Good “sleep hygiene” means everything that helps maintain your health by keeping your mind and body rested and strong. The idea of sleep hygiene is like a dental hygiene. Both rely on nightly or daily rituals for consistently good hygiene. Just as you get in the habit of brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist regularly, you must implement a nightly routine of healthy habits to improve your sleep hygiene. Follow these sleep hygiene tips to help assure a good night’s sleep.

- Eat lightly to induce sleep. Although you shouldn’t eat too much right before sleep, certain foods promote sleep. Such foods include the amino acid L-tryptophan, found in milk, turkey, and tuna; and carbohydrates, such as bread and cereal. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and large amounts of sugar.

- Wait until you are sleepy before going to bed. If you’re not sleepy at your regular bedtime, do something relaxing; read a book, listen to music, or do some other activity that relaxes, not stimulates you. This will relax your body and distract your mind to remove your worries about sleep.

- Create the right environment. Every person has his or her own personal preference as to the ideal sleep environment. Extremes should be avoided. Make sure your room is dark and quiet, and the right temperature. Most experts agree cooler temperatures work best. If you’re bothered by noise, wear earplugs or use a fan to create white noise. Read The Full Story…

You may not achieve the comfort levels and sleep position you are used to in your bed at home, but look around the cabin next time you fly to see the many different positions we adopt whilst asleep.
A study by sleep expert Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, suggested a correlation between six common sleeping positions and the personality traits of the sleepers themselves. Preferred sleeping positions are seen as a sort of subconscious body language that reflects our inner traits. The study was commissioned by a large hotel group.

The most common sleeping positions and corresponding personality- identified were:

• The Foetus: Those who curl up in the foetus position are described as tough on the outside but sensitive at heart. They may be shy when they first meet somebody, but soon relax. This is the most common sleeping position, adopted by 41% of the 1,000 people who took part in the survey. More than twice as many women as men tend to adopt this position.

• Log (15%): Lying on your side with both arms down by your side. These sleepers are easy going, social people who like being part of the in-crowd, and who are trusting of strangers. However, they may be gullible.

• The yearner (13%): People who sleep on their side with both arms out in front are said to have an open nature, but can be suspicious, cynical. They are slow to make up their minds, but once they have taken a decision, they are unlikely ever to change it. Read The Full Story…

Food can be a frequent source of creating a chemical cause for insomnia. If you are suffering from insomnia on a nightly basis, you should verify your diet to see if there is a source that may be contributing to your sleepless nights. Coffee, soda, chocolate, desserts, and spicy foods can all be the culprit behind your night waking.

Here is a list of most important foods that can interfere with your sleep:

1. Alcohol may seem to help you fall asleep, it can disrupt your normal sleep pattern during the second half of the night and leave you feeling unrested. It’s best to avoid alcohol before bedtime.

2. Nicotine. Nicotine is a stimulant that can keep you awake. Avoid smoking in the six hours before your bedtime.

3. Avoid bacon, cheese, chocolate, eggplant, ham, potatoes, sauerkraut, sugar, sausage, spinach, tomatoes, and wine close to bedtime. These foods contain tyramine, which increases the release of norepinephrine, a brain stimulant.

4. Sugar and foods high in sugar and refined carbohydrates. These raise blood-sugar levels and can cause a burst of energy that disturbs sleep.

5. Caffeine is a food that you must avoid for a healthy sleep. Avoid caffeine in all forms (tea, coffee, cola, chocolate).

6. Chinese food is a very common cause of insomnia. This is because of the high level of MSG stimulant used to cook the food. MSG can also be found in many seasonings, it is used as a preservative. Read The Full Story…

Insomnia is categorized by the inability to fall asleep when you go to bed and, or, waking during the night and not being able to get back to sleep.

Treatment for insomnia is many-sided and incorporates many techniques including herbal medicine, vitamin and mineral supplements, lifestyle changes, improved sleep hygiene, massage therapy, behavioral therapy, meditation, diet, exercise, hypnosis, acupuncture, relaxation, guided imagery, and homeopathy.

In such cases herbs can be quite helpful, not only in helping to get some sleep, but in nourishing the nervous system as well.

Here is a top 10 natural remedies for insomnia:

1. Melatonin. Is a popular remedy to help people fall asleep when the sleep/wake cycle has been disturbed, such as in shift workers or people who with jet lag.

Melatonin is a hormone found naturally in the body. The pineal gland in the brain makes serotonin which is then converted into melatonin at night when exposure to light decreases.

Melatonin is typically taken about 30 minutes before the desired bedtime. Some experts caution that melatonin should not be used by people with depression, schizophrenia, autoimmune diseases, and other serious illness. Pregnant and nursing women should not use melatonin.

2. Chamomile. Is a time-honored sedative herb which can be safely used by children and adults alike. Chamomile tea is commonly used in Europe, South America, and Mexico for insomnia and restlessness combined with irritability, particularly in children. Chamomile oil can also be put in bath water (5-6 drops) to soothe overwrought nerves, diluted to 2% to make an excellent massage oil, or used as an inhalant.

3. Lavender. Is a gentle strengthening tonic for the nervous system. A few drops of lavender oil added to a bath before bedtime are recommended for persons with sleep disorders. Additionally, the oil may be used as a compress or massage oil or simply inhaled to alleviate insomnia. Read The Full Story…

The amount of sleep required differ from person to person and depends on a number possible of factors including, age, genetic make-up, the amount of exercise you get, what you do during the day, the quality of your sleep and whether you are still growing.

• On average we need about 8 hours of sleep. There are short sleepers who only need 4 and also a few long sleepers who may need 12. The average hovers around 8.
  Our biological clocks run on a 25 hour cycle, rather than the 24 hours we have tuned our daily lives around. This is why it is easier for most people to go to bed later, than it is to wake up early.

• A lot of people have no difficulty sleeping at all and may even sleep excessively and still feel fatigued. They ask: ‘How much sleep do I need?’ Because they assume that there’s always a link between the amount of sleep attained and the amount of energy they have. Often this is the case, as sleep will help restore muscular energy, alertness and concentration. Read The Full Story…

Like adults, children with insomnia either have trouble going to sleep, staying asleep, or are simply not well rested after what should be a normal amount of time sleeping.

There are a number of symptoms that shows insomnia in children:

- memory troubles

- hyperactivity

- aggressiveness

- a decreased attention period

- irritability

- mood swings

Causes of insomnia in children:

Childhood insomnia is believed to be caused by two main reasons: the failure to assign and keep a bed time for a child is the most common, and can often turn into insomnia for a child will not be able to create and develop a sleeping pattern. Therefore it is essential for the parents to insist on a bedtime hour and also ensure that it is followed accordingly. Read The Full Story…