Pearls of Wisdom Series 2: Getting Better Sleep Part 4

You've made it to the last part of the sleep series. You either really can't sleep, or you're curious to find out more tips and tricks. Either way I welcome you to my article. This part of the sleep series is for people who can't sleep due to snoring. It's either you or your loved one who can't seem to stop the problem no matter what you or they've tried. I can't promise this will help you, but it won't hurt to try.

Perhaps you're snoring because you have nasal congestion. If that's the case then this simple remedy can give you some relief.

Step 1: First and foremost stay hydrated. Phlegm will thicken if there's not enough water present in the body. Thick phlegm makes the congestion worse.

Step 2: Grab about 4 cups of water and 2-3 Eucalyptus leaves or 3 drops of Eucalyptus oil. Bring that to a roaring boil and turn off the burner. Stand over it with a towel on your head and breathe in the steam. Keep your eyes closed if you feel uncomfortable and be careful to not tip over the hot pot of water. (If you are under the age of 18 or are physically impaired, have someone either watch or assist you.) Breathe through your nose or chest. You can switch methods of breathing back and forth if you want. After about 10-15 minutes stop. The steam and vapors from the leaf should help loosen any phlegm.

Step 3: Expel any excess phlegm and try to sleep.

If you're the kind of person who has something physically wrong (Sleep Apnea) that makes you snore this might help.

Step 1: Go to a sleep specialist and figure out if your snoring is because of a restricted airway or a misaligned jaw or both. If it's restricted airway only you might have Asthma and you'll need treatment. If it's your jaw that's causing you to drop your tongue and restrict your breathing, then continue to step 2.

Step 2: Buy a jaw supporter. There are various kinds in the market. Pick one you'll feel will work best. Jaw supporters have been shown to help people with Sleep Apnea by keeping the jaw aligned when sleeping. It keeps the airway free of obstruction allowing for limited to no snoring. Jaw supporters are also a lot less expensive and cumbersome then CPAP masks. (If you've already tried it and it won't work, then get a CPAP mask if you can afford it.)

Step 3: Now that you spent the time and money figuring out what's wrong, enjoy a snore free night.

Article written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

I hope this article was helpful to you. For more tips and tricks, check out my blog. http://rosemaryjasminerivera.blogspot.com/

Original article

Pearls of Wisdom Series 2: Getting Better Sleep Part 1

Are you one of those people that can't sleep? Do you poke your loved one in the back with a knee jab because you're too lost in thought to count sheep? Well I'm here to give you some tips on how to sleep better, even if it's just for the next 3 hours. (Yeah I know you have work in the morning.) So here is my guide to a better sleep.

If you're the type to over-think about everything, especially when you're stressed, then this is what you need to do.

Step 1: Buy a journal of any kind and write down exactly what's going on in that noggin of yours. Even if it's a bunch of negative jargon, it's important to express it and let it get out. Don't forget to read what you wrote.

Step 2: Take the piece of paper, or. doc file if your typing it, and erase it all. No matter how nasty the thoughts can be, writing them down, reading it, then erasing it will do wonders.

Step 3: Now that you have it all out of your system, try to sleep.

If you're the type who is dieting and you're just straight up hungry, this is what you need to do.

Step 1: (This step is to be done ahead of time.)

A.Go to the grocery store and buy a bunch of fruits and vegetables. If you're the type who actually likes eating vegan then this shouldn't be too bad for you.

B. Pick your favorite produce.

C. Prepare them by cutting, peeling, slicing, chopping and mixing them with a nice salad dressing. (You'll want to do individual portions that can be consumed within 3 days.)

D. The salad itself should consists of fruits or veggies and a protein. This can be boiled eggs, seasoned tofu, beans, nuts, yogurt etc.

E. Pack your prepared meal and store it in the refrigerator.

Step 2: When you're feeling those hunger pains, go to the fridge and eat whatever it is you prepared before. The combination of the low calorie fruits and/or vegetables along with the protein will give you a satisfying meal. The best part is you won't feel too guilty about snacking since it's actually been proven that eating raw fruits and vegetables create negative calories due to the amount of energy needed to burn the food which is more than the amount of energy absorbed. (You don't want to overdo it. Things need to be portioned correctly and you shouldn't do this every night.)

Step 3: Now that your belly is full, try hitting the hay.

Article written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

I hope this has helped you rest. For more tips on sleeping better, make sure to visit my blog.
http://rosemaryjasminerivera.blogspot.com/

Original article

Pearls of Wisdom Series 2: Getting Better Sleep Part 3

Still can't close your eyes even though it's 2 in the morning? Do you have some big thing the next day and you need to get to sleep quickly? Maybe you take naps sporadically throughout the day and stay up at night?Continue reading this article to see ways you can get a better sleep fast. I know, this sounds pretty cool eh?

If you're the type who needs sleep now and doesn't care what it takes, do these simple steps to get to sleep fast. (By fast I mean 15-30 min. I can't just knock you out, you know. WARNING THIS COULD BE HAZARDOUS TO YOUR HEALTH)

Step 1: Go to the kitchen or if you don't have food in the fridge because you don't cook, go to your nearest fast food place. (Some people may find it unsafe to go outside late at night, so just plan ahead and buy the necessary foods.)

Step 2: Pick out the most greasy, rich food you can find. (I would prefer you only do this in emergencies. If you did this everyday you'll become extremely unhealthy.)

Step 3: Eat the gnarly food.

Step 4: Wait it out.

In about 15-30 minutes your body will start to feel the "itis". The "itis" is when you've eaten a lot of rich food and start to feel tired and sleepy. The richer the food the stronger the "itis".

Step 5: Go to sleep. If you're not knocked out by the "itis", then you must be an immortal.

If you're the type who can't sleep for more than 1-2 hours at time, this could help you.

Step 1: Set a place and time where you'll sleep. I know this is a hard habit to get used to, but you have to control where and when you sleep. If you're supposed to sleep in bed and end up sleeping at work, that's not good. So choose a set place and time to snooze.

Step 2: Keep your place of slumber free of light, distractions, or temperature changes. If you can, try to keep things at a normal temperature. The more comfortable you'll feel the easier it'll be to sleep. If you live in the city and can't escape the noise, simply buy or download some background sounds to mute out all the other noise. You can use headphones or a radio. Sometimes just listening to someone speak on a station can lull you to bed.

Step 3: Turn off your cell phone. If you want to keep it on in case of an emergency, simply set your phone to vibrate. If you really need the phone on with sound, then skip this step.

Step 4: Take the train to sleepville.

Article written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

I hope this article was helpful to you. For more tips and tricks, check out my blog. http://rosemaryjasminerivera.blogspot.com/

Original article

Why You Should Be Getting Enough Sleep

Are you getting enough sleep?

We all know that sleep is an important part of our everyday lives. Obviously you cannot function without it! But what are the effects if you're doing an extreme workout program? Well, it's actually the most important aspect of recovering from our workouts! You thought working out was the most important part of your day? Think again! One of the most important parts of your workout program is getting enough sleep every night. When you are sleeping, that's when your muscles are healing and getting bigger!
First let's look at what happens if you DON'T sleep enough.

Metabolism:
Depriving yourself of sleep can decrease your bodies level of a hormone called Leptin, which is responsible for telling your stomach that you feel full. This will cause you to not know when to stop eating! Also, not sleeping enough increases your levels of Ghrelin. This increases your appetite and makes you want to eat more! Not to mention, you'll be tired and sluggish all day!

Here is an interesting little snippet from our friends at Wikipedia:
"In a study conducted by Turner, Drummond, Salamat, and Brown, working memory was shown to be affected by sleep deprivation. Working memory is important because it keeps information active for further processing and supports higher-level cognitive functions such as decision making, reasoning, and episodic memory"

So basically, what they are saying here is that running on little to no sleep is not a good decision!! You will be slower, less focused, and even more prone to injury! There's no prize for being the person running on little to no sleep. A lot of people claim to be "totally fine" or say "I don't need that much sleep," when they only get four to five hours.

If you go without much sleep only once in a while, it probably won't affect you much. Sure, you might be a little more irritable, and your workout might not be 100%, but it's not going to kill you. Think about eating a diet only consisting of Mcdonald's french fries and water... sure you would "survive" but you're not going to be thriving!

So, in the long run it's much better to develop a good sleep ritual that will get you to bed at a reasonable hour so you can get the right amount of sleep!

Here are some tips to make going to bed easier and to cut out the crap that's going to keep you awake all night:

1. Limit your caffeine Intake to earlier in the day, stopping caffeine after about 4 pm. (unless you drink so much caffeine that it doesn't affect you in that way. If that's the case you should probably look at cutting down your caffeine intake overall).

2.Try to turn off the T.V. and computer an hour before going to bed. Going to sleep with the T.V. on is actually a stimulatory experience for your brain. Just all the light bouncing off the walls in a dark room will not let your body relax to the point where it's comfortable enough for deep sleep! even though you might still "sleeping."

3. Have some (non-caffeinated) tea, listen to soft music and read a book. Having herbal tea and reading can actually help regulate your breathing. It can help you get out of your head and all the things bothering you during the day. This signals to your body that you're shutting down for the night.

These are just a few basic ideas of why sleep is important and a few tips on getting to be earlier.

Of course there is a TON of other information regarding this topic out there, but we just wanted to touch on the parts we thought were most important. If you have any questions, comments or anything to add to this topic, please comment below!! We'd love to hear from you.

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Pearls of Wisdom Series 2: Getting Better Sleep Part 2

I bet you a penny you are having trouble sleeping. Maybe you've become reliant on allergy pills or cough syrup, worse yet, sleeping pills to get you some rest. Well if that's the case, I'm here to tell you there is hope. You can get to sleep if you're willing to make an effort. It's better to learn these habits now than never learn them later. So without further ado, here's my guide on how to get better sleep.

If you're the type who moves too much in bed because of chronic pain, here's what you can do to help alleviate the problem.

Step 1: Gentle exercise is known to benefit people in a lot of ways.

Did you know it can help with chronic pain? Things like Yoga and Tai chi have been proven to help people with stiff joins and back problems find relief through proper stretching and adequate blood flow. If you can't really stretch or care to move slowly, you can do a simple 20 minute walk to get your body warm and relaxed. Sometimes just moving a bit makes a world of difference.

Step 2: Adopt an anti-inflammatory diet.

If you eat the foods described in this kind of diet, (soy foods, fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and even some red wine and dark chocolate) you'll relieve a lot of the pain you experience, especially if it's arthritis. Your blood sugar will be leveled and you'll be able to respond to stress in an easier way. Not only will your body reap the benefits of a good diet (You might even lose weight), but your mind will too.

Step 3: Lose some weight and gain muscle!

This is perhaps the biggest tip I can give you. If you are a bit heavy, you'll realize some of your pudge is getting in the way of sleeping comfortably. Your weight can also attribute to chronic pain because it's difficult for your body to carry such a heavy load. If you gain muscle, not only will your metabolism speed up, you'll have strength in your core and back. This is where a lot of people experience body aches. A strong core alleviates any pain experienced in those areas.

Step 4: Take supplements

Sometimes you just can't afford the raw diet or you don't have the time to exercise everyday. Well here is where supplementation can help. Just taking one high quality multi-vitamin/multi-mineral a day can truly help you feel and look better. There are plenty of anti-inflammatory supplements out in the market as well as Glucosamine Chondroitin supplements which can help lubricate and strengthen your joints.

Step 5: After a long stretch of learning good habits, get to the sack and drift away into slumber land.

Article written by: Rosemary Jasmine Rivera

I hope this article was helpful to you. For more tips and tricks, check out my blog. http://rosemaryjasminerivera.blogspot.com/

Original article

The Importance of Getting a Good Night Sleep

It is important to get a good night sleep. Ask my brother, he's a doctor and can't stress enough the importance of a proper night sleep. Sleeping is my favorite pass time and I have no trouble getting a full eight hours but my husband tosses and turns all night long. He rarely gets a full night sleep and it shows in his mood and health. The worst part is he argues with me over the need for good sleep. Unfortunately this is true for many people. Either they don't believe they need more sleep, don't know how to get good night sleep or don't understand the benefits of sleep.

Sleep is important. As reported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night. Are you getting that? It is proven that our bodies require sleep in the same way they it needs to eat, drink of breath. Healthy sleep habits promote physical health, longevity and emotional well-being. That's why you feel better after a good night sleep. I find the days I don't sleep well my judgment is poor, my mood is negative and ability to concentrate is weakened. Again, it's important. Studies have shown that those who do get the appropriate amount of sleep regularly live longer, healthier lives.

That brings us to people who want to sleep but can't seem to get that full night sleep. Obviously this needs to be a priority. Start by setting aside the eight hours need to sleep. Don't over-schedule yourself leaving five or six hours to sleep. Next, establish a healthy bedtime routine. Go to bed at the same time each night. Don't eat right before your turn in for the night. Engage in a relaxing activity before bedtime like reading, listening to music or meditating. If you have problems getting comfortable try using a body pillow or other kind of specialty pillow to prepare your body for rest.

The benefits of sleep are invaluable. It improves the quality and length of one's life. First it repairs your body by producing extra protein molecules while you're resting that strengthen the body's ability to fight infection. As we all know, sleep reduces stress by lowering blood pressure and elevated levels of stress hormones. For those women out there that have experienced pregnancy I believe you'd back me on the statement that sleep improves your memory. I swear I got dumber with each child but really I was simply sleep deprived. Sleeping well gives your brain a chance to organize and correlate memories and without it your mind feels foggy and you struggle to concentrate. Now this benefit is for my husband. Sleep can improve your mood. With insufficient sleep people become agitated and form a negative mood that follows them all day. Another great benefit is sleep helps control body weight issues by regulating the hormones that affect and control appetite. That's the only reason I need for getting enough sleep.

A good night sleep is important. Studies have shown that those who do get the appropriate amount of sleep regularly live longer, healthier lives. Make getting a good night sleep a priority by establishing a health bedtime routine so you can enjoy the many benefits of sleep, namely, a good mood. I love you honey.

Karlie Philpott is the creator of TheBodyPillowShop a destination for support and comfort. A place to find the body pillow you need.

Original article