As far as getting proper sleep is concerned, most people who have found themselves searching for it have obviously found themselves on the losing end and apparently are underachieving. This includes being successful in your career, work, and most of all, maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle.

People today are geared more towards doing more, meeting deadlines and sacrificing by pushing themselves to the limit. At first this does sound noble and something others should follow by example. But if you talk about putting yourself in high risk by leaving your body an open battlefield where diseases and illnesses can penetrate then that is another story.

You cannot expect to be fulfilled and successful if you do not rest and sleep. We can see this as our haggard bodies show something that is missing. If we do have problems with sleeping, a short visit to the doctor or specialist really wouldn’t hurt.

“For healthy people, there’s a big temptation to voluntarily restrict sleep, to stay up an hour or two or get up an hour or two earlier,” said Dr. Greg Belenky, director of the Sleep and Performance Research Center at Washington State University Spokane.

“But you’re really reducing your productivity and exposing yourself to risk,” Belenky added.

(Source) Yahoo Health

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Often, we would like to find out for ourselves through research and reading the various origins of why sleep is becoming a growing concern. Apparently, the immediate source for such information would be sleeping books by the specialists such as the “Great Sleep, Reduced Cancer” by Richard Hansler.

“Great Sleep, Reduced Cancer” tells the story of how scientists discovered that the blue rays from common electric lights suppress melatonin, the sleep and cancer-fighting hormone found in humans.

Apparently health is the main concern of sleeping less and with the efforts of specialists through informative compilations such as this book, they can understand better what they are dealing with.

(Source) PR-USA

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When you snore in your sleep, it means that there is something wrong. Your normal breathing periods are being obstructed and chances are your health is the one in danger. So the next time you are told that you do snore, rather than get embarrassed try to see a specialist. It could lead to something very serious than being humiliated.

Snoring mysteriously tends to increase in post-menopausal women, perhaps due to weight gain, Dort says. However, because it often goes hand in hand with sleep apnea, it’s important to see a doctor.

“There are heart consequences related to sleep apnea, including hypertension and diabetes,” she says.

Snoring has more to do with placement of the tongue than with the soft palate and even though men and women have similar physiology, women respond better to snoring appliances than men.

“Up to 55 per cent of women respond to tongue retainers, which are not yet available over the counter,” says Dort, who offers the device, which resembles a baby soother, for $99.

You can also get Snore Guard for about $20 on Amazon. – link

(Source) Calgary Herald

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We all know of this new sleeping enhancement called a sleep mask. However, we only know it to be applicable to the adults today as many sleep deprived individuals need these masks to assist them in sleeping better. But a infant sleeping mask? It is either for serious baby cases or perhaps something like a toy for them to wear when they sleep.

By its concept, here is what the makers of this Downtime Organic Sleepytime Mask wants to accomplish:

“Nurturing. Children learn that closing their eyes is one step in falling asleep.

Expressive. The closed eyelashes that detail the flip-down mask let others know not to disturb baby’s sleep. “

Point taken but would babies even bother to wear them? Wouldn’t it be uncomfortable? We all know that infants are not fond of being irritated or compromised when they are sleeping.

Perhaps the makers were just concerned with putting something in the market. For sure, this is something that does not make sense at all.

(via Sheknows)

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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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We have heard of kids not getting enough sleep but no thanks to some problems for this 3 year old child, he is lucky to get more than 3 hours of sleep. Many of us are aware that sleeping problems are only normal but in this child’s case, he is not getting enough sleep. And again, he is only 3 years old so you can you imagine the problems that will ensue from thereon.

Surgery has become an option and hopefully this rare sleep problem will be addressed and resolved. Kids are the last people we would want to see suffering from such problems and in this case, this little boy deserves to be cured and given the proper sleeping patterns due for infants to grow healthily.

Video courtesy of Yahoo Videos.

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This practice is a common sight we see today. Most people need their mobile phones nearby especially when they want callers to get hold of them immediately. But while that satisfies the aspect of personal and business aspects of your life, your health likewise needs the proper attention.

Doctors asked men and women between the ages of 18 and 45 to talk on cell phones before bed.

Some were exposed to radiation similar to a wireless signal. Other talked on “phoney” phones that released no radiation. Those exposed to radiation reported headaches, took longer to fall asleep and didn’t sleep well through the night.

(Source) King5.com

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Such has been proven by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to which an estimated 50 to 70 billion people suffer from sleep-related problems. Besides having trouble at work, health experts warn that chronic sleep loss is often linked with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease, depression, cigarette smoking, and excessive drinking.

The National Sleep Foundation, a Washington-based organization that studies sleep and sleep disorders, sustains that adults should sleep at least seven hours a night, children ages 5 to 12 should get 9 to 11 hours, while adolescents need 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 hours.

The new study, based on a door-to door survey of 87,000 U.S. adults from 2004 through 2006, revealed that among adults 18 and older who slept 7 to 8 hours a night, only 18 percent were current cigarette smokers, compared to over 30 percent of adults who slept less than six hours a night.

Lack of sleep also resulted in obesity, according to the study, which found that about 33 percent of those who slept less than six hours were obese, as were 26 percent of those who got nine hours or more. Only 22 percent of those sleeping the recommended amount of time were obese.

(Source) eFluxMedia

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With this in mind, you may be wondering, aren’t sleeping pills a bad way to restore sleep order? In reality yes but this will not stop sleeping pills manufacturers from producing and marketing their product. Business is business and for sure there are people who are desperate that they want instant results. For sleeping pill manufacturers, these are niches that they can still procure and all it takes is making their product visible to people who are unaware that they are potentially risky to their health.

“Pharmaceutical companies pour a tremendous amount of money and effort into these ad campaigns,” said Michelle Dockhorn, a Rockhurst University assistant marketing professor who has worked in pharmaceutical sales and marketing. “A popular campaign takes a monumental effort. They do a lot of brainstorming to understand the target market and what will make them buy the drug.”

(Source) Kansascity.com

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If you can’t sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It’s the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep. ~Dale Carnegie

Every time we find ourselves lying on our beds and thinking of something to make us sleep is similar to finding our way in hall with no idea on what door to choose. Unless we open one door, we have no idea of what is behind it.

Such is the same in sleeping. We tend to have a hard time sleeping because we think of issues and problems. But staring at the ceiling or at objects will not resolve the issue. The fact remains that we compel ourselves to act and to do this, we would have to do the right thing or alternative means to be able to calm ourselves down and finally buckle down to sleep.

Even in everyday lives we find ourselves wanting to do something for problems. But in reality, some problems cannot be resolved with a snap of a finger. We have to approach issues and problems in the right aspect and taking it step by step is the best approach towards it.

Anyone would want to resolve standing issues at an instant. The failure to do so is one reason why we cannot get the relaxing sleeping habits we long for at the end of the day. The best way is to plan and find solutions to soothe the situation. Taking them for granted will lead towards nothing in the end and this includes sufficient sleep and resolution of the matter as well.

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Many would refer to mood lights as purely made to provide ambiance to a room. However, they are also good ways to help a person relax to a point where they may find themselves falling sleepy and fall into a hypnotic trance. This usually occurs at moments when people find they physically tired but are merely allowing their mental toughness to keep themselves awake.

Mood lights may not be given that distinction but a person has to wonder why the issue of nightlights was ever conceptualized. Many are afraid of the dark and this is a given. However, some people need that extra factor to make things straight. Sleeping may be tough for some and garnering all the necessary means and elements to make sleeping entirely a joyful occurrence.

Hence, anyone should not be surprised that the next time they would be finding themselves in mood themed rooms would lead towards sleepy spells. Some may not notice it, but once those eyes start to fall, many would not know that they are already in an entirely new world called dreams.

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For most, sleeping is hard in certain times, especially in crisis. Many cannot totally relax hence the need to find alternative measures to make the mind and the human eye get tired. Heavy eyes would force a person to get some shuteye, and altogether this experience would lead to them having to finally snooze away the night.

Reading books, magazines or any known reading material is expected to get the job done. It just needs proper recognition and timing. The importance of enriching our minds on information is one thing but getting enough sleep to recharge our energy levels is another point for consideration as well.

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People who say they sleep like a baby usually don’t have one. ~Leo J. Burke

Adults and mature people would claim that they can sleep as they wish. However, it is easier to say and realize actual sleep. Some do not really realize the importance of sleep and while many people are aware of the proper sleeping habits and shuteye needed most of them forego this for one reason or another.

Ideally, sleeping like a baby is a declaration that would usually get some sort of a laugh for people. Many dream of sleeping as peaceful as possible. But the return for being able to do so is an opportunity that is lost. It is apparent that while many look forward to taking the long naps needed, waking up towards reality and adhering toward the fast pace of demands on an individual’s life is a reality that they have to face.

If a person can indeed sleep as peaceful as a baby, then perhaps people would not be roaming around and looking for best ways to actually get the proper amount of sleep and rest.

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We all tend to overlook this part of our everyday living. Usually, sleep disorders can be attributed to various reasons. Some of them can be traced towards stress, while others coming from hereditary reasons.

As explained by Wikipedia:

Sleep apnea or sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. These episodes, called apneas (literally, “without breath”), each last long enough so one or more breaths are missed, and occur repeatedly throughout sleep. The standard definition of any apneic event includes a minimum 10 second interval between breaths, with either a neurological arousal (3-second or greater shift in EEG frequency, measured at C3, C4, O1, or O2), or a blood oxygen desaturation of 3-4 percent or greater, or both arousal and desaturation. Sleep apnea is diagnosed with an overnight sleep test called polysomnogram.

Clinically significant levels of sleep apnea are defined as 5 events of any type or greater per hour of sleep time (from the polysomnogram). There are two distinct forms of sleep apnea: Central and Obstructive. Breathing is interrupted by the lack of effort in Central Sleep Apnea; in Obstructive Sleep Apnea, breathing is interrupted by a physical block to airflow despite effort. In Mixed Sleep Apnea, there is a transition from central to obstructive features during the events themselves.

Regardless of type, the individual with sleep apnea is rarely aware of having difficulty breathing, even upon awakening. Sleep apnea is recognized as a problem by others witnessing the individual during episodes or is suspected because of its effects on the body (sequelae). Symptoms may be present for years, even decades without identification, during which time the sufferer may become conditioned to the daytime sleepiness and fatigue associated with significant levels of sleep disturbance. The definitive diagnosis of sleep apnea is made by polysomnography. – Sleep Apnea

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Check out this cool design that makes you want to goto sleep. Although only a model, imagine the “real” vacation house version placed on your favorite beach. (Mine is Ocean Beach) With a big as* skylight and great views of the ocean AND sounds of the waves, that’d definitely put me to sleep everytime.)

Remember, if you have seen some cool designs like this, tip us! (We are running out of ideas…need your HELP!)

via treehugger

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It’s probably true that getting enough sleep does help you think better and your brain probably thinks for you while you are sleeping. Here’s an interesting article about sleep and how your brain is still working while you are dozing off.

Dozens of intriguing studies over the past several years show clearly
that your brain is active—very active—during sleep. (Reference 1-7) It’s busy doing something miraculous, something that we can’t even come close to explaining.

Basically, your brain goes on automatic pilot. Without your being aware of it, something inside your head comes alive and starts mulling over all the things you learned that day. It sorts through them, organizes them, considers them, calculates them, decides what’s important and what’s not.

via smart-kit

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• How to Sleep better via Boing Boing
• 10 Tips for Better Sleep via Bettersleep
• How to Sleep better via BBC
• Dr. Orman’s Guide to Better Sleep via stresscure
• Tips for sleeping faster and better via to-done

And make sure to check out how well these animals sleep together.

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Here’s a picture proving you need to wear something going to sleep just in case of fires…

via ugoto

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Here’s an interesting site that tell you which animal you are after answering 6 pages of questions.

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A lot of mis-happenings in the world could have been avoided if it wasn’t for lack of sleep…

People in many high stress professions—such as medicine, law enforcement, or the military—often have to make quick decisions when they’re not well rested. New research confirms what common sense has long held: People don’t do their best thinking when they’re sleep-deprived.

via epochtimes

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Here’s an interesting site that has various sex positions illustrated using figures. Hilarious! (Not intended for anyone under 18 years of age!)

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Check out this REM graph for referencing how REM sleep works.

This is just a simple graph of the typical sleep cycle.I know this data is readily available, but it’s really nice to have it in a large, clean, graph format. Having this information really helps you know specifically when you should wake up, based on how long it takes to fall asleep. It should be noted however, that this chart is based on subjects that were not under the effects of any sleep altering substances, like alcohol.

via dailydeluge

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Here’s an interesting article that might help you sleep less and have more energy!

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Here’s a cool gadget that helps you relax and sleep better by letting you go to a virtual world spa. It creates special frequencies so your brain relaxes.

The MindSpa promises to help you deal with life’s daily stress relaxing you and helping you sleep better. Employing precise frequencies of oscillation light and calming tones, the portable gadget is supposed to guide the wearer toward inner peace. It has eight relaxation programs to choose from, and once I’m done chilling out, I could pick one of the four performance-enhancement programs to be more productive. With that thought in mind, I plugged in the “visual simulation” glasses and put on the headphones.

[via] blog.scifi.com

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Here’s a Smart Pillow being developed in Japan to analyze your sleep and make you sleep better.

It is a well known fact that whatever may be our busy work schedules and social commitments, we must get a good night’s sleep to keep us physically and mentally refreshed, as well to protect us from serious diseases. Keeping this in mind Lofty Japan in assistance with assistance from Professor Hideki Tanaka of the Hiroshima International University psychological department has launched an electronic pillow “Don’t you think?” which analyzes the sleep pattern and helps you to have a sound, healthy sleep.

[via] crave.cnet.com

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There are a lot of baby monitoring devices out there today.
Here’s one cool baby monitor to watch and hear your baby sleep from anywhere within your house.

Techwall Electronics manufactures this enhanced baby monitor equipped with a audio and video monitoring that allows the parents to watch/hear their kid. I love the colorful design and the camera is well integrated in the device, giving it a fun cartoon character look. Most baby monitors do not have a camera and the one with it have a boring design in general. It is already distributed in Europe and Techwall Electronics is looking for a distributor for the US. Denis, you have to get this!

via ubergizmo

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Sleeping on the job is always a big no-no! Here’s a little of what would happen if a policeman goes to sleep during work…

If that’s not enough, check out senator McCain falling asleep during State of the Union.

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The faint aroma of green tea can help you sleep better if you make a Green Tea Pillow. If you have trouble sleeping and don’t want to do a uvulopalatopharyngoplasty surgery,you might want to try it starting with your next green tea.

Although it sounds weird at first, dried green tea leaves are an excellent option for an organic pillow. Not only soft when used in bulk, the faint aroma of the leaves is also a natural sleep enhancer. A pillow-sized mass of tea leaves will take you a while to collect, but, once you do, air out the pillow outside once a week to avoid mustiness.

via craftzine

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Here’s an interesting website that collects stories about sleeping at the aiport.

For travellers who are REALLY on a budget and are looking for a way to skim a few bucks off their travel expenses, why not consider sleeping in an airport? Many airports are actually better than local lodging. And to top it off – IT’S FREE! Your friends and family may look at you funny when you return with your airport stories, but that’s only part of the fun. So now, sit back….get out your travel itinerary and plan which airports you’re going to sleep in (or avoid altogether) during your next trip.

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Here’s an alarm clock that uses changing lights to wake you up. If only someone commercialized this and sold at Wal-mart…

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