Category: Better Sleep

Be Healthy and More Productive at Work – Take a Nap

If your boss caught you sleeping at your desk a few years ago, you surely would have been fired. But getting in trouble for catching zzz’s at work may soon be the thing of the past. While most of us rely on artificial stimulants like caffeine to power us through the day, experts say that what we really need to recharge our minds is a good nap. Some industries and big companies such as Nike, Google, Ben and Jerry’s and Zappos.com encourage their workers to simply ….nap.

Mark Rosekind, a former scientist at NASA, and now Founder and President of Alertness Solutions, a company creating “fatigue management” solutions, claims that a 15-minute afternoon nap increases our productivity by 35 percent, creativity by 40 percent and the ability to make decisions by as much as 50 percent. On top of that, afternoon naps also significantly decrease the risk of stroke and heart disease, especially in men.

The authors of the largest ever study of this phenomenon discussed this two years ago in the Journal of Archives of Internal Medicine. The study was conducted over about six years on a group of 23,681 adult Greeks-mostly over the age of 50. People who took at least three 30 minute naps a week had 37 percent lower risk of death due to heart or other cardiovascular problems than in those who slept only at night.

It is worth noting that a siesta during the day belongs to the normal practice in many countries in southern Europe. So far, experts believed that the low incidence of heart disease in those countries is a consequence of the Mediterranean diet. Although the study also takes into account factors such as diet, physical activity, smoking habits and other factors related to the circulatory system, it still seems that napping at work has a beneficial effect.

In conclusion, companies benefit from having workers who are healthy, rested and focused. Those who may still oppose the idea of letting their employees nap on company’s time well, perhaps they will change their mind if they just sleep on it?

Share your feedback in the comments below.

By Agnieszka

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Important:
The Sleep Blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Instead, this website provides general information for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider if you have questions or concerns regarding any medical condition or treatment.

Better Sleep for Expecting Moms

When you are pregnant, sleep can be a real problem. A bigger belly makes sleep less comfortable and, if that’s not enough, you may find that you begin to have strange dreams. Finding a comfortable position is next to impossible, and when you finally do, it’s time to get up and go to the bathroom for the 100th time in one night. So here are seven valuable tips to make sleep easier for all mommies to be.

1. Eat a light dinner. If you eat too much or eat fatty foods, you may experience heartburn that will make it more difficult for you to fall asleep.

2. Drink something warm. For obvious reasons steer clear from strong teas or coffee, on the other hand a glass of warm milk is great to sip on before bedtime; it contains tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes sleep.

3. Make sure you air out your bedroom. This one benefits not only moms but also dads to be. Your bedroom shouldn’t be hot but rather slightly cool during the night. Hot rooms will make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.

4. Try sleeping on your left side. This position increases the amount of nutrients and blood that reach the placenta and your baby.

5. Prop yourself with pillows. Slightly bend your knees and place a pillow between your legs and under your abdomen. You can also put one under your back. Make as many adjustments as necessary until you feel comfortable.

6. Relax. Pregnancy is beautiful, but it can also be very stressful. Before bedtime try not to focus on the fact that the baby’s nursery isn’t painted the right color or how afraid you are of the delivery. If you do catch yourself thinking about those things, take a few deep breaths and try to clear your mind. Remind yourself that you and your baby need a restful night and everything else can be dealt with in the morning.

7. Strange dreams are normal. Some believe that dreams are a reflection of your emotional state, and pregnancy can sometimes feel like an emotional roller coaster. Although it is not known what exactly causes moms-to-be to have exceptionally strange, vivid and memorable dreams, you should know that millions of pregnant women experience strange dreams and that it is perfectly normal.

By

Agnieszka

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Important:
The Sleep Blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Instead, this website provides general information for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider if you have questions or concerns regarding any medical condition or treatment.

Sleep Your Way to a Beautiful Body

You have probably heard it before, but you might not have believed it – you can lose weight while you sleep. New research suggests that there is in fact a relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the quality and quantity of sleep. That is great news for those of us who love to hit the snooze button at least few times in the morning (and for those of us that wouldn’t mind losing a few extra pounds).

It turns out that a good night’s sleep is a factor in controlling the body’s production of two specific hormones responsible for our eating behavior: Ghrelin – the hunger hormone and Leptin – a regulating hormone that tells our brain when it is time to stop eating.

In a study of 1,024 people aged 30 to 60 years old, those who slept only three hours a night had a 5% increase in body weight over 15 years, according to thedietchannel.com.That’s because sleep depravation results in increased levels of ghrelin which in turn makes our body feel hungry and decreases the levels of leptin, depriving us from a feeling of fullness. The result is simple: Overeating.

To keep both hormones at their proper levels, one must make sure not only to get a good quality of sleep but also the hours that our body needs to rejuvenate That’s usually 7 to 9hours depending on an individual.

So is losing weight as simple as getting enough sleep? No, but when combined with a healthy diet and exercise, sleep is a very important and often overlooked component of losing weight.

To find out more about sleep and weight loss click on the link below.

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/excessive-sleepiness-10/lack-of-sleep-weight-gain

Share your experience, leave us a comment.

By Agnieszka

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Important:
The Sleep Blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Instead, this website provides general information for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider if you have questions or concerns regarding any medical condition or treatment.