Monday, October 12, 2009
Let’s be honest: the idea of taking a 15-minute power nap sounds awful. Waking up from naps, in general, is commonly associated with the feeling of grogginess. Therefore, naturally, there is no way a mere 15-minute nap would leave you well rested and ready to tackle more obstacles the day has to offer. Right?…Wrong. Here are 4 points you probably didn’t know about 15-minute power naps.
1) No grogginess: Sleeping for 15 minutes welcomes you back to wakefulness with no symptoms of grogginess. Why is this, you ask? Simply because the longer you nap, the further you drift into deeper stages of sleep. In fact, contrary to popular belief, grogginess is not caused by mid-day naps, but rather waking before the end of a sleep cycle.
2) No pain, more gain: Many argue that a nap puts a void in the middle of the day. This could be true if you plan on sleeping 1+ hour(s). On the other hand, if you sleep for 15 minutes, there is no void… not to mention you wake with more energy!
3) No interference with evening rest: A big complaint when it comes to daytime napping is that it throws off the regular evening sleep schedule. This is usually the case when 1 or more hours of sleep are indulged in, earlier in the day. Luckily, 15-minute naps have little-to-no effect on your nightly sleep!
4) It’s healthy: The School of Public Health at Harvard University recently conducted a study where it was discovered that people who take powernaps are 34% less likely to die of a heart-related problem.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
When it comes to hygiene, no one ever thinks twice about its importance. It’s common knowledge that nobody likes stinky breath or smelly body odor. People go through various daily rituals such as showering, teeth brushing, deodorant application and flossing to ensure that they do not “reek” during their active hours, but what about hygiene during the dormant hours?
Ever wonder about your bed’s hygiene?
How often should you be washing your sheets? Here are 4 big reasons to change your bed sheets once per week:
1. Your Skin: Believe it or not, humans shed about 600,000 particles of skin each hour. If you multiply that by the average recommended eight hour dosage of sleep that equals 4,800,000 particles of skin per-night. Now, consider this: if you, alone, shed 4,800,000 particles of skin in one night, partners that share a bed shed 9,600,000 particles of skin nightly – talk about a combined effort. A single person may shed 33,600,000 particles of skin in one week, whereas a couple may shed 67,200,000 particles of skin in one week.
2. Bed Bugs: Now, consider this: whatever amount of skin you shed last night remains in your bed while you are out being productive. However, rest assured that right this moment, microscopic bugs are busy feeding on your dead skin. Gross!
It’s difficult to decipher which sounds worse: pounds of dead skin in your bed, or millions of microscopic critters feasting on your dead skin right now… where you’ll sleep again, tonight. With that in mind, washing your sheets weekly is a great idea.
3. Salts: Ever watch your dog lick your bed sheets and wonder why? You need not wonder any longer: the answer is that your dog, Rover, likes the salty taste in your sheets, for the same reason he enjoys licking you. Your sweat contains essential salts from the body—a taste and a smell that Rover finds delectable. During sleep, the human body sweats, even without the individual realizing it. The sweat leaves a thin coat of salt upon the sheets, and Rover knows it.
4. Sweat: Now of course there’s the sweat itself; the simple solution for this problem? Washing your sheets regularly will eliminate the salt licking, not to mention whatever odors come with either the layers of sweat and/or dog saliva!
Friday, August 21, 2009
So what kind of bed sheets do you want?
Many people want the luxury of satin sheets, but the high costs of weekly dry-cleaning can be inconvenient. Cotton is the top-selling sheet material, however many people dislike its ability to wrinkle quickly. Flannel bed sheets are popular during winters in cooler climates, however they tend to elicit more sweat out of the average sleeping person, therefore becoming dirty faster and calling for more frequent washings. And then, of course, there is bamboo bedding.
Bamboo bedding is new on the scene and may be just the right alternative for those germ-conscious buyers. Bamboo sheets contain natural antifungal and antibacterial agents that fight away, well, fungus and bacteria that commonly accumulate in bedding. Unlike antibacterial cotton sheets that are sometimes treated by use of pesticides, bamboos antibacterial actions are all natural. The bamboo fibers eliminate moisture, thus limiting a normally lucrative breeding ground for germs.
In 2003, the China Industrial Testing Center conducted an experiment where it was proven that bamboo fabric killed 99.8% of live bacteria-infested fabric in a 24-hour incubation period.
Bamboo sheets are also excellent for those looking to reduce their environmental footprint. Non-organic cotton needs close to a pound of chemicals in order to manufacture one pound of fiber. Close to 25% of the world’s farming chemicals are used to produce cotton, and about 13% of the world’s farming fields are occupied by its growth.
Next time you shop for sheets, be sure to research the pros and cons of all your options in order to make the selection that is best fitting for your bed and your lifestyle. If you’re a nature-loving germo-phobe, then bamboo bedding might be a very attractive option!
Friday, July 17, 2009
For Those Who Are Obese, Exercise May Offer More Sleep Relief Than Diet
If you’re obese and having trouble sleeping, dieting alone is not the solution.
That’s the opinion of Richard Simon, MD, medical director of the sleep disorders center at St. Mary Medical Center in Walla Walla, Wash. Simon says doctors should shift their focus, so that getting patients to exercise is their primary goal – and diet can be secondary. He urges his obese clients to walk for 20 to 30 minutes a day and work up to 2 to 3 hours a day if they can.
Twenty minutes may be enough to help your heart, but more is needed to spur weight loss, he says.
After his patients establish a walking routine, he advises them to focus on their diet.
If you’re not yet physically fit, Simon says the best method is to exercise early in the day – any later than that, and you may defeat the purpose of your efforts.
That’s because studies show patients who aren’t fit and exercise within 6 hours of going to bed may disrupt their sleep, due to uncomfortable aches and pains.
There is lots of data on how exercise improves your quality of life by helping you feel better and helping you get more accomplished in the daylight hours, Simon said. There is much less information so far on how dieting improves quality of life.
To find out if your diet or exercise habits could be disrupting your sleep, check out your own free, customized Sleep Book now.
Story Link: [NSF: Ask the Expert]
Thursday, June 25, 2009
If sleep suddenly seems like a luxury in your nonstop schedule of work, responsibilities – and even recreation – you’re part of a growing group. Many Americans don’t get enough rest.
But what you may not realize is that a lack of sleep could be seriously stifling health, well-being, and productivity.
A new poll by the National Sleep Foundation highlights the striking disparities in the health and quality of life of those who get enough sleep and those who don’t. People in good health are two times more likely than those in poor health to work efficiently – thanks to a good night’s sleep. They’re also more likely to exercise and eat a healthy diet.
People who sleep too few hours a night reported they are too tired to do efficient work, to exercise or to eat well. Two out of 10 of those polled said they sleep less than 6 hours a night.
And consider this: an increasing number of those surveyed are having trouble sleeping. Since 2001, the rate has jumped 13 percent. Also in that time, the number of respondents who get less than 6 hours of sleep has increased from 13% to 20 %.
What about those who do get 8 hours? Their ranks dropped from 38% to 28%.
With health care reform on the horizon for 2009-2010, we hope sleep health will get the recognition it deserves. After all, taking steps to get a better night’s sleep is a cost-effective and simple avenue to overall better health.
Poll Link: [National Sleep Foundation]
