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Sleep Lessons Now Taught in School

Brian Yalung — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 05:45:23 +0000

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

Putting Babies in the Proper Sleep Positions

Brian Yalung — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 19:22:02 +0000

We all know that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a leading cause for issues governing the life of babies. A lot of the causes of death stem from the manner to which we place them on our beds. Apparently, having babies sleep alongside adults has been overly discouraged but to date, most people have foregone this warning. Who wouldn’t want their babies beside them even if they have cribs in tow?

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.

“Bed-sharing was the No. 1 risk factor, and while we know that in a small number of cases infants die suddenly during sleep with no explanation, these 29 cases demonstrate the critical need to educate parents and caregivers on how they can reduce the risks of preventable deaths.”

(Source) Canada.com

New Gadgets Causing Couple Sleep Issues

Brian Yalung — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:41:18 +0000

As far as we know, couples normally want to see their partner by their bedside when they sleep. But thanks to the fast development of technology, gadgets have now become an obstacle and are contributing towards forcing couples to sleep on separate rooms.

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.

“Busy night-time routines are driving couples’ bedtimes and even their bedrooms apart,” the British media quoted Jessica Alexander of the Sleep Council, which carried out the study, as saying.

In their study, the researchers surveyed 1,400 people in Britain between Feb 27 and March three.

They found that one in ten couples sleep in different beds every night while a quarter admit to doing so on a daily basis; four in ten people go to bed at a different time to their partner.

(Source) The Economic Times

Are We Getting Enough Sleep?

Brian Yalung — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:26:30 +0000

Sleep is important and a necessity for us to go on living healthy lives. There is a trend that is quite funny. During our toddler years, we find ourselves sleeping most of the time. We see this when we have our own kids who are always around us. On the other hand, as we get older, tendency is we slowly decrease the number of hours of sleep due to a number of reasons such as:

Stress
Excessive Thinking
Time Management from Work or Studies
Social Life
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

Studying the Science in Sleep

Brian Yalung — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 14:35:53 +0000

Most of us encounter some problems associated with sleep. While we often shrug them off and never mind them, they can develop into potential risks that can totally become serious health risks and problems if we let them get out of hand. Normally, we only pay attention to sleep disorders once they become irritating and disturbing. But the thing is sleep problems should be treated in the same way we would have any problems with our health.

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.

“Few are aware that sleep talking, teeth-clenching and snoring are diseases,” said Han Jin-kyu, a sleep specialist and director of the Seoul Sleep Center in Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, in a recent interview with The Korea Times. “Those symptoms are directly linked to myocardial infarction, hypertension, diabetes, heart attack and even stroke.”

(Source) The Korea Times

Too Tired to Think? Sleep Disorders – From A to ZZZ’s

Brian Yalung — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:52:54 +0000

For people who are tired of the usual issues surrounding their sleeping habits, here is an event that you may want to check out. Winthrop-University Hospital‘s Perspectives in Health community education series will sponsor a free lecture for the public, on Tuesday, February 12, at 7:00 PM at Winthrop’s Community Outreach Center, 101 Mineola Boulevard at the corner of Second Street in Mineola.

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”

Can You Remember What your Dreamt?

Brian Yalung — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 08:10:57 +0000

Sleeping is one thing but trying to recall what we dreamed about is another. Normally, our sub-conscious self would be forgotten although some people try hard to recall them. Dreams have various meaning to people. Depending on how superstitious you are, dreams can either make a person ecstatic or demoralized. Whatever the case may be, we will have our share of dreams and some people even go to the extent of interpreting them.

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:

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

Here is a good sight to visit on Understanding Dreams.

The Pillows You Can Sleep On

Brian Yalung — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 09:08:26 +0000

So much has been said on how to sleep properly. Many have taken on the areas of beds and mattresses, sleeping positions and proper observance of sleeping hours. But there is still one area of sleep which many would never have thought would be of importance. And this area is the pillows we use to lay our heads on or simply cuddle to make us gain that longing slumber we always look for.

Most focus on other aspects of sleeping. For most, pillows don’t have much use when sleep is being tackled. But with this excerpt, perhaps people with sleeping problems may want to check out if pillows can make a difference the next time they sleep.

(Source) “I have back issues and neck issues,” says Jones, 46, of Selma, Calif. “I’ve gone through a gazillion pillows. The solution for me was a wedge and synthetic pillow. I put those two together, and that seems to help me the most.”

But what works for her won’t necessarily work for you. Pillows now come in a number of shapes. You also have several other options, from the materials that fill the pillows to the fabrics that cover them. But finding the ones that will fit your sleeping habits might require some sleepless nights.

“With pillows, there is a lot of personal testing,” says Jones, coordinator of Saint Agnes Medical Center’s Diagnostic Sleep Lab in Fresno, Calif. “What works for one person isn’t going to work for another.”

Higher Educated Women Sleep Better

Brian Yalung — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:57:14 +0000

We have all heard of insomnia stemming from certain issues that include the area of excessive thinking or conditioning ourselves towards too much work. But based on this study, studies show that people getting higher education and knowledge seems to favor women more over men when it comes to getting sleep and avoiding the insomnia issues.

We all know that women have their share of being insomniacs but it really seems weird why this study of sleep showed such results. But it seems it all depends on how they carry themselves both inside and outside.

(Source) The findings applied to both sexes. The rates of insomnia were found to be “still significantly higher” among women, who averaged 1.22 more points on the insomnia scale than men. “Social factors undoubtedly play their part,” they said. Sex differences in insomnia score were most noticeable for divorced or separated women. “Stress linked to single parenting, low income, or stigma of a marriage break-down could all be possible factors,” they said. The team also found that unemployment exerted a greater impact on women’s sleep quality, particularly among the married women. “Sex discrimination in the workplace and childcare responsibilities might account for this.”

Sleep Can Cure Learning Deficiency

Brian Yalung — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 08:15:53 +0000

Learning is important for the kids of today. While some claim that they squeeze their brains out to make them learn, taking a look at the other side of the fence may render lack of sleep as a probable cause for kids having difficulties learning today.

Minds function practically the whole day. Even during sleep, it functions accordingly despite our subconscious stature. But the difference between being awake and asleep is that the latter acts more on its own without stress. Actually, it recalls the events that transpired during the day, something like flashbacks.

Kids and teenagers today have abused the area of sleep, choosing to have less shuteye to either go out or play their games until the wee hours of the morning. Kids just undervalue sleep today and it is showing its importance by the grades they get from schools.

(Source) Sleep expert Arthur Teng, head of the Sydney Children’s Hospital’s department of sleep medicine, believes many children are being wrongly diagnosed with learning difficulties or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) when all they really need is more sleep.

Are you a Sleep-Deprived Dad

Brian Yalung — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:08:14 +0000

We have heard of parents being sleep deprived whenever the new born babies comes home. Normally, it would be the mothers who would have to deal with it. But don’t get it wrong, dads have their share of sleeping less to take care of the child.

A lot of this stems from the fact that new fathers are equally excited to take care of their baby as well. While most would disagree, there are also fathers who would want to see to it that all their baby’s needs are met as well. Add to the fact that moms need a break as well. Imagine months of carrying the child and going into labor. If you think of it, mothers need a break too.

(Source) Chronic sleep deprivation is one of new motherhood’s lesser joys, as any first-time mom will tell you between yawns.

What is less understood is how a new baby in the house affects fathers — and a professor at the University of Regina is trying to change that.

“Although we do know a fair bit about what it’s like for moms to become new parents, we don’t know so much what it’s like for dads,” said Lynn Loutzenhiser, head of a study called Mom & Dad Plus One.

Just about the Right Amount of Sleep

Brian Yalung — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 08:51:53 +0000

Similar to cooking or baking, people are often advised to get the proper amount of sleep which is usually 8 hours. Going less than this will have adverse effects on health and the whole system of an individual such as poor production at work or gearing towards becoming sick due to lack of rest.

On the other hand, going above the usual 8 hour sleep can drive a person to become lazy and groggy, making them walking a thin line of health and keeping up with their profession. We all know that some people make the most of their time and sleep is something that they have to sacrifice. But for the recommended hours of sleep, it only remains that there is a reason for it.

There should be not more or less sleep for people. The task may indeed look hard for the normal Tao. But being productive goes way beyond sleeping and people know at the back of their minds, how much the proper sleep should be for them today.

Your Mind is still Awake When you Sleep?

Brian Yalung — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 08:00:41 +0000

Logically, we believe that our minds rest while we are sleeping. However, based on some studies from the United States, our brains work while we are snoozing, storing the various events that took part in the day and registering them in our minds thus strengthening our memory.

If you look at it, it is like downloading videos from you video camera. All the events that have transpired are replayed and stored, making your memory storage entirely wider. This is perhaps one reason why sleeping is a good time to rest for the body but not the brain. It still functions without our knowledge and it does some things we least expect.

Researchers in the United States have carried out a study and found while you sleep, your brain remains busy in strengthening the memories of what you did during the day and it does it in quick spurts, as if your day was being replayed in fast-forward.

“The brain’s medial prefrontal cortex replays daytime activities during sleep six to seven times faster than real time,” the WebMD reported, quoting lead researcher Dr David Euston was quoted as saying.

Helping Moms to Put Babies To Sleep The Right Way

Brian Yalung — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:53:14 +0000

Not all moms are taught on how to be able to handle new babies, especially the first timers. One of the main problems is caring for their child and the proper way to lull them to sleep. While such is a responsibility tasked for budding parents of today, it remains that teaching them about this fact and reality of life is something that they can very well learn from in both ways.

There is no such way of putting babies to sleep professionally. It depends as well on how an infant react and responds to the attention being given to them. While most people are worried of doing the wrong thing, parents should at least observe and determine ways on how to care for their child better. They just have to start somewhere, sometime.

Teaching new mothers strategies to help their babies overcome sleep problems yields significant benefits for both of them, according to a study conducted in Australia.

Among 328 moms who reported that their 7-month-old was having sleep problems, those who were randomly assigned to participate in a brief behavioral intervention noticed an improvement in their child’s sleep problem, and in their own sleep, and felt less depressed compared with those randomly assigned not to participate in the program.

Source: Program helps moms get fussy infants to sleep

How to Conclude if an Individual does have Sleep Apnea

Brian Yalung — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 18:48:36 +0000

Unless there are other means a person has resorted to for them to conclude that they have the dreaded sleep apnea problem, chances are it will all be a matter of psychological proportions.

The only way a person can find out if he is indeed hit with this hated sleep disorder is through consulting a sleep specialist who in turn will endorse patients to a sleep lab for more elaborate testing.

Sleep apnea is not inherited and concluded based on facts alone. It needs some medical support findings as well before its presence is officially concluded.

Why is sleep apnea serious?

Sleep apnea is nothing to be taken lightly. Dr. Steven Moore, director at Sleep Management Institute, explains that sleep apnea can create low oxygen levels and heart-rhythm problems.

“Other symptoms would be the risk of falling asleep while driving or while using heavy equipment,” Moore says. Sleep apnea also has been linked to heart disease and diabetes, and has a weak correlation to strokes.

Back To School, Back to Proper Sleep for Kids

Brian Yalung — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 02:15:35 +0000

Vacation time is over and most of the kids will be trooping back to their schools to continue their studies to the next level. While the school break may have more than spoiled them from observing the proper sleeping hours, it is time to once again regulate their body clocks of sleeping on time and wake up in the morning to go to school.This is one thing that a parent or guardian should include in the things to remember when it comes to preparing for the new school year. Getting the proper amount of sleep is still the best way to keep bright minds thinking and understanding what they learn from school.

Source: Time to Set Kids’ Back-to-School Sleep Clocks

Sleep Apnea Symposium at Turning Stone Resort and Casino

Brian Yalung — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:48:16 +0000

What better way is there to further enhance and be up to date with the relevant issues concerning the obstructive sleep apnea issue than to hear it from the actual professionals? A sleep apnea symposium has been set to be held on August 16 to August 18 at Utica, New York which is expected to bring in medical and dental professionals to find more juice on how to handle sleep apnea today.Sleep apnea has been a growing concern and to this day, it has indeed been something that has become utterly serious than pure sleeping problems in our day. Sleep professionals want to add on to their current line of sleep-related issues and this symposium aims to do just that.

Source: Sleep apnea symposium offered