You might remember your mother giving you a glass of hot milk previous to bedtime to help you sleep. Studies have shown that a little milk can help you sleep better. And it’s not just milk either. There are a host of common foods that can help you get to sleep – and stay asleep – easier.

Here are a few good night foods:

Tryptophan-rich foods

Out of all essential amino acids, the most research has been carried out by nutritional researchers on tryptophan. It is also known as a sleep-inducing amino acid.

Tryptophan is a substance in certain foods that the body converts to an amino acid called L-tryptophan. This amino acid in turn helps the body produce the brain chemical serotonin, which many call the “sleep hormone.” Serotonin induces deeper and more restful sleep. (Strictly speaking, serotonin is not a hormone; it is a neurotransmitter.)

Foods rich in tryptophan include milk (hence the popular bedtime habit), cheese, eggs, nuts, fish, and beans. These are protein-rich foods, so they should be easy to remember when you’re deciding what to have for a bedtime snack.

Foods rich in carbohydrates

Eating food high in carbohydrates, especially four hours before bedtime, could make you sleep quicker. These include rice, breads, pasta, milk products, potatoes, and maybe a bit of fruit pie, banana, cake, or ice cream for dessert. Such foods also help release serotonin. Read The Full Story…

“Smoking is dangerous to your health.” This warning found in cigarette boxes is not for naught and a recent study published in the February issue of Chest suggests yet another ill effect of smoking. According to Dr. Naresh M. Punjabi and his research colleagues, smoking can cause poor sleep quality.

Punjabi, one of the authors of the study, points out that those who smoke are more likely to feel tired when awake and they spend less time in deep sleep than those who do not smoke. This can be attributed to the fact that smokers go through nicotine withdrawal each night, therefore causing sleep disturbances. Read The Full Story…

Sleeping myths are very common and are frequently confused with sleeping facts.

Some of these sleeping myths you may find evident, others you may not. With this list I will improve your knowledge on sleeping myths so you can improve your sleep.

Myth 1: The older you get, the fewer hours of sleep you need.

Fact: Sleep experts recommend a total sleep time of seven to nine hours of sleep for the average adult. Sleep patterns change as people age, but the amount of sleep they generally need does not. Older people may wake more frequently through the night and may actually get less nighttime sleep, but their need for sleep is no less than that of younger adults. Older people tend to sleep more during the day because they may sleep less during the night.

Myth 2: Sleep is a time when your body and brain shut down for rest and relaxation.

Fact: No evidence shows that any major organ (including the brain) or regulatory system in the body shuts down during sleep. Some physiological processes actually become more active while you sleep. For example, secretion of certain hormones is boosted, and activity of the pathways in the brain needed for learning and memory is heightened.

Myth 3: Snoring is Normal

Fact: While snoring is common during sleep, frequent snoring can indicate serious sleep disorders like sleep apnea. If you are a frequent, loud snore, see your doctor about being assessed for sleep apnea. Treatments are available and you (and your partner) will have more energy during the day. Read The Full Story…

You know how important good nutrition and exercise are for your health and beauty, but do you know sleep is crucial too? When you doze you’re getting more than rest. Sleep researchers say your body is healing and repairing itself. For this reason, dermatologists often suggest using your most “active” skin creams before bed. To avoid puffy, bloodshot eyes, dark under-eye circles and a pale washed-out complexion — and for peak alertness and energy — experts say you need eight hours of sleep a night.

Here are some tips  to help you get the sleep you need:

- Listen to white noise or relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep.
- Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. This will raise blood sugar and inhibit sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you might wake up and not be able to fall back asleep.
- Exercise every day. Even 20 minutes of walking can help keep stress hormones from interfering with your sleep.

- Get to bed as early as possible. Our systems, particularly the adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver which then secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further disruption of your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well. Read The Full Story…

Sleepwalking disorder, also called somnambulism, is characterize by repeating episodes of motor activity during sleep such as sitting up in bed, rising, and walking around, among others. The person appears to be awake because their eyes are usually open and they can maneuver around objects, but is considered asleep.

Sleepwalking disorder is one of several sleep disorders.

Causes

Sleepwalkers often have a strong family history of sleepwalking. Furthermore, sleepwalking may be triggered by fever, which directly affects the nervous system; general illness; alcohol; sleep deprivation; and emotional stress. The hormonal changes that take place during puberty, pregnancy, and menstruation can precipitate sleepwalking as well. It seems that when the body is enduring physiological or psychological stress, sleepwalking is more likely to occur, perhaps coinciding with the body’s inability to rest.

There is also a higher incidence of psychiatric disorders in adults who sleepwalk than in the general public. This is not to say that sleepwalking is a psychiatric disorder; more research is needed to document the concurrence of sleepwalking and mental illness.

What are symptoms of sleepwalking?

- eyes open during sleep

- may have blank facial expression

- may sit up and appear awake during sleep

- walking during sleep

- other detailed activity during sleep, any sort

- no recall of the event upon awaking

- confusion, disorientation on awakening

- sleep talking is incomprehensible and non-purposeful Read The Full Story…

The free relaxing music and nature sounds can aid sleep, reduce stress, and provide a relaxing atmosphere for activities such as yoga, tai-chi, and meditation.

Brainwave entrainment means that a particular beat or rhythm will guide your brain’s electrical pulses, which are called brainwaves, into a new rhythm. Your brain, when it “hears” the new beat will follow it and begin to pulse at the same rate.

When brainwave entrainment is used to cure insomnia the brainwaves we want to guide you into are the waves of sleep. When you are sleeping your brainwaves slow right down. The brainwave entrainment audio you are listening to will guide your brainwaves into the rhythm of sleep. When this happens you will fall asleep.

Examples of sleep-sounds:

- Rhythmic drumming creates a hypnotic effect to help induce sleep

- The sound of the vibraphone is calming, and may reduce stress

- Rain acts as a white noise machine that masks household noises such as refrigerators, heaters, and creaking floors

- The booming sound of thunder helps to mask loud stereos, barking dogs, and traffic

- The sound of steady, rhytmic ocean waves provide a sensation of relaxation and calm.

- Birds and windchimes are comforting sounds that provide a relaxing and stress free atmosphere

- An atmosphere of rain and thunder may be especially relaxing, because one feels they cannot go out to work

- Ocean waves may remind one of a relaxing and calm vacation Read The Full Story…

The full moon can affect people in different ways. Does the full moon affect our sleep? How about the cycles of the moon? A lot of disorders seem to follow the phases of the moon. While the moon is full, some people may suffer from insomnia, nightmares, strange dreams, and some people even sleepwalk. There is one more interesting fact that some people sleep better when the moon is full, even if its shine falls into their faces.

There is no doubt the phases of the moon do have an effect on the mind. In fact, the Moon has influenced life and the mind of Man since the beginning of time. The cavemen thought the moon was a God, and it’s depicted in many cave drawings. Many cultures, down through the ages, credited the moon with a great deal of influence. Even today, many of the New Age religions worship the Moon. Followers of astrology attribute a great deal of significance to the moon’s cycles. And the Pagan/Wiccan religion, for instance, is very moon-oriented. Read The Full Story…

There is a flow of researches showing how the lack of sleep impacts your brain functions, from learning
to memory. But the impact on people’s life is much more severe than it could be guessed,  plummeting productivity, safety, health, relationships and… sex. Too much work and too little sleep resulted in the fact that 20% of the Americans have lost interest in sex. This is the result of a research made by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) on a poll of 1,000 American adults.
“Longer work days and more access to the workplace through the Internet and other technology appear to be causing Americans to get less sleep. Nearly 50 million Americans chronically suffer from sleep problems and disorders that affect their careers, their personal relationships and safety on the roads,” said Darrel Drobnich, head of the NSF.
Read The Full Story…