We have heard of one night stands or passes that men make to pick up girls and get them into bed. This would normally undergo a lengthy chit chat or maybe a round of drinks until they get so tipsy that they may no longer know what they are doing. But did you know that the easiest way to determine if a woman would likely sleep with you is the color of the dress she is wearing?

Apparently through a study conducted by the University of South Brittany psychologists showed that women in red are most likely to end up in bed with men. With about 120 male undergraduates acting as the volunteers, a woman was asked to don different colored tops. This included red, blue, green or white.

Using a questionnaire, the men were asked to rate how attractive the woman would be for each color. This included rating the likeliness of how the woman would likely have agree to sex when wearing the usual colors.

As it turned out, red was the color that stood out. The sequence for rating were red, white, blue and green.

Via

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We all know how sleep positions can make a difference when it comes to a person’s overall health but they do offer something else – your personality.

Weird as it may seem, Professor Chris Idzikowski, of the director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service shared how certain sleep positions can tell much of a person.

1. Among the sleep positions is called the curled up on your side position or the fetus. According to him, about 41% of people in his study slept this way and is a more popular sleeping position among women. As far as personality is concerned, people who sleep this way are shy at first but later on relax.
2. There is also the “log position”. This is when people lie down on their side with both arms down. These people are said to be easy going and often want to be part of a crowd.
3. There is also the soldier position whereby an individual lies on his back with both arms in front. These are people who are reserved and quiet.
4. There is also the freefall position (people sleeping with their hands tied up with pillows on their bellies). People who sleep this way are the ones who don’t take criticism very well or are brash.
5. The last is called the starfish. This is where people sleep on their back with their arms wrapped on the pillows. These are people who are good listeners and are the ones who are willing to help.

So which sleep position best describes you?

Via

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Actually, the cause of death was undetermined. All they had to work with was the fact that the tots were sleeping with their parents. SIDS or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome has been a main cause for baby deaths, with the youngest reported baby death aged at 3 weeks and 10 months thus far.

“The safest place for your baby to sleep is in its own cot in the same room as you, not with you on the couch, the bed or any other place,” Mr Hill said.

The new guidelines includes:

• Sleeping baby on its back from birth with its feet at the foot of the cot.
• Sleeping baby with its head and face uncovered with bedcovers tucked in securely, or in a sleeping bag that fits well.
• Avoiding exposure to tobacco smoke before and after birth.
• Providing a safe sleep environment in a cot which complied with Australian standards.
• Sleeping baby in its own cot in the same room as its parents for the first six to 12 months.

Via

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The Baby Sleep Site has launched a new toddler sleep book called “The Tired Parent’s 5-Step System to Better Toddler Sleep,”. The book was written by Nicole Johnson and is the newest addition to the site’s collection of sleep books for babies, toddlers and of course parents.

The Baby Sleep Book comes with features that include:

• How to know when to transition from two naps to one, and then to none
• How to transition to a big kid bed
• Whether to let a toddler cry-it-out or not
• How to break a toddler’s dependence on Mom or Dad when falling asleep
• How to help a toddler sleep through the night and wake after the sun comes up
• Knowing the difference between night terrors and nightmares and what to do
• Knowing which sleep coaching method is the best for the family

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Even in a deep slumber, people are known to somehow learn or remember better. And while this is a fact for the human species, it seems that birds (Songbirds in particular) use this same process when it comes to learning songs while they are sleeping.

In songbirds it had been shown previously that during sleep the brain has the same pattern of activity as during singing the day before. The present findings show that the more young songbirds have learned from their father’s song, the more active their brain is during subsequent sleep.

Image Credits

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Babies normally sleep a lot and perhaps one thing that we would be surprised at is their ability to learn about the things around them. While this development stage is seen more to be common when they are awake, it seems that newborn babies can learn more while asleep between 16 to 18 hours a day.

A new research shows that babies are into the learning process while supposedly sleeping. This was discovered by Dana Byrd, member of the research team that conducted the study that appears in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“Newborn infants’ sleep patterns are quite different than those of older children or adults in that they show more active sleep where heart and breathing rates are very changeable,” she said. “It may be this sleep state is more amenable to experiencing the world in a way that facilitates learning.”

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The best way to hone up sleep education is to perhaps insert them into the daily programs in school. Special sleep sessions covering sleep issues like avoiding late night TV, keeping a bedtime routine and sleeping for at least nine hours are only some of the valuable topics kids should be taught.

This can dramatically improve the sleep problems some kids and teens have to deal with, most of whom have been sleep deprived due to bedtime after midnight. With this new sleep sessions, kids and teens may yet get to sleep better, live healthier and most important of all, improve in their academic performance.

(Source) Telegraph

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A certificate program on polysomnography will soon be offered to interesting students as the GateWay Community College unveils an 8 month program which will help students monitor and analyze patients with sleep disorders. The program will accept 20 students per session and is limited to graduates of accredited respiratory care programs.

Graduates can earn $42,509 to $80,300 annually, depending on the certification level and the years of experience. Students in the program will get hands-on training on campus and clinical experiences in local sleep centers.

(Source) Shift Work Disorder

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It has been common logic for most of us to play some music to sleep and while we sleep. The first is of course to lull us to sleep while the second is to relax us and get our minds as calm as possible. But it seems that the latter seems to do more than that. Playing music while sleeping has been said to improve memory, especially for students who are preparing for an exam or test the next day.

Scientists at Northwestern University report that playing specific sounds while people slept helped them remember more of what they had learned before they fell sleep, to the point where memories of individual facts were enhanced. Playing music while sleeping has been known to reap some rewards. This was normally practiced for babies in the developmental stages. Apparently it works further than that. I wonder if it works on older people too?

Image Credits: NY Daily News

(Source) NY Times

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Though we haven’t seen any concrete proof on how we can benefit from proper sleep as far as our memory is concerned, it seems that this logic is going to be backed up soon with this new discovery by Rutgers University, Newark and Collége de France, Paris research team. It seems that they have scored a major breakthrough discovering a mechanism that is responsible for associating sleep with memory formation.

Normally, we address it to the time of sleep. Other than that, no clear evidence exists. But now it looks like the said research teams outdid themselves. They have determined that short transient brain events, called “sharp wave ripples,” are responsible for consolidating memory and transferring the learned information from the hippocampus to the neocortex, where long-term memories are stored.

With this development, a lot of unanswered questions now become clearer. Rest and good sleep is one thing. But the memory formation to benefit from it seems to be more important as far as tying up the learning factor is concerned.

(Source) Science Daily

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There is a drug that was originally meant to aid seizures but based on a study conducted by the University of Rochester Medical Center, the same drug can be a great remedy as well for menopause women who have trouble sleeping.

The drug is called Gabapentin, a drug that has proven to provide improved sleep quality without the harsh side effects that sleeping pills are known to carry.

Gabapentin’s impact on the sleep quality factor in menopausal women may reflect improvement in hot flashes, stabilization of sleep architecture, or a decrease in the amount of time to transition from wakefulness to sleep, the researchers wrote. It is also possible that Gabapentin improved sleep quality by addressing underlying sleep pathology, such as restless legs syndrome.

(Source) Times of India

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For anyone, sleep is important. With emphasis on the pregnant women and expectant parents, it would be advisable to get all the sleep you can get. Aside from potent health issues, lack of sleep may lead to small birth sizes, something that a study recently showed.

The study, which included 289 8-year-olds born healthy and full-term, found that the lower the children’s weight and length at birth, the greater their odds of having poor sleep or sleep disturbances such as sleep-related breathing problems or nightmares. What’s more, a mother’s prenatal drinking is a habit that can impair fetal growth and development was linked to a greater risk of childhood sleep problems.

This is how sensitive a pregnant woman has to consider. Sleep is perhaps the best thing that they can do at their current state, not only for them but for the child they are carrying. This is a good example to show that a child’s health and state would depend largely on how a mom would take care of herself during the pre-natal stages.

(Source) The International News

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You must remember though, these electric blankets can eventually get worn out and cause fires.  They are one of the leading causes of house fires.

According to the Become Shopping Blog:

Even if your blanket it is less than 10 years old, you should still keep an eye out for obvious signs like scorch marks and fraying on the power cord. If you think there might be something wrong with your blanket, it’s better to be safe than sorry. It’s also worth getting it checked out by an expert every 2-3 years and many local councils offer an annual electric blanket inspection service free of charge.

I have to agree that if you use your electric blanket on a daily basis, make sure you swap them out for new ones at least every 10 years.   Besides protecting yourself from unwanted fires, electric blankets get better and safer every year.  It’s a small investment/insurance for your home.

New models of electric blankets are safer than ever and also offer new features that regulate the temperature to keep you even more comfortable. You should make sure that the electric blanket you buy has an automatic shutoff device.

via Become Shopping Blog

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As far as sleep is concerned, it is always better to sleep with someone by your side. At least that is what these studies try to convey to us as they compare the life of a single woman to a married one and how a good marital relationship can produce good sleep.

When it comes to the difference between single and married, a lot of things come into mind. One factor is that of the security issue. Single women often have a lot of things in their mind though not necessarily marriage. They are normally the career women who would endlessly think of issues such as business thus making them unstable when sleeping. Also, the transition of single women to marriage becomes an issue as well. Adjusting to having someone beside them may not necessarily be as easy and thus contributes to the sleeping soundly problem.

For relationships, it is common sense in thinking that couples who have problems are at odds and may be encountering a silent psychological warfare when in bed. Something like is there something to discuss or hiding things from the other cannot be discounted. So when you put one and one, it is apparent that you have a lot of things in mind thus depriving you of sleep.

The data from both studies suggest that sleep and relationship happiness are closely linked. The lesson for couples, especially those who are struggling with problems, is that paying attention to sleep habits may help solve other issues in the relationship. Dr. Hasler said couples should work to resolve problems before bedtime and avoid discussing difficult topics when one or both have not slept well.

(Source) NY Times

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Have you ever given it any though who in the world spend the most time sleeping? You may be surprised to note that the French people spend an average of 9 hours sleeping, 1 hour more than the average sleeping period most people embark on.

True to their reputation as leisure-loving gourmets, the French spend more time sleeping and eating than anyone else among the world’s wealthy nations, according to a study published Monday.

The average French person sleeps almost nine hours every night, more than an hour longer than the average Japanese and Korean, who sleep the least in a survey of 18 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

(Source) Yahoo

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Now this type of sleep disorder has not been proven to be common in humans but if studies make any progress, Equine Sleep Disorders may soon be found to be a new type of sleep disorder that we have to deal with.

The good news is that for now, it is a disorder linked to horses. But if advanced research and studies have their way, we may just hear about this sleep disorder linked to the human gene pool.

In the February 2007 issue of EQUUS magazine, California veterinarian Joe Bertone, DVM, describes an equine sleep disorder he has been studying for more than a decade. It occurs when horses, for physical or psychological reasons, are unable to lie down for adequate deep (REM) sleep. After prolonged periods of sleep deprivation, the horse begins to slip into REM sleep at any quiet moment, literally starting to collapse before awakening and catching himself before hitting the ground. This condition, says Bertone, is different than narcolepsy, a neurologic disorder in which otherwise well-rested horses slip into REM sleep during periods of excitement.

To view the videos of this new sleep disorder, you can check them out at this site.

(Source) Equisearch

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This is not to deprive people from following their modern practice. But you can really turn to a compromise of sorts in case you overlooked the features that come with your TV sets.

There is normally a sleep mode function that you can see on the remote so why not use it? Set your TV sleep timer to perhaps 30 minutes or 60 minutes if you think you will not be sleeping anytime soon. At least you can sleep and be assured that the TV set automatically turns off after the set time you set. Now that wasn’t hard was it?

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Aside from trying to remember what you dreamt about (assuming that you have slept soundly) other forms of trying to interpret dreams can be hard to do if you don’t have the right equipment and resources to determine just what they exactly mean.

Dream interpretation has been something many are curious about but no one really focused on it in general. We relied on books like the ones by Sigmund Freud, but now it seems that science is trying to intervene to shed more light towards what dreams really mean.

“By applying this technology, it may become possible to record and replay subjective images that people perceive like dreams.” The mapping of dreams is possible because “While looking at an object that the eye’s retina is able to recognize an image, which is converted into electrical signals sent into the brain’s visual cortex.”

(Source) Associated Content

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Our brain can only take so much and at some point, we may have problems as far as memory issues, recalling certain events or even understanding a complicated task. Ideally, when we lack sleep, we feel haggard and long to lay back and try to reorganize our senses. Thanks to some studies conducted by the University of Chicago, it has been justified that getting the right amount of sleep does indeed help in memory problems and even bring you as far as recalling the past skills you once mastered.

“Sleep consolidated learning by restoring what was lost over the course of a day following training and by protecting what was learned against subsequent loss,” said Howard Nusbaum, Professor of Psychology at the University of Chicago, and a researcher in the study. “These findings suggest that sleep has an important role in learning generalized skills in stabilizing and protecting memory.”

The whole ordeal is quite simple. Abuse your body by sleeping less is also abusing your psychological capacity as well. With a well-rested mind through sleep, you will be amazed at the things you can do and the ease of improving your personal intellect as well.

(Source) EurekAlert

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In vast places of the globe, the New Year is normally welcomed with fireworks and noises that create both air and noise pollution. Take these two factors together and you may find yourself having difficulty sleeping. So how do you avoid it?

Deciding to stay at home and closing the windows will not help. You might end up clogging your room with smoke anyway. So why not consider spending the night in a hotel where you will most probably need a break after a tumultuous year anyway?

The price may be something to consider especially during these hard economic times. But if you are looking for the best bonus or gift to give yourself, a one time investment of around $60 to $100 for an overnight stay in hotels will not really be that bad.

Give yourself a break from the pollution this coming New Year. Sleep soundly as you welcome 2009 in style!

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For parents who have a hard time determining how to resolve their child’s inconsistent sleeping habits, events such as this one to be held in Needham by Sleep expert Richard Ferber, director of the Center for Pediatric Sleep Disorders at Children’s Hospital Boston is a good talk to check out.

Ferber is a familiar fixture in child sleep problems. He is actually the author of “Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems” a good book parents should likewise check out. Rarely would you see talks like these held and the pointers you can get from the experts can really help a lot. So if you happen to hear of one in your area, don’t hesitate to sign up. Or if you are in Needham, drop by and see what you can pick up from Richard Ferber.

(Source) Boston.com

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In a previous post, I had written something about the common practice of most offices changing the traditional fluorescent white lamps into blue ray ones to help them become more productive. Apparently this is not restricted in the office setting but can also be done at home. Placing this compact device in your bedroom and activating its soothing blue light for 30-60 minutes prior to falling asleep will help you fall asleep faster and experience a more satisfying slumber.

Young children and infants can also benefi t from bathing their bedroom in the soft glow of blue light prior to falling asleep. And, the TwiLight™ System remains cool to the touch, so it’s safe to use. The compact size (only 3.9″ x 5.6″ x 12″) and high/low illumination make it the perfect addition to any bedroom.

(Source) TrueSun.com

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Rest assured, they will not be easy. The element of time and of course body response to it will be important as well. Considering that we must first adhere towards mental and bodily reactions, treating insomnia can be done naturally.

Here are some natural Insomnia cures as reported by NECN:

1. Avoid High Calories
2. No Water after 3 PM
3. Passion Flower
4. Natural Calm

Don’t understand them? Watch the video for a more detailed explanation.

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We are all familiar with the phrase “No Sleeping on the Job” but apparently some companies are retracting this belief. For the sake of productivity, some companies allow their employees to sleep but not on their table.

Companies are taking on a new lease, investing in these innvovative EnergyPods for taking naps and then return to work refreshed. Of course this may be subject to a lot of issues but knowing companies, they are bound to place some restrictions and guidelines on proper hours to get some short naps and then be more productive for the sake of overall operations.

Vinayak Sudame, an engineer at the Research Triangle Park campus of Cisco, says he uses an EnergyPod to “shut my eyes and shut myself off for 10 or 15 minutes” when he is working on a problem or needs some quiet time. More than a walk or a coffee break, he says, this type of “total mental rest” helps him return to work with what he calls a “reorganized” perspective.

(Source) The New York Times

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One can just imagine how if feels to sleep in a coffin. Eerie and gross as it may seem, it looks highly improbable to convince people to try it. But for people in Malaysia, there is more to sleeping in coffins than getting respite. It is a form of getting rid of bad luck, something that most of us surely want to do especially if you are that superstitious.

The daily reported that the devotees believed that by following the ritual, their families would be blessed with prosperity and good fortune.

The ritual was common in the old days but temples in Malaysia rarely carry out such ceremonies now as coffins are still considered “not a very good thing” by the community, the daily reported.

(Source) The Star Online

Though it seems this has been a traditional practice, it makes you wonder if you can truly sleep in a coffin or on the other hand, get nightmares from doing it. Well that is culture for you, something that differentiates each race today.

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At times where we find ourselves in the middle of having to make critical decisions concerning work or life, we would often be told to sleep on it. At this state, we can relax our thoughts and gather new ideas, making it all the broader as far as weighing out the pros and cons and that coming up with a final decision.

Many have tried to make judgment when they sleep. Certain factors may come into play when you are unconscious. While it can be a big help, reality has its own share of factors which may not necessarily come up when you sleep. Hence if you want to pass a decision, make sure you are conscious and aware of it.

This is perhaps better than leaving final decisions based on dreams or sub consciousness. In today’s world, reality has to be met with factual moves based on the situation that you may find yourself in.

Unconscious decision-making was thought to be best in certain situations because it is not limited by how much stuff can be shuffled through the mind – a limitation thought to hobble conscious thought. And so, scientists had said the benefits of unconscious thinking are greatest when a decision is complex, with multiple options and attributes.

(Source) Yahoo News

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When we sleep, we dream of a lot of things. They may not always be immediately associated with what we have just been through. Some of them go as far as our childhood days, reflecting and reminiscing about the past to which some people may find comfort when they sleep.

But there are also dreams that account for current events. Especially when a person is sleeping with something in mind, chances are he will be recalling certain events that have not yet been resolved.

Between the two, a lot can be pointed towards our mental state. Our minds are at work and whatever we have stored there that may be disturbing us will always be the first thing that comes to mind. The reason behind this is that there is a part of our brain that is still conscious. It can be typified to a sort of lack of relaxation to which we tend to address current dilemmas rather than reminisce on the past where we may have a relaxing memory of our good old days.

When we are dreaming, there is a certain part of our mind and being which is aware and conscious, yet some other parts of the brain that are completely at rest. Experts suggest that various types of dreams exist, that range form the dreamer not being in his or her own dream (dreams of childhood) to one where the dreamer is actively reflecting upon the ongoing dream and making deductions and judgments on the events happening in the dream (lucid dreams). This is an interesting lead to the contemplation about the distinction between dreams and reality.

(Source) Brain Blogger

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Exercise is something good for the heart and is associated and getting great sleep. Routine exercise such as yoga or tai chi can be helpful to our bodies as far as making sure our blood flow is better. But for some people, particularly the elderly, our body metabolism is likewise important. As we age, it slows down and in the process we may find ourselves becoming idle and even reach the point of unhealthy.

Exercise regularly and you may finally get that great sleep. It doesn’t have to be hectic. Just make sure your body can have a proper circulation since in the end, your health may be relying a lot on it.

(Source) Seattlepi.com

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But rather than sulking in agony, there are new practices to help regulate a baby’s sleeping cycle. The answer? Teach them to sleep on their own. It is called sleep training by some but if you know your way on how to be a parent, it is something you should check out.

For some parents, it may be hard. But just take it as a challenge in itself. Outside sleeping, it’s a form of teaching kids on how to be independent at their primal age. No one said it would be easy but if you master it, you will be surprised at other things that your child will learn later on.

(Source) Canada.com

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Sleep is basic and one of the easiest things that people may know to do. But even as it seems to be as simple, sleep issues such as sleep apnea and insomnia have so far made people take on sleep on another angle, considering it a serious problem once you notice that sleeping the normal way has been differing as you live your life.

The last thing any person would want is to get help with regards to sleep. In fact, when you are told to attend a sleep seminar, you may end up rolling in laughter. Being taught how to sleep may affect some egos and make people ignore it. But seriously, for specialist such as Robert de Stefano who holds workshops entitled “The Sweet Art of Sleep Seduction”, sleep deprived and insomniacs can learn a lot. The goal of this workshop is to help people and not ridicule them. All it takes is a couple of hours of listening to fully understand what they are up against and what health risks may be involved.

“One of the pillars of what I’m teaching is the concept of being able to transition out of your day body and mind into a body and mind more positively prepared for a night of deep sleep,” he says. “We’re throwing ourselves into bed and hoping that we’ll relax and get to sleep.”

“The strongest propaganda that insomnia has going for it is that a lot of people think it’s a disease or an illness,” says de Stefano, 52. “Our answer has been to take a pill, but you can’t force or will sleep; you have to lure it. As the title (of the workshop) goes, you seduce it.”

(Source) East Valley Tribune

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Sleep has a lot of benefits. Aside from the usual rest that most people long for, it also has its share of contributing towards people who undertake strenuous exercises such as sports and body building. Hence, while you are counting your calories, it would be best to see the power that sleep can bring as far as pulling the overall power back to normal.

Apparently factors such as proper sleeping hours and the bed we lay on are relevant. We are often told to get some rest. Now on how to analyze and go about it is another thing. We just have to think practical.

Sleep helps your body heal. It’s really the only time your muscles can completely rest and recover. There are a ton of studies linking sleep with healing. They show that, among other things, human growth hormone and melatonin, both of which play a big role in tissue recovery and immunity, are produced during sleep.

So if you’re not getting good sleep-whether it’s due to pain, anxiety, fear or whatever-you’re not giving your muscles, especially your back muscles, time to rejuvenate themselves for the next day’s activities.

(Source) American Chronicle

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The delicate stage of infants today is how fast they can learn things like talking and perception. While we all know that this varies, sleep has been identified as another contributor towards how fast a child can develop such learning abilities.

“Children are able to make the transition well if they are able to interact with peers and teachers and concentrate in class and take on the workload,” he said.

“If you have enough sleep, you have enough concentration … the brain is still growing, they are still taking in a lot of information,” Sydney Morning Herald quoted Jon Quach, lead researcher, as saying.

Lack of sleep contributes to child development and proper growth. Apparently being left out would be the intellectual development of a child. Monitor their sleeping habits and make sure that they get the proper shuteye. It can make a difference.

(Source) The Times of India

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We have been hearing the growing relation of obesity with sleep these days and indirectly, the point is people have to spice up their lives with certain activities that can perhaps add spice to their normal routine. This does not really entail rigorous activities and in fact, a study has showed that Tai Chi Chih, an ancient form of Chinese Martial arts, can significantly help improve sleeping patterns.

This is a good activity to participate in considering that it is a better alternative to healthier lives compared to the usual reliance of people on drugs to get that much needed sleep.

Studies show that more than half of older adults experience sleeping problems at least a few times a week, Irwin and his team note in their report. While CBT can ease insomnia, few therapists have the training to offer this type of treatment, which is also relatively expensive. And while aerobic exercise can also help people sleep better, vigorous workouts aren’t an option for many seniors.

To investigate whether tai chi chih might be an option, Irwin and his team analyzed sleep quality in 112 people aged 59 to 86 participating in a randomized, controlled trial of the martial art for preventing shingles. Tai chi chih instruction was given in 45-minute sessions, three times a week.

(Source) Reuters

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As far as sleep comparison is concerned, it would be intriguing to note if some animals would follow the same sleep patterns that we do. Apparently thanks to the continued research of most groups such as the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in San Diego, Calif., there is a bird that has been discovered to sleep like us. The said bird is called the Zebra Finch, a songbird that has episodes of rapid-eye-movement sleep and slow-wave sleep as well as transition stages and quick spikes, all reminiscent of mammalian sleep patterns.

As for the zebra finch results, he said, they show that a cortex isn’t required to have such structured sleep, and they also raise evolutionary issues. “The question now becomes whether evolution has gone through the trouble of selecting for these particular patterns more than once,” he said.

(Source) The New York Times

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If you are among the people today who are aching to stay fit and maintain the ideal weight levels, you will never guess what the best activity is for being able to achieve proper weight levels. It does not include having to enroll in the usual fitness centers. It all boils down to getting the proper amount of sleep, something many people today are losing in their lives.

A good book to support this claim is this book, Sleep to Be Sexy, Smart and Slim: Get the Best Sleep of Your Life Tonight and Every Night, authored by Julie Bain and Ellen Michaud.

“It really surprised me how many women think sleep is a waste of their time,” says the New York City-based writer and editor. “So many women feel guilty if they’re not doing as much as possible all of the time. But your sleep is not an indulgence.”

(Source) Dallas News

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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

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When all else fails, parents will either ask a sleep specialist or maybe hit the bookstores and look for advice in books that specialize in sleep problems. Well just in case you are one of these worried parents, here is a good book that you can surely check out.

This is a good book that can provide you advice on how to establish appropriate sleep habits for your baby and child. The book is authored by Dr. Eduard Estivil, a director of the Sleep Distrubances Clinic at the Institut Dexeus in Barcelona, Spain. He is likewise a practicing pediatrician and a specialist in sleep medicine.

“Well, now think about what you have been willing to do when your child starts bawling at midnight. You stand on your head, do the hokey pokey, imitate Barney, or try to hypnotize your child by swaying the hanging lamp in front of his little face.

“What is the poor kid going to think? He’ll probably want to grow up as quickly as possible so he can sue you.”

(Source) Sun Sentinel

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In these cases, you will often find yourself supposedly sleeping at their peak time to which you have to adjust because your body will not be able to take it for sure. However, one element in all of this can make a difference and this has to do with the food and meals that this voyager would take in between the time shifts.

“A period of fasting with no food at all for about 16 hours is enough to engage this new clock,” says Prof Saper, who did the work with Drs Patrick Fuller and Jun Lu.

“So, in this case, simply avoiding any food on the plane, and then eating as soon as you land, should help you to adjust – and avoid some of the uncomfortable feelings of jet lag.”

The next time you have to adjust your sleeping period, consider the meals you take. A small fasting sacrifice can really make a difference.

(Source) Telegraph.co.uk

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The disease, endemic in southeast Uganda and western Kenya, is caused by parasites and transmitted to humans by tsetse flies. It kills more than 40,000 Africans each year and the animal form of the disease (nagana) kills two million cattle each year.

IT starts with a headache, joint pains and fever. It is the kind you would expect to get over quickly. But after a while, things get worse. You fall asleep most of the time, are confused and get intense pains and convulsions.

If you do not get treatment, your body begins to waste away. Eventually, you slip into coma and die.

So you may say that this disease may eventually be transmitted unseen as the said parasites can easily make their way to your body. So if you think you have the symptoms mentioned above, better have your doctor check you out.

(Source) AllAfrica.com

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A lot of people can attest to this fact. Sleep, normally seen as something that can be remedied with the right resources including own will power, has become serious and a threat to a person’s overall risk. Insomnia is becoming serious and has even gone as far as affecting the various human body parts to which people are slowly becoming concerned.

With that in mind, the move to improve on sleep awareness has to start. May has become the month to make it all happen.

If you’re having trouble falling asleep lately, you’re not alone, thousands of Americans survive the day on very little sleep. But that can be unhealthy and even dangerous.

For a lot of people sleep remains at the bottom of the priority list, but a local sleep doctor tells me that can limit your productivity at work and if you’re like me, you’ll be happy to hear, naps are a good thing.

(Source) Kidk.com

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Here is something good for all parents who want to find out how to put their babies to sleep the right way. Today, most people look for good ways to be able to achieve maximum potential as far as providing babies and infants with good sleep practices. Some still turn to the usual sleep specialists or pediatricians who in turn may prescribe some meds or some unorthodox practices.

But with this new book, a 90-minute baby sleep program, you can find something useful if you are experiencing problems on how to put your child to sleep.

(Source) BDN.com

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The good news is you will get to sleep more as you get to that retirement age. The bad news is that sleeping problems are expected to worsen as you reach this age. With these two things in mind, you may be asking if growing old is indeed something great to look forward to.

Apparently, these are health related. The abuses our bodies have had in the years of our lives are contributory marks towards getting good sleep. But while we yearn for good sleep once we reach these latter ages, perhaps it would be best to assess ourselves at this point to see how our future holds for us realistically.

One report finds persistent insomnia can lead to depression in the elderly, especially in those getting standard care for depression in primary care settings. The study looked at 1,801 elderly patients aged 60 or older with major depression. It shows patients with persistent insomnia were 1.8 to 3.5 times more likely to remain depressed compared with patients without insomnia.

Another new study finds older people with cognitive impairment are more likely to have sleep problems. The 102 participants were between the ages of 59 and 96, had a clinical diagnosis of cognitive impairment, slept an average of seven hours or less each night, and slept during the day for 30 minutes or longer. Results show 21.6 percent of them had at least one painful condition and 45.1 percent were diagnosed with depression.

(Source) Medical Breakthroughs

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Whenever we find it hard to sleep, chances are we will approach our mothers for help on the matter. Kids are easily the notable people who can be seen asking this problem and when these things occur, chances are parents will frantically hit the books or even seek the advice of physicians to address the problem. But what if infants are the ones suffering from such sleep issues?

Babies also have their share of sleeping tragedies. They cannot communicate as well as older kids and if they are not given attention, chances are you may find problems such as the manner to which they sleep.

Just check out this article on a baby’s death that has helped inspire a mom to support enhancements of sleep education.

Dusten was 3-months-old when he died sleeping in a crib.

Lisa Sculley’s son was just two and a half months when he died on his stomach on an adult sized bed.

“Would my son still be alive if he would have been off his back on a regular bed? I can’t prove that but he would have had a better chance,” says Sculley.

It’s not clear exactly what caused either of their sons’ deaths, but both died while sleeping.

(Source) First Coast News

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Sleepovers are something familiar to most of us. Normally, our kids would ask if their friends can spend the night at your place and chances are you will most likely agree to it. But this is applicable only if they are of the same sex. As far as co-ed sleepovers are concerned, parents would most likely say no to avoid certain problems we all know like pre-marital sex etc.

But co-ed sleepovers are now becoming a trend. This is most especially true for people who find themselves in the Eastern Cape.

SOME Eastern Cape parents are having sleepless nights over what their children might be doing when sleeping over at a friend‘s house, because of a new trend: the “co-ed sleep-over”.

And their fears may be well-founded – one expert says there is evidence that some teen co-ed sleep- overs turn into full-blown orgies.

(Source) Weekend Post

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But the thing is, this recommendation was only made to protect our babies. While we may choose not to follow this advice, we just have to be aware that such warnings were made to help provide babies with better sleeping positions and valued lives.

(Source) Canada.com

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Gadgets range from cellular phones to modern technology developed consoles and rather than sleeping soundly with your loved one beside you, most people have preferred to stay awake and tinker around with them rather than getting good sleep.

So in a sense, you may call technology a bane in some sense. But if you look at it, it may come down to a choice on which is more important; your relationship or your gadget.

(Source) The Economic Times

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1. Stress
2. Excessive Thinking
3. Time Management from Work or Studies
4. Social Life
5. Searching for the Right Comfort

If you will summarize it, it would seem that when we are in our prime years, we tend to overwork and want to take on the whole world as we see it. We are usually hyperactive that we forget the usual 6 to 8 hours of sleep. But when we near the retiring age, somewhere between 25 and above, we find ourselves going back to sleeping longer hours. This is because our bodies are slowly getting older and the organs we have are not as metabolized during our active years.

Here is a study you can read on: Study Shows U.S. Adults Not Getting Enough Sleep

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To be able to understand what is truly wrong with us, such problems should be brought to the attention of the specialists. Sleep disorders are not as simple today and if we want to avoid complications in the end as far as health is concerned, it would be best to seek the advice of certified sleep specialists to diagnose them properly.

(Source) The Korea Times

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This is a good opportunity for people with sleep disorders to find some explanation and solutions to the whole ordeal.

You can read more about it here: Free Lectures Sleep Disorders and Heart Health “Sleep Disorders”

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Dreams can mean something or nothing. To some people, they stand for something like a symbol of things to come. To others they are callings to which they have to address some things which they deem as unfinished business. But overall there would be people who would just plain forget what they dreamt about.

To classify dreams, we can see them in these categories:

1. Guides for believers who want to find out what they mean.
2. Dreams are a calling for people who have to accomplish something
3. Subconscious thoughts stemming from experience
4. No relevance to people who don’t care what dreams they encounter in sleep.

Here is a good sight to visit on Understanding Dreams.

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