sleep deprivation present for most people today.

In experiments with laboratory rats, they found that coffee aroma orchestrates the expression of more than a dozen genes and some changes in protein expressions, in ways that help reduce the stress of sleep deprivation.

Han-Seok Seo and colleagues point out that hundreds of studies have been done on the ingredients in coffee, including substances linked to beneficial health effects. “There are few studies that deal with the beneficial effects of coffee aroma,” they note. “This study is the first effort to elucidate the effects of coffee bean aroma on the sleep deprivation-induced stress in the rat brain.”

We all know that these are tests only and that rats are merely experimental beings used to prove theories but they are all pointed towards the right direction as far as explaining the facts of sleep deprivation and helping us understand them as a whole.

(Source) Science Daily

As far as overall physical appearance is concerned, who would ever think that this could be traced as another key indicator towards sleep related problems such as snoring, sleep apnea and excessive sleepiness? Apparently this was proven in a study at University of Virginia where it was found that children with larger necks should have clinical evaluation to be able to determine if sleep-related issues will exist.

Age-adjusted neck size correlated with body-mass index (BMI) and weight and showed a higher correlation with AHI than did BMI, weight or tonsil size. Neck size also showed a strong inverse correlation with mean oxygen saturation and was a better predictor of mean oxygen saturation than BMI, weight or tonsil size, the study found.

“Children with bigger neck sizes for age should be queried about snoring, apnea, excessive sleepiness, and hyperactivity. Neck size should be considered in the clinical evaluation of children with a history of snoring and apnea,” study author Dr. Pearl L. Yu said in a prepared statement.

(Source) US News

Snoring and breathing problems will normally originate from the neck and throat and seeing larger necks does seem abnormal physically and this is only one of the potential complications for health reason that has been found. For sure, there are far more other serious issues related to it such as obesity. See your doctor now and just play safe to be sure for your own sake.