You are browsing the tag archive for sleep.

Photo: oveylaurenn / Flickr

If you often find yourself waking up in the middle of the night, don’t feel alone. Many people are in the same boat and most are probably as anxious as you. This is especially the case when one feels unable to get back to sleep again. A sleepless night could be caused by low blood sugar, stress, anxiety or too much alcohol. Besides putting your worries to bed before you go to bed, you could consider these options. (more…)

Photo: Matt Kowal / Flickr

A lot of people miss out on much needed sleep because there’s just too much to do in a single day. But a lack of sleep affects your productivity. To get more done, you’d be better of getting an extra hour or two of sleep every night. If you find your mind racing as soon as your head hits the pillow, getting into what sleep exerts call a ‘sleep routine’ will help you fall asleep – and stay asleep. Here’s how to do it. (more…)

Photo: ShaneRobinson / Flickr

Are you waking up tired every morning? Do you never feel you’ve had a good night’s sleep? If something is interrupting your sleep and you find yourself waking in the night it’s likely you don’t ever get up feeling rested and refreshed – you probably feel groggy and find it hard to get going. Restless leg syndrome, indigestion and waking up to use the bathroom in the night can all leave you tired in the morning. If one of these applies to you, there are things you can do to get a better night’s sleep. (more…)

Photo: 7pho / Flickr

Small things like drinking more water or getting a back rub can improve the way you feel in seconds. The hosts of health talk show The Doctors compiled a list of 5-Minute Health Fixes that they shared with Prevention magazine. You don’t need to devote big chunks of time to be healthy, according to Travis Stork, Lisa Masterson and Jim Sears. They say: ‘very small, quick moves can soothe little ailments today and protect your heart, brain, and entire body tomorrow.’ (more…)

Photo: lukey dargons / Flickr

According to the Stress Management Society, stress is defined as ‘a situation where demands on a person exceed that person’s ability to cope’. If you’ve had that feeling, you’re not alone. The UK Health and Safety Executive found that employers lose 105 million working days a year due to stress among employees. Stress can cause a range of negative physical and emotional responses, including headaches, muscular pain and anxiety. While it’s very hard – if not impossible – to avoid stress altogether, there are some simple things you can do to make coping with it easier. (more…)

Photo: ihtatho / Flickr

Bullying at school has become more of a problem today than ever before, with some calling it an epidemic. Bullied children are severely affected by the problem and may suffer from anxiety, irritability, bedwetting and waking in the night. Research out of the US, where bullying is particularly common, has found that school bullies may be suffering from health issues, including a lack of sleep. (more…)

Photo: Gabriela Camerotti / Flickr

It is very common for children to have nightmares now and then. Most scary dreams happen during the later stages of sleep, often between 4:00 and 06:00 in the morning. Your child may wake up during a nightmare and come to you for comfort, and often they can remember what they were dreaming about and why it scared them. Some children may have difficulty falling asleep again after a bad dream or suffer from recurring nightmares. What can you do to help your children sleep peacefully? (more…)

Photo: yuan2003 / Flickr

For years mystics, scientists and psychologists have been examining and interpreting dreams. Dreams often stem from what you think about right before you go to sleep and so can say a lot about your personality, your fears and your hopes for the future. If you are plagued by recurring dreams or nightmares there may want to be something you need to examine in your life if you want to sleep easier at night! (more…)

Photo: The Bees / Flickr

Avoiding all the bad things– like smoking, heavy drinking and eating a poor diet – is a good way to live longer. But if you’re slow on breaking the bad habits, why not get started on a healthier life by doing more of the good stuff. Things like getting more sleep, more exercise, more nutrition and starting to appreciate your life will do wonders for your longevity. Since sleep takes relatively little effort, maybe it’s a good place to start? (more…)

Photo: jamesjyu / Flickr

The average person spends a third of their life sleeping. This means we spend about 180,000 hours in bed throughout our lives! Even though we spend so much time in it, our bed is something we often neglect. We shed skin cells, oils and hair when we sleep, and dust mites can become a problem – especially if you suffer from allergies. Cleaning your bedding often and ensuring that you have a clean mattress is a must. (more…)