Soldiers are susceptible to trauma, something that is easily traced to the environment that they are normally exposed to. Apparently a lot of soldiers have become casualties of war, reaching an extent to which many call as them possibly reaching a “cuckoo” state which perhaps only military personnel can easily adapt to.

But if this new program called the Power Dreaming project pushes through, then soldiers may yet get the help that they need. This is actually another form of bio feedback mechanism that aims to counteract nightmares which are prevalent for combat veterans.

The hope is that these “power dreams” can be watched from laptops and “home training and 3-D goggles work to gradually enhance the strength of these new neurological images,” according to the presentation that outlines the program’s aims.

Sort of reminds you about the Inception movie a bit eh?

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Television has been used by some parents to help get their kids to sleep. Watching cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny or Spongebob Squarepants do seem harmless. In fact they are hilarious and keep the kids occupied, not to mention happy. However, a sleep study proves otherwise and point to these late night TV shows are potentially violent en route to kids getting nightmares.

A new sleep study out of the Seattle Children’s Research Institute shows wee ones between the ages of 3 and 5 experienced more nightmares, tiredness during the day and trouble waking up when they watched violent shows or when they were on the computer or watching TV after 7 p.m. This was reported at Good Morning America.

The researchers went through sleep diaries kept over a week from parents who took note of their child’s sleep patterns and behaviors. Watching TV or using a computer on an average of 73 minutes per day with seemingly harmless cartoon characters account for violence.

For the parents, you may want to rethink your sleep strategy for your kids. They may be causing more harm and trauma rather than help for your little one/s.

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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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Here is an update for you. It seems that for people who find themselves shouting or crying are most likely to find themselves to develop Parkinson’s disease. This is of course based on finding by scientists who found that people who suffer from REM sleep disturbance.

Normal sleepers are effectively paralysed during REM or rapid eye movement because the brain shuts off the muscles allowing the body to properly rest.

But this doesn’t happen to those with REM disorders, who often act out their dreams with violent movements.

Scientists in Barcelona found that a fifth of those over 60 suffering from the condition went on to develop Parkinson’s, and other degenerative diseases such as Lewy body dementia.

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Two former day care workers from Ohio have been charged with three counts of child endangering and three counts each of misrepresentation by childcare provider for slipping an OTC supplement into candies to make kids sleep during nap time.

Parents complained that their kids looked groggy after being picked up from the day care and were notified of the malpractice when a co-worker notified police in December that Hartley and Scott gave the children melatonin in candy. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps control sleeping and waking cycles. Possible side effects of the supplement form include dizziness, abdominal discomfort, headaches, confusion, sleepwalking and nightmares.

Pamela Hartley and Donna Scott got most serious charges that could be applied.

(Source) AP

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Holding a daycare is serious work but to putting kids to rest or sleep is something that they should specialize in, especially if they become tired. However, it does not follow that they should use supplements or drugs to put kids to sleep. Other than being dangerous, kids should not be exposed to such kinds of supplements. Besides, they have a duty to do and by resorting to this act, it is a way of cheating people for their money and gambling with the little tykes’ health.

The lawsuit was filed against the Covenant Apostolic Church Inc. where day care workers reportedly used over-the-counter dietary supplements (Melatonin) in candies to help children sleep. The lawsuit charges negligence by the defendants and battery, saying children suffered injuries including but not limited to dizziness, grogginess, headaches, abdominal discomfort and nightmares. The suit seeks damages in excess of $25,000.

(Source) Press

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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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There are instances where much of the things we are doing are done even when we sleep. We have heard of sleep walking, talking in our sleep or even emailing in our sleep but now it seems there is another probable sleep disorder known as sleep-punching.

Sleep punching is actually a no brainer. It is what it immediately stands for. It can happen when a person is having nightmares in his subconscious state and apparently the victim of it all would be the person sleeping inside the same room. Check out this wife’s story:

My husband, “Bob,” and I have been married 12 years. One night three years ago, he beat me as I slept in our bed. Bob says he must have been having a nightmare and that he would never beat me.

His fists were clenched as he was hitting my head and body that night. I was pinned by the covers and couldn’t defend myself. He has been sleeping in the guest room ever since. I lock my bedroom door every night.

People have been known to do odd things in their sleep. Once you know the reason for what happened that night, you will know enough to decide what to do.

(Source) Chron

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While the search for natural means of getting sleep is a need, it seems that there is one that is causing nightmares rather than restful slumber. Valerian, a herbal sleep aid commonly used by those who want an alternative to prescription sedatives, has been linked to serious side effects.

Health Canada said it has received more than 30 reports of adverse reactions, including hallucinations and nightmares, linked to valerian from 2003 to 2008. The department also warned in a quarterly adverse-reaction newsletter that some medical studies have found an association between valerian and hallucinations, delirium and cardiac complications.

Such an occurrence has indeed been bad for the natural aids of getting sleep. But if there is some retraction on this claim it is that there is lack of proper statistics to be used for reference to which these claims can be backed up.

(Source) Globe and Mail

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Apparently, parenting can be a nuisance if you don’t know how to handle your kids and get them to bed on time. Especially if they have these distractions such as computer games, gadgets or even have friends over, chances are even you may lose sleep with all the racket that they may be making. So how do you deal with them?

The key is to set some rules when its time to hit the sack. No playing of games or even placing them outside the room towards a neutral place in your home would be nice. Also, the usual lights out can always do the trick as kids constrained in the dark can force them to sleep as they have nothing else to do to distract them.

Some kids may have nightmares from trauma from these practices. But you can do some things to turn them into dreams. Just set your rules and stand by them. It may be hard for parents with soft-hearts but health and good sleep is bound to be the best result to negate all of it.

(Source) Telegraph.co.uk

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No one knows what sudden change of odors may soon set on the place where you are sleeping. It can be your room or perhaps outdoors when you decide to rough it. Either way, did you know that these aroma issues have a bearing on what you can potentially dream about once you doze off?

Just take the whole idea of bad odors in the simplest way and perhaps you could perceive that you are in for something bad when you sleep. It may sound fictitious but not according to the German researchers who have found that sleepers exposed to an unpleasant smell will have negative dreams.

Because our sense of smell involves such a sensitive and neurologically complex function, and because it’s so powerful in its influence on our behavior, it’s not surprising at all that so many scientists have studied the effect of different scents on emotion, memory, appetite, energy, and sexual arousal.

So the next time around, try to do something about an unpleasant odor. It can make a difference between nightmares and sound sleep.

(Source) The Body Odd

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LightMate Pillows

We all know the relevance of having good pillows to sleep on but the design of these pillows is likewise important. We are used to the standard pillow designs, usually square and colorful concepts that make them great cushion support for various parts of the body or perhaps something to cuddle on to, but when you think about this LightMate Pillow, you may think twice on whether it can truly provide you sleep or nightmares.

The design is not all that appealing. Unless you live in the extreme or ignorant side of life, chances are you may have trouble sleeping with it. But as long as you can sleep, perhaps it won’t matter. Well that depends on who is sleeping with these LightMate Pillows by their side.

Designed by artist Francesca Lanzavecchia, NightMates are “soft anthropomorphic pillows and warming lamps” that are supposed to keep you company (and comfy) at night. They come in different sizes, depending on how much anthropomorphic love you need, but you might wanna stick with the smaller ones that are more like Glo-Worms—the full sized ones are more than a little creepy, like something that slithered off the cover of one of my roommate’s NSFW manga collection to do wrong things to you while you sleep.

(Source) Gizmodo

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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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Sleepnet.com describes sleep terror as:

Sleep Terrors are characterized by a sudden arousal from slow wave sleep with a piercing scream or cry, accompanied by autonomic (Controlled by the part of the nervous system that regulates motor functions of the heart, lungs, etc.) and behavioral manifestations of intense fear. Also known as Pavor Nocturnus, incubus, severe autonomic discharge, night terror.

Kind creepy isn’t it? But the thing is such happenings that go on in our sleep which we often term as dreams may eventually come to a climax wherein people may not be able to find ways to contain them.

Sleep terrors are not considered that harmful and the only resort that may be made available for patients suffering from it is that of consulting a sleep specialist.

Source: Sleepnet.com’s Rest of Sleep Disorders-Sleep Terrors

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It is something that is evident that we usually store in our minds what we experience or see. Hence, such is one root of sleep disorders, something that deprives people of proper sleeping habits today.

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Consider as well how these appointments would go along. Good results can help in sizing up the mind of a person to experience a totally relaxing and refreshing mind which is important when one finally sleeps. Bad results will keep a person thinking. Thinking is something that is carried even until a person would become unconscious. It remains in our minds which can turn out ideas or worse, become storied nightmares that play a critical role on our overall personality.

The lifestyles we have are also important in determining if we are getting the required 8 hour sleep we always look for. Considering the challenging world we have today, it has become rare for a person to get a straight 8 hour convenient sleeping period. A balancing act may be recommended but only the person who leads that type of lifestyle can indeed venture out to have a valued sleeping habit due to him or her.

Here is a good article to read on further:

In Search of Sweet Dreams: Getting Treatment for Sleep Disorders

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