The call is in debate right now but with the growing number of infant deaths although the academy states there is no evidence that bumper pads prevent injuries and say they pose a potential risk of suffocation, strangulation and entrapment.

In short, for parents, the intent to use or not to as far as these crib bumper guards are concerned are left entirely to them. Your call folks!

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With the OKITE app for the iPhone, hitting the snooze button may prove to be costly on your end. Particularly for the people who are into Twitter, the app is linked to your account and will start creating embarrassing messages each time you hit the snooze button on your phone.

The app is free and is practically in the same alarm format as the iPhone alarm. Messages like “dressed as a sailor for now” or “not enough talented people in the world right now” are just some of the messages that may pop up on your account if you decide to hit that dreaded snooze button rather than get up and go.

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We all know how passive smoking or third hand smoke can affect non-smokers but apparently it doesn’t stop there. Babies who find themselves sleeping in smoker’s rooms are at risk of collecting level of nicotine which may eventually stick to their hair.

This was proven through a Spanish study where hair samples from 252 babies younger than 18 months who slept at their smoking parents room were collected. Based on the collected hair samples, nicotine levels were found on 83% of the folks who bared that they did smoke in their rooms.

The study also found that cigarette smoke toxins are still present in homes even when parents try to take action to protect their children’s health, such as smoking by a window, ventilating bedrooms after smoking, or smoking when the baby is in a different room or not in the house.

Hence, for the smoking parents who want to look after their kids, you may want to reconsider smoking somewhere else. Better yet, try to find a way to kick the smoking habit!

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It seems that there is an A/H1N1 vaccine being sold around which brings more misery rather than resolve it. The vaccine has been found to increase the risk of sleep disorder in children but if there is one country that is not affected, it is Vietnam.

The vaccine is currently used in Vietnam is a “three-in-one” kind, covering the A/H3N2, B and A/H1N1 influenza viruses. The vaccine is reportedly from GlaxoSmithKline. According to reports, the children injected with Pandemrix were nine times more likely to contract narcolepsy than those who were not vaccinated.

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Soda drinkers listen up. While you may be forced to limit your soda intake, you may want to watch your sleeping habits. A study shows that if you are not careful, you may be at risk of a heart disease. This study is from the University of Miami, where 2,500 soda drinkers were evaluated.

They found those who drank diet soda daily were 61 percent more likely to have a vascular event such as a stroke. They found chronic short sleep produces hormones and chemicals that increase your risk of developing heart disease. Sleeping less than six hours a night gives a 48 percent greater chance of developing or dying from heart disease.

Though a study, you may want to consider this concern. Sleep issues are growing to date so if you want to stay healthy, be aware of these findings to make sure you don’t be part of it.

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It is always important to keep your baby safe and comfortable at all times. And if you happen to be looking for something great to buy them, check out the Halo Sleepsack Wearable Fleece Baby Blanket. The said blanket is being offered by Kids Woot for only $5.99 where you only have to add $5 for it to be shipped at your door.

This blanket features an inverted zipper and purports to reduce the risk of rebreathing (the inhalation of carbon dioxide). It’s available in S (0-6 months) or M (6-12 months).

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Here is something you can get to help your tots sleep better. Only at Kids Woot, they are offering a tempting deal for a Halo Sleepsack Wearable Fleece Blanket. The blanket costs only $7.99 over there and you just have to add $5 for shipping to get this handy accessory.

This blanket features an inverted zipper and purports to reduce the risk of rebreathing (the inhalation of carbon dioxide). It’s available in S, M, or L.

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Mothers were believed to be suffering from sleepless nights, especially the one’s who have just given birth due to their breastfeeding itineraries. However it seems that this claim is not true. A study was able to prove this, negating the belief that by breastfeeding causes less sleep.

This should be a relief for babies in particular since we breastfeeding has always been known to be the best milk for babies. However, due to health (sleep concerns) issues, some mothers have fended off breastfeeding for fear that they may eventually suffer.

There has been an “urban myth” that women who breastfeed get less sleep which may cause some to hesitate to do so.

Caring for a newborn is challenging enough, without being sleep-deprived, and some research has even suggested poor sleep after childbirth may increase the risk of postpartum depression.

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It looks like women don’t have to sleep like crazy to live longer. Apparently they will need only 5 to 6 hours of sleep to live longer, thanks to some research claims.

The study was made on 459 elderly women in America found that those who slept for between five and six and a half hours a night had the longest survival rates.

In their first study they worked out peoples’ sleeping habits using wrist activity monitors, which are able to tell whether a person is awake or asleep by how much they move and then count up the overall hours of sleep a night.

They established that those who had more than six and a half hours sleep a night or less than five were far less likely to be alive today. Long term studies show that those who drop down to five hours or fewer face a 70 per cent extra risk of dying from all causes.

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This month, the Atlanta Snoring Institute is celebrating their first year anniversary. Founded to aid specialty snoring treatment back in August, 2009, the people behind ASI are committed to provide the latest snoring and sleep apnea treatments for the Atlanta area.

Snoring is a sleep depriving problem affecting 40% of men and 23% of women according to the National Sleep Foundation. Many couples sleep apart due to loud, habitual snoring. This can lead to a lack of intimacy and disharmony in the relationship.

Snoring can be a sign of a serious medical problem called obstructive sleep apnea. People with untreated obstructive sleep apnea have a much greater risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and even automobile accidents.

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Workers who have to render work during the weird hours (meaning early mornings when everyone else is asleep) may be prone to a lot of issues. This of course includes sleep disorders, health issues and poor quality of work overall.

Hence, for workers who feel they are suffering from shift work sleep disorder, it may be best to seek some help by visiting a physician or specialist.

Other than the mentioned issues, poor sleep could lead to greater risk for motor vehicle accidents, particularly on the commute home after work, as well as reduced work efficiency, poor attention and concentration, and irritability and mood changes. The list goes on and should hence be addressed.

Successful treatment of shift work disorder involves resetting the patient’s circadian rhythms so they properly match the work-sleep schedule. Consistently following several behavioral strategies is critical for treatment.

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6 hours, 8 hours and so on. These are the numbers that people believe to be the magic number for sleeping properly and leading a healthy life. Not so.

The magic number is really 7, the median for sleeping hours and the key towards leading a healthier life. This includes naps which should identify if you are at risk of aligning yourself in contracting a cardiovascular disease.

Sleeping fewer than five hours a day, including naps, more than doubles the risk of being diagnosed with angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke, the study conducted by researchers at West Virginia University’s (WVU) faculty of medicine.

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About 60,000 war veterans are reportedly suffering from sleep apnea, a result of being overly exposed to dust and smoke when in the tour of duty. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorders that causes a person to gasp for breath and awaken frequently. The condition is linked to drowsiness and cardiovascular complications.

The risk of getting sleep apnea is reportedly four times likely for war veterans and the number of veterans receiving disability benefits for sleep disorders has increased by more than 60 percent in the past two years. The benefits now amount to more than $500 million annually.

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While it is always a joy to see a baby enter your family, it seems that this is short-lived. As far as this study is concerned, new dads (not moms) suffer from post natal depression three to six months after their new child is born.

The rate of “baby blues” is lower than that of mothers but it seems that when dad’s have to deal with lack of sleep and new responsibilities, the realities of being a father starts to kick in and provide depression all the more.

Dr James Paulson and Sharnail Bazemore, who carried out the study, said more efforts should be made to improve screening and referral of at-risk fathers, particularly as mounting evidence suggests that early paternal depression may have substantial emotional, behavioural and developmental effects on children.

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For all the workaholics and people who mythically believe that they can be more productive by sleeping less, heed this warning. A new study has found that people who sleep less than 6 hours are putting themselves at risk, possibly leading to early death if they are not careful.

Results of the research indicate that people who sleep less than six hours a night were 12% more likely to die prematurely over the 25 year period than those who slept for 6-8 hours consistently. Researchers described the link between insufficient sleep and early death as “unequivocal.”

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Sleep Apnea has been known to be associated with heart problems and apparently that is the case in this new study connecting stroke. OSA doubles the risk of stroke in men and also increases the danger in women. Data was taken from the Sleep Heart Health Study.

Men with moderate to severe sleep apnea are three times more likely to have a stroke than men with mild or no sleep apnea while the increased risk of stroke in women with obstructive sleep apnea was significant only in cases of severe apnea thanks to a study which was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

(Source) Web MD

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A new British study has found that a certain eye disorder has been linked to the dreaded sleep apnea problem. It is called FES (floppy eyelid syndrome) which is pretty much associated with obstructive sleep apnea.

People with OSA are at risk of oxygen deprivation when breathing slows or stops during sleep. OSA can contribute to or be aggravated by high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and other systemic problems.

(Source) Science Daily

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Lady GaGa calls it a passion but unfortunately she is also putting her health at risk. Admitting she was suffering from Insomnia due to her obsession towards her work has made her struggle to get some shuteye.

She has admitted that ever since she shot to fame, sleepless nights were starting to occur. So if you hear about another celebrity seeking sleep problems, Lady GaGa is sure to be one of them.

(Source) Digital Spy

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Healthy or not, adults do sleep less when they become older. And while you may think this would result in them putting their health at risk, guess again. In fact, they are less likely to feel tired as a study showed. The study was published in SLEEP, the official journal of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

The length of time that people slept varied in age. For example, elders aged 66 to 83 slept about 20 minutes less than middle-aged adults aged 40 to 55. The latter in turn slept 23 minutes less than young adults aged 20 to 30. So depending on which bracket you may be, these seem to be a common trend. And if you think taking a quick nap will make up for it, guess again. The participants made it through the day without a wink.

(Source) Jakarta Globe

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Restless Leg Syndrome which has been tied up with some sleep issues seems to be tied up with erectile dysfunctions (ED) for older men. This was found by a study conducted by Harvard School of Public Health on 23,119 men – out of which 22,175 men had no history of RLS; 549 reported 5 to 14 occurrences of RLS symptoms in a month; and 395 reported 15 or more RLS occurrences in a month.

The researchers found that the RLS-associated ED risk, which was independent of factors like age, body mass index, anti-depressants’ use, and anxiety, was 16 percent more in men undergoing
5-14 monthly episodes of RLS; and 78 percent more in men with 15 or more monthly episodes of RLS.

(Source) Top News

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Snoring has been a problem among couples and if you value your marriage, addressing the issue with a compact device may be a great way to save it and yourself as well. The device is called the Apnex System which is still undergoing testing. Over three million Britons are affected by snoring and hopefully this new contraption can resolve that problem.

Sleep apnea is common in middle-aged men who are overweight, because excess fat around the neck puts pressure on the airways during sleep. If left untreated,it can raise the risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks.

(Source) Daily Mail

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Again the iPhone has covered another part of our lives, particularly the ones with sleeping problems. The Reggie White Sleep Disorder Research and Education Foundation has releases a free iPhone app which aids users in finding out if they are at risk of sleep apnea. It combines three screening tools used by sleep specialists to determine an individual’s risk of having or developing the sleep disorder that affects 18 million Americans. It provides immediate feedback once users provide answers to questions regarding their sleep habits, snoring, fatigue, and health factors.

Indeed, this is one sleep gadget that can gather some data to properly evaluate the sleep apnea issues one has to deal with. The app is free for download and can be obtained here.

(Source) Press

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Sleepwalking is normally expected from adults but for a 3 year old? Well she is from Britain and she has been the subject of a documentary. This sleepwalking problem has been plaguing the family for 2 years and Jess has been living a practical double life. During the day she is like any jolly little girl but at night she goes into a trance acting out elaborate scenes and is unable or unwilling to communicate.

No one knows if she’s awake or asleep. And while these things may seem fascinating, her health is at risk. Sleep is still essential for brain development and of course her young age. To this day, there has been no cure and the specialists seem to be left speechless.

(Source) Mirror

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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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Coffee (or caffeine) is probably the most notable drink or recourse you can get to stay awake. People who have to extend their working hours or simply want to be awake most of the time consume coffee to keep their eyes open.

However, health risks have been associated with too much caffeine. It is logical in the sense that you may be abusing your body in a sense. Further, it seems that too much caffeine can lead to hallucinations as found by this study from Durham University.

Researchers found that “high caffeine users”, those who had more than the equivalent of seven cups of instant coffee a day, were three times more likely to have had hallucinations than those who had less than the equivalent of one cup.

Those who have three cups of brewed coffee a day could be at the same risk, they warn, because of the drink’s higher caffeine content.

On average the volunteers had the equivalent of three cups of instant coffee a day, which could still cause an increased risk, according to the study.

The researchers believe that caffeine could heighten the effect that stress has on the body, triggering the hallucinations.

(Source) Telegraph

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At night, we often look for the first thing that we can munch on. And for people, who would not consider chocolate. But did you know that chocolate can affect the way you sleep?

Now this is bad news for people who have a sweet-tooth. Chocolates are known to carry a fine amount of caffeine, largely depending on the size and milligrams of the chocolate bar you are fond of. Also, the darker the chocolate is, the higher risk of not being able to sleep.

And chocolate has other stimulants. One is theobromine, the compound that makes chocolate dangerous to dogs and cats because they metabolize it so slowly. Theobromine, which increases heart rate and causes sleeplessness, is found in small amounts in chocolate, especially dark.

So if you love chocolate, eat it in a timely fashion. Eat it at any part of the day but never when you are about to go to bed.

(Source) NY Times

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As far as being naughty at times, it is best to try and control yourself for future issues. Among them includes taking slutty photos which is something fans are bound to be looking for on the web. Miley Cyrus, that star from Hannah Montana, found out the hard way that you just have to keep your stuff private and as much as possible…don’t store it on the web!

Apparently this has been a reason for making her sleepless these days. At any time she may find herself at the center of attention, seeing the private pictures scattered all over the web, thanks to the efforts of one hacker by the name of Josh Holly.

Kids listen up: Don’t be a famous tween star and take raunchy photos of yourself—don’t even take sort-of raunchy photos of yourself. While it’s okay for the average young teen to put on her tightest t-shirt and emulate the seductive pose she saw on the cover of Maxim, the same right is not reserved for those who run the risk of having said pose find its way to the desktops of millions of people across the world. Even if the photos you take are only a little bit sexy, everybody is going to talk about them FOREVER. So put away your digital camera, put on a turtleneck, and don’t go near technology.

(Source) Actress Archives

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Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can be the answer to sleep deprivation. After recent studies conducted at Medical Research Council (MRC) general Practice Research Framework in London, it was found that HRT can be a potential answer to all sleep-related problems that is becoming a concern these days.

“Benefits of HRT justify a rethink” is the headline in The Times. A recent study of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has shown that women “showed significantly fewer hot flushes, night sweats, aching joints and muscles, insomnia and vaginal dryness than those given a placebo”, the newspaper says. The researchers suggest that current guideline advice based on other research showing that HRT could increase the risk of serious diseases including breast cancer, coronary heart disease and blood clots in selected women should be “revisited”.

(Source) NHS Choices

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As far as getting the proper number of hours of sleep is concerned, you would rarely find anyone having the usual 8 hours of sleep. Some turn to the dreaded sleeping pills, which are claimed to be a lot safer these days since they are not as addicting as the olden days but it remains that they are still not the natural means of sleeping.

At risk is our health, making our bodies prone to heart problems and obesity. At a certain age where we are perhaps in the prime of our lives, this will not matter. But the real toll will set in once we age. In time, our bodies will start to show these problems and we will feel that for sure since we will get weaker which will become the opening that these diseases will need to flourish.

So with these in mind, should we turn to sleeping pills to get that much needed sleep? There are still risks and to date, the only thing that they will tell you is that it is not as addictive as the ones we used to take.

On whether that statement will make you feel comfortably depends on how you look at it.

(Source) Yahoo News

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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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First of all, it does not only mean a person has Insomnia if he cannot sleep. It lies more on the sleeping patterns to which people are forced to adjust to sleep in the weirdest parts of the day to get the proper respite.

Learn more on the facts of Insomnia here: Inform Yourself – Know The Facts About Insomnia

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People may cease the opportunity to do some foolish things while people are asleep. Just take this video as an example. Perhaps next time, you would think twice before sleeping lackadaisically.

Click Here to View in Full Screen Mode

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