Be well rested before hitting the road. If you have several nights in a row of fewer than 7–8 hours of sleep, your reaction time slows. Restoring that reaction time to normal often takes more than 1 night of good sleep, because your sleep debt accumulates after each night you lose sleep. It may take several nights of being well rested to repay that sleep debt and ensure that you are ready for driving on a long road trip.

Avoid driving between midnight and 7 a.m. Unless you are accustomed to being awake then, this period of time is when we are naturally the most tired.

Don’t drive alone. A companion who can keep you engaged in conversation might help you stay awake while driving.

Schedule frequent breaks on long road trips. If you feel sleepy while driving, pull off the road and take a nap for 15–20 minutes.

Don’t drink alcohol. Just one beer when you are sleep deprived will affect you as much as two or three beers when you are well rested.

Don’t count on caffeine. Although drinking a cola or a cup of coffee might help keep you awake for a short time, it won’t overcome excessive sleepiness or relieve a sleep debt.

Opening a window or turning up the radio won’t help you stay awake while driving. Be aware of these warning signs that you are too sleepy to drive safely: trouble keeping your eyes focused, continual yawning, or being unable to recall driving the last few miles. Remember, if you are short on sleep, stay out of the driver’s seat!

Sleep gives your heart and vascular system a much-needed rest.
During non-REM sleep, your heart rate and blood pressure progressively slow as you enter deeper sleep. During REM sleep, your heart rate and blood pressure have boosted spikes of activity. Overall, however, sleep reduces your heart rate and blood pressure by about 10 percent. If you don’t get enough sleep, this nightly dip in blood pressure, which appears to be important for good cardiovascular health, may not occur. According to several studies, if your blood pressure does not dip during sleep, you are more likely to experience strokes,
chest pain known as angina, an irregular heartbeat, and heart attacks. You are also more likely to develop congestive heart failure, a condition in which fluid builds up in the body because the heart is not pumping sufficiently. Failure to experience the normal dip in blood pressure during sleep can be related to insufficient sleep time, an untreated sleep disorder, or other factors. African Americans, for example, tend not to have as much of a dip in blood pressure during sleep. This difference may help to explain why they are more likely than Caucasians to have serious cardiovascular disease. Read The Full Story…

Sleep and smoking Statistics

- In general, in 2004-2006, about 21% of U.S. adults were current cigarette smokers. Percents varied according to usual hours of sleep, and were lowest among adults who slept 7 to 8 hours (18%) and higher among adults who slept less than 6 hours (31%) or 9 hours or more (26%) For both men and women, smoking prevalence was substantially higher among those who slept less than 6 hours than among men and women who slept 7 to 8 hours. Of the age groups studied, the association between hours of sleep and cigarette smoking was most notable for younger adults. Adults aged 18-44 years who slept less than 6 hours were more likely to be current smokers (38%) than adults in the same age group who slept 7 to 8 hours (21%). Variations by race and ethnicity were also found. Non-Hispanic white adults who slept less than 6 hours were more likely to be current smokers (34%) than non-Hispanic white adults who slept 7 to 8 hours (20%). Results for Hispanic adults also revealed higher smoking prevalence among those who slept less than 6 hours (19%) compared with those who slept 7 to 8 hours (13%) but the difference was smaller than for non-Hispanic white adults. Read The Full Story…

Stage 1: Light sleep; easily awakened; muscle activity; eye movements slow down.

Stage 2: Eye movements stop; slower brain waves, with occasional bursts of rapid brain waves.

Stage 3: Considered deep sleep; difficult to awaken; brain waves slow down more, but still have occasional rapid waves.

Stage 4: Considered deep sleep; difficult to awaken; extremely slow brain waves.

Sleep is divided into two basic types: rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep (with four different stages Typically, sleep begins with non-REM sleep.

In stage 1 non-REM sleep, you sleep lightly and can be awakened easily by noises or other disturbances. During this first stage of sleep, your eyes move slowly, and your muscle activity slows. You then enter stage 2 non-REM sleep, when your eye movements stop.

Your brain shows a distinctive pattern of slower brain waves with occasional bursts of rapid waves.

When you progress into stage 3 non-REM sleep, your brain waves become even slower, although they are still punctuated by smaller, faster waves. By stage 4 non-REM sleep, the brain produces extremely slow waves almost exclusively. Stages 3 and 4 are considered deep sleep, during which it is very difficult to be awakened. Read The Full Story…

Here are the best types of mattresses to fit various needs and will give you a restful night of sleep: innerspring mattress, memory foam mattress, latex mattress, air mattress, and water mattress.

There are various kinds of mattresses available on the market. Every type is designed with the specific need and particular sleeping style of an individual. here is more information about the different types:

1. Innerspring mattress

Most of the mattresses sold are innerspring mattresses. These are made of steel coils that are separately wrapped. There are about 300 coils in a full size mattress and are intended to provide support along with comfort. The cost of an innerspring mattress depends on the design of the spring, the steel gauge, and the total number of the coils.

2. Memory foam mattress

This type of foam is also known as viscoelastic foam. This was discovered by NASA and is a byproduct of a space mission research project. The memory foam follows the curve of an individual’s body and provide ease and support. When pressure is taken away from the mattress, it returns to its original shape. It is capable of responding to body temperature as well as body pressure. In fact, a memory foam mattress makes it easy for you to sleep even during hot summer days.

Click here to find out more about memory foam mattresses

3. Latex mattress

A latex mattress can either be made natural or synthetic materials. This type of mattress is capable of providing the whole body with maximum support. It is able to respond faster to variations in positions as compared to a memory foam. A natural latex foam is eco-friendly and is cooler for you to sleep on. The good thing about a latex mattress is its resistance to dust mites, too.

4. Air mattress

An air mattress is beneficial for its adjustable feature in providing support to your body. It even has dual controls that meet the different sleeping needs of a couple. As needs change due to age, you can also adjust the kind of support you want to get from the foam, too. This type of mattress is commonly used in nursing homes and hospitals because of its ability to lessen pressure on the body.

5. Water mattress

Nowadays, a water bed is capable of providing a good sleep experience even when you make several changes in position. This is because of the series of tubes filled with water and properly placed under the topmost part of the exterior portion of the mattress. It is important to note that water mattresses no longer require a heating system because of the new and improved features that have developed.

Some ways that you can make white noise include using a small fan, buying a sound machine, using speakers or a music system, and using an old radio.

White noise or white sound is defined as a random signal that has a uniform frequency spectrum. It can be distinguished as an unvarying and steady droning sound. The concept of white noise is especially useful in masking or eliminating other unwanted noise or sounds, like the sound of traffic. White noise machines are used specifically for this purpose. You can actually make white noise if you want a little privacy or simply want to zone out of any disturbing noises in the environment. Parents who are taking care of babies also use white noise machines to keep the infant from getting disturbed while sleeping. Here are some tips you can follow to generate white noise at home or at the office.

1. Use a small fan
The fan is actually one of the more common white noise machines, but the secret in utilizing it as a producer of white noise lies in finding a strategic position for the fan. Place the fan in an area where sound tends to float through, like windows or doorways. Fans provide you with dual purpose: they mask unwanted noise and add ventilation to your home.

2. Buy a sound machine
There are sound machines available in electronics shops with different price ranges depending on the functionality and specifications. The cheaper model might have more simple features and can be used at home. A more complex system is made specifically for commercial use and for the office. Sound machines that are meant to be used at home usually are preset with sounds that resemble nature to ensure that the user will not be disrupted even when he or she sleeps. On the other hand, sound machines meant for the office vary in size. Some might be small and just enough to fit on one’s work desk, or it can also be so large that it requires installation on the ceiling. Read The Full Story…

Try to limit night shift work, if that is possible. If you must work the night shift, the following healthy tips may help you:

-  Increase your total amount of sleep by adding naps and
lengthening the amount of time you allot for sleep.
-  Use bright lights in your workplace.
-  Minimize your shift changes so that your body’s biological
clock can adjust to a nighttime work schedule.
-  Get rid of sound and light distractions in your bedroom
during your daytime sleep. Read The Full Story…