Poor Sleep Habits May Cause Diabetes!

If you think lack of sleep only gets you uncontrollable yawns and bags under your eyes, take note, it may be more costly to your health than you think!

A study done by Sleep Heart Health has found more evidence of increased diabetic conditions related to lack of sleep. But it doesn't stop there; it also shows evidence of the same conditions with too much sleep.
These findings come from a study where 722 men and 764 women, aged 53 to 93 years enrolled in the study.

Working with a controlled sleep time of 7 - 8 hours a night and ruling out other potential issues such as sleep apnea, insomnia, obesity, sex, age and race. The study shows a strong link between Type 2 Diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance and amount of sleep.

* In those who slept 5 hours or less a night, Diabetes was 2.5 times more common. In those who slept 6 hours a night, Diabetes was 66% more common. In those who slept 9 or more hours a night, Diabetes was 79% more common.

Over the past 30 years or so the usual sleep per night has declined for adults aged 40 to 79 years of age. Near the end of the 50's, 8 hours a night was the norm with less than 15% reported sleeping less than 7 hours a night. Once we turned the new millennium, the usual sleep times dropped to 7 hours a night and approximately 35% of targeted adults reported sleeping less than 7 hours a night.

Although Insomnia plays some part in this equation, probably brought on by other sleep influences like kids awake at night or tossing and turning on the old mattress. It's amazing to see that the majority of sleep deprivation is voluntary. With 43% of adults polled saying they spend more time than they should to stay up either watching television or using the Internet, the other whopper being 45% reporting staying up later or getting up earlier to get more work done.

When most people see these numbers and results they think that you would have to do this over a lifetime to have these adverse affects. But the study also shows results of impaired glucose tolerance in healthy young adults when sleep was restricted to 4 hours a night for 6 straight nights, 6 nights, that certainly isn't a lifetime! Keep in mind that Diabetes carries a high risk of cardiovascular-related problems which can severely shorten your lifespan.

"This is one additional piece of information bolstering the common recommendation for sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night," says, Boston University's Dr. Daniel Gottlieb, study co-author.

I can deal with the bags under the eyes and the fly catching yawns but life's blowing by as it is and I certainly want to be around when my 6 and 8 year old kids graduate, at least. I realize that you can't always get the right amount of sleep but I know I can always try!

-- End You Insomnia Now --

Why Can't I Sleep well?

First things first, what is sleep disorder? This is where psychological and physical disturbance exists in sleep as well as in wakefulness as caused by specific abnormalities.

The patterns of sleeping of a particular animal or person is in disorder, therefore interfering with one's emotional and mental functioning.

Diagnosis that is true and accurate could be determined via a polysomnogram or through its regular name called sleep test.
Believe it or not, there has been an estimated forty million sufferers of sleeping disorder in America alone. While an estimated twenty to thirty million in America have sleeping disorders irregularly.

It has been calculated that the yearly productivity costs in safety and health care due to sleep disorders are in billions of dollars.

There are a lot of sleep disorders, the following are some of them:

Circadian Rhythm Disorder
Believe it or not, the body is actually set in its own twenty four hour rhythm. Scientists call this circadian rhythm. This rhythm influences the body's hormones.
These hormones play a significant role in one's wakefulness and sleep, body temperature as well as metabolic rate.

Jet lag
A condition, albeit a temporary one, where sleep patterns become out of sync due to rapid traveling across several time zones.

Narcolepsy
This is a condition where a person spontaneously and suddenly falls asleep unwillingly. Another characteristic of this sleeping disorder is one's overwhelming and excessive sleepiness during the day even if one has had adequate sleep during the night.

A narcoleptic suddenly and almost easily becomes sleepy, drowsy and fall asleep immediately usually during times, events and places that are inappropriate.

Night terror
This sleep disorder occurs abruptly thereby awakening the sleeper with a behavior that is consistent with that of terror.

Insomnia
Believe it or not, insomnia is actually not characterized by the quantity of hours a person sleeps but on just how long a person takes to get to sleep. All individuals have their own unique way of finding satisfaction when it comes to sleep. Insomnia sufferers may experience problems all throughout the day like tiredness, lethargy, concentration difficulty as well as irritability.

RED (Rapid Eye Movement Disorder)
This occurs when the sleeper acts out dramatic or violent actions during deep REM sleep.

Sleep Apnea
This is a disorder that is marked by the airway's obstruction during sleeping. This is usually accompanied by loud snoring. Constantly loud snoring could actually indicate a disorder that could potentially be life-threatening. One who is suffering from sleep apnea stops temporarily from breathing during sleep anywhere between ten seconds up until three minutes.

Somnambulism (Sleep Walking)
This is where one engages on activities normally connected with being awake (such as dressing or eating). A somnambulist could walk without consciously knowing that he is doing such. So how does one solve such sleeping disorders? Pretend that sleeping pills were not invented.

The following are some of the more natural ways and means to solve sleeping disorders.

Set A Routine Sleep Pattern
Consistency is the key. It is necessary that a regular sleeping routine is established so your body gets used to a sleeping pattern. In due time, the body learns on how to naturally fall asleep in manner that is easy and effortless.

To be able to do this, make sure you set a regular waking up time and a sleeping time. After which, sticking to this routine for two weeks is necessary. At first, your body may still find it difficult to adjust. Relax and try not to be discouraged. Your long term goal is to achieve a regular sleeping habit.

Make Your Bed
Comfort is the key. Avoid lumps, bumps on your beddings and blankets. Keep your sleeping abode as clean as possible. Nothing is as irritating as well as stressful than waking up or sleeping in a bed that is filthy.

All in all, sleep disorders are usually symptoms of a deeper medical condition. As much as possible, try to be aware of your own health and well-being and put taking care of yourself as priority.

-- Get A Good Sleep Tonight! --

How Much of a Difference Does a Good Bed Make?

We’ve been seeing more and more advertisements for mattresses, beds and “sleep systems” in recent months and it has made us wonder, How much of a difference does a good bed make? After doing a bit of research on the different types of beds available, we came up with a few more questions -

What is the difference between each of the different types of beds available?

Are different beds better for certain types of sleep disorders?

How do you know what type of bed is best for you?

Further research turned up some great resources with answers to these questions. If you are thinking about buying a new bed, or just wondering if a new bed could improve your sleep, continue reading.

What's The Best Mattress?


So many different mattresses—not sure which one to choose? Let What's The Best Mattresseducate you in the process. This guide was designed to save you time and money when choosing and even has a forum, which you can use to find information and have any and all of your questions answered by the friendly people that hang out there.

This buying guide will teach you everything you need to know about beds from the shopping basics to how the companies make, market and sell beds to you!

What's The Best will also give you information on the different types of mattresses like foam, air and the popular latex beds. So feel free to read up, ask questions and find out which bed is best for you!

We will help you determine whether you need a new mattress. It will also help you decide which type best meets your needs. Choosing a bed is a difficult task. You will be glad you found us. Don't forget to check out our mattress reviews and forum where helpful people just like you give their time to help one another.
Ratings are important but what we really need is insider information.

Imagine you had a cousin who was in the bedding industry. Do you think they would be able to help you find the right bed at the right price? You bet! We are management consultants who have had several clients in the mattress industry - we know the industry secrets.

Knowledge is power. We have spent years working in the industry and now we have taken that knowledge and are ready to give it to you.

Read and you will learn:

-How to save hundreds of dollars on your next purchase!
-The secrets and tricks that manufacturers and retailers use in their marketing and how to defeat them!
-There are different negotiating strategies for online and offline.
-Determine if you really do need a new bed.
-How mattresses are constructed.
-What choices you have with regard to comfort and support.
-What to expect from retailers.
-Why are air, foam and latex mattresses becoming popular.

-- Cure Your Insomnia and Have A Good Sleep Tonight --

Is Sleep Stopping Smokers From Quitting?

You'll never know the difficulty of quitting smoking until you try it. Among the side effects, a lack of sleep that leads to all kinds of difficulties. But now, doctors have begun a new study to ease the transition and they're looking for volunteers.

In a non-descript lab at SRI International, they're looking to attract a few good smokers.

Two decades ago, Dr. Gary Swan lost his mother in law to a smoking related cancer. Now he and Dr. Ian Colrain have begun a clinical trial of smokers trying to break their addiction.

Studies show that half the people who try to quit smoking do not succeed. They may last three hours, or three days, or three weeks, or months but eventually they fail and much of that has to do with a lack of sleep.

ABC7's Wayne Freedman: "The cumulative effect is?"

Dr. Ian Colrain, Ph.D., SRI sleep researcher: "Being tired and grumpy the next day. Your performance goes down. Your moods go bad. And you know how to fix tired and grumpy? You go back to smoking."

Deborah Birce, a nurse from Hayward, knew the pattern all too well.

Deborah Birce, quitting smoking: "It was difficult falling asleep. And though I was asleep, apparently, it didn't feel like I was asleep."

She was among the first of several hundred volunteers to wire up, quit smoking and then spend five nights in a bedroom at SRI as doctors examine her brain waves.

Dr. Ian Colrain, SRI sleep researcher: "Just knowing they don't sleep is well worth doing. Knowing how to improve it is the next thing."

Among the unanswered questions? Do anti-depressants ease a people's quitting or just keep them awake?

The study will look at both physical and psychological reactions.

Deborah Birce, quitting smoking: "When I get in my car, have a cup of coffee, they trigger you to old behaviors."

Deborah has gone three weeks now without a cigarette. Three big weeks after 27 years of smoking. She still has cravings, but Deborah Birce, quitting smoking: "I just started realizing after quitting that I don't even know how to live without smoking because I did it for so long."

Maybe the hard part is now behind her.

-- Learn How You Can Sleep Well Tonight! --

Alternate Sleeping Strategies

Getting tired of the usual 16 hours awake / 8 hours asleep or 18 hours awake / 6 hours asleep routine? You’re not the only one. While this type of sleep, monophasic sleep (getting your sleep all at once, in a single “block”), may be the norm, it is not the only option.

Biphasic / divided / segmented sleep is the practice of dividing your sleep in to two separate blocks, usually a larger block at night and a smaller block during the day. For example, it is commonplace in some cultures for one to supplement their nighttime sleep with a mid-day nap or siesta. Taking a nap in the middle of the day can be refreshing and prepare you for the second half of your day. Interested in giving divided sleep a try? Consider scheduling a Snoozester wake up call to help make sure you don’t “overnap.”

We recently wrote about another alternate sleeping strategy, polyphasic sleep, the practice of sleeping multiple short intervals throughout the day (with the goal of increasing the number of hours one is awake). Polyphasic sleep usually requires one to maintain a fairly set schedule of sleeping and waking up.

Have you tried any of these (or any other) alternate sleeping strategies? If so, post a comment and tell us about your experience.

-- Sleep Well Tonight --

Sleep well, work well

Drowsiness at work can hurt productivity . According to this article, a survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that 26 percent of adults get a good night’s sleep only a few nights a month or less. Another 24 percent say they get a good night’s sleep only a few nights a week. This has lead to increased sleepiness at work.

Getting enough sleep is important for physical and emotional health. If you are having difficulty sleeping, don't read, eat, or watch TV in bed. In addition, try these tips:

• Decrease the amount of light in your sleeping area. Close the curtains and turn off the lights.
• Decrease the amount of noise in your sleeping area. Unplug your phone. Use earplugs if you need to. Use fans or recordings of soothing music or sounds (such as rain or waves) to help you relax and fall asleep.
• Do not exercise after 5 p.m. Exercising after 5 p.m. may cause difficulty sleeping.
• Go to bed at the same time each night. Get up at the same time each morning, regardless of how well you slept. Do not take naps during the day.
• Develop a bedtime routine and start it an hour before you want to fall asleep. Bedtime routines are designed to help you relax. For example, before bedtime, take a warm shower or bath, massage your feet with lotion, listen to soothing music or a tape-recorded story, read an inspirational book, drink a cup of noncaffeinated tea (such as chamomile) or warm milk, or have a small snack (such as half a turkey sandwich or peanut butter and crackers).
• If you have not fallen asleep within 15 minutes after you go to bed, get up and do something for 30 minutes that you usually do not enjoy. Then try to go to sleep again. For example, read a difficult book or balance your checkbook.
• Avoid taking nonprescription sleeping pills or using alcohol to help you sleep. They may slow you down the next day, cause you to wake up during the night, or interact with medications you are taking.
• Avoid eating or drinking anything that might interfere with sleep. Do not drink alcohol or caffeine after 5 p.m. Do not eat foods that you know might upset your stomach. If you tend to wake up at night to go to the bathroom, drink only small amounts of liquids after 5 p.m.
• Reduce or eliminate your use of substances containing nicotine, such as cigarette smoking.

Of course, getting enough sleep is just as important as waking up on time! See you tonight in dreamland!

-- Cure Your Insomnia Tonght --

Wake Up Early: Alarm Clock Strategies for Students

It's summer job time, and many students lucky enough to find a summer job are now discovering something that eluded them all year… 7a.m., Monday morning. Or it could be the challenge of the dreaded Monday morning 8 a.m. class.

So in the fashion of helping out my fellow students, I have amassed a collection of hints and suggestions to help the student get out of bed faster, and to their jobs or classes more quickly.

The Alarm Clock

Everyone has one, and just about everyone has to hit the snooze button four or five times before they can get out of bed. So here are a few suggestions to optimize alarm clock effectiveness.

• Set the clock as far away from your bed as possible. If you don't have to get out of the bed physically, you probably won't.

• Get another alarm clock. Set two clocks to go off within 5 minutes of each other. The urgency of turning off two clocks should get you out of bed.

• Set the alarm to a radio station, because sometimes the buzzer is just too jarring, and can ruin your whole day. However, I suggest the following…

• Set the alarm to radio static, as loud as possible. I find music just tends to weave itself into whatever dream I am having. The static is more effective than the music and buzzer combined. Try it and see.

Alarm Clock Alternatives

Some people have strange ways of tricking themselves into waking up in the morning.

• Drink lots of water.The more you drink, the more likely you will wake up in order to take care of some very urgent business.

• Will yourself to wake up. Some people seem to be able to set their biological clock to wake themselves up. This is more myth than truth.

• Get to bed early. Going to bed at 11 p.m. for students is the equivalent of adults going to bed at 8 p.m. But it is a known fact that the sleep one gets before midnight is the most important.

Alternatives to the Alternatives

• Have a reason to get out of bed.
  
  A day job doesn't create satisfaction, nor does sitting through a droning class, nor does another day spent lounging around the house.
  
  Many people seek to discover meaning in life to find a reason to get out of bed, and when they find it each day is seen as a new opportunity. Each day becomes a gift to explore the wonderful world around them, and then it becomes a little easier to get out of bed.

-- Cure Your Insomnia And Sleep Well Tonight! --

Is Your Sleep Ruining Your Health and Shortening Your Life?

One of the most basic human functions is sleep. Yet, most people tend to view sleep as something that occurs naturally every night. If, like millions, you are not sleeping well, it means that something is wrong in your life; something is out of balance, not as it should be.

And if you’re not feeling energetic during the day, suffering from fatigue and drowsiness, chances are your sleep is the root problem. Not only does sleep dictate your daily functioning, but your daily functioning and activity impact your sleep just the same. And no, this is not simply a result of the number of hours you sleep.

Your internal biological clock, often referred to as the sleep clock or circadian clock, regulates your sleep and your daytime energy levels. This inner clock is sensitive to many factors such as activity levels, what you eat and drink, your thinking, and much more. Human beings were designed to live in a natural cycle, but this healthy, natural, biological cycle has turned into just the opposite for millions of people around the world-a vicious cycle with the ensuing reality of sleepless nights and drowsy days.

Most people in today’s fast paced world lead a lifestyle that causes a disruption of the delicate inner sleep system. These activities (or lack of activities) cause an imbalance in the biological sleep clock, creating less restful sleep, regardless of the number of hours you sleep.

Sleep is not about quantity, it’s about quality. What you do during the day determines how your body rejuvenates itself during the night. When your body is unable to rejuvenate itself during sleep (you guessed it), you experience another day with less energy, irritability and mood swings, followed by another ineffective night’s sleep. Do you see the vicious cycle here? The key to reverse this cycle is to take proper care of your sleep system.

Most people who suffer from sleep problems, insomnia or lack of energy during the day think the answer is more sleep. Worse, many look to sleeping pills for the answer. We live in a drug-oriented society, and people often seek pills and medication for a quick fix. Many tend to forget that pills only treat symptoms-they don’t eliminate the root of the problem. Taking sleep medication is like placing buckets throughout your home rather than mending the hole in the ceiling-fixing the underlying problem. Trying to alleviate your condition by sleeping longer can make matters worse. You’re not tired because you need more sleep; you’re tired because your sleep system is a mess, resulting in poor quality sleep.

Shocking Sleep Studies A University of California study has shown that sleeping 8 hours or longer is linked to a higher mortality rate. In fact, people who sleep between 6.5 - 7.5 hours outlive people who sleep 8 hours or longer! Studies have also shown that sleeping pills are linked to a higher mortality rate. Statistically, people who take sleeping pills die sooner than people who do not use them. Yes, this is a scary reality. Worse yet, if your lead a lifestyle that upsets your biological sleep clock, you are not only getting less restful sleep, but you are also weakening your immune system leaving your vulnerable to disease and health problems.

How to Get Relief The bottom line-if you’re feeling drowsy during the day, sleep poorly, can’t fall asleep or if you feel fatigued despite having spent 8 hours or more in bed, chances are that you’ve effectively and unknowingly thrown your sleep system out of balance leaving you prone to disease and depriving you of restful sleep and energy during the day. You may have tried to correct the problem, but chances are you are trying to combat it in all the wrong ways. So, take a moment to review your own sleep patterns and consider if your sleep is giving you the energy it should.

-- Cure Your Insomnia And Sleep Well Tonight --

Insomnia, Anxiety, Depression: Which Comes First?

During my usual perusal of Sleep Review magazine online, I read about a new study finding that chronic insomnia can actually increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders and depression. (This has been well-covered by mainstream media as well.). These findings don't surprise me in the least.

But what’s interesting about this new study is that it tried to decipher which actually happens first—the insomnia or the anxiety and depression. It’s the old chicken versus egg puzzle a question much more difficult to answer. And what they found is that insomnia could be a precursor to mental disorders. The researchers are careful, however, to say that this doesn’t mean insomnia causes either anxiety or depression, but that it could be a red flag. Good thing they added that.

It’s seems logical that if you’re not getting sound sleep on a routine basis, that your mood and mental state could take a hit. It also seems logical to say that anxiety and depression could make it difficult to sleep well. I think there’s a lot of “going both ways” here. One can certainly aggravate the other.

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, and with more people getting diagnosed with anxiety and depression lately, you have to wonder: should focusing on getting high-quality sleep be part of the normal course of treatment? Drugs and antidepressants aside, perhaps we should be paying more attention to our Zs for the sake of preventing and treating these mental disorders.

Score one for Sleep. Yet again.

-- Sleep Soundly Tonight --

The Sleep Doctor's Sleep-Friendly Shopping List

Food List:
tuna, halibut, pumpkin, artichokes, avocados, almonds, eggs, bok choy, peaches, walnuts, apricots, oats, asparagus, potatoes, buckwheat, bananas

These foods contain generous supplies of the vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins necessary for proper functioning of our nervous, muscular, metabolic, skeletal, and hormonal systems. Important nutrients include calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, omega fatty acids, amino acids to build proteins, vitamins C, E, and B-complex, and iron (especially for premenopausal women).

If you have been running around with your family or getting ready for guests and have not had time to eat at night, a light snack may allow you to fall asleep more easily.

Carbohydrates and dairy products have been shown to help decrease the time it takes to fall asleep. I have several examples of appropriate bedtime snacks (including my own personal favorites) in the book.

You'll notice that hot toddies and egg nog aren't on the shopping list above.

Regarding alcohol: Alcohol is a depressant. Although it may help you fall asleep, as your body clears it from your system while you are sleeping, you will have a withdrawal that can cause symptoms like nightmares, sweats, and a headache.

If you're going to drink socially, try drinking one glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you drink to reduce these effects.

Finally -- make the time for sleep and naps, if you can. But if you find yourself sleeping too much or feeling unusually depressed, do check HERE for help.

-- Cure Your Insomnia Today --

The On-Call Effect

Last week I read about Renee Zellweger's insomnia, but just finally got around to blogging about it. Zellweger is quoted as saying "I wake up in the night, thinking about the role and the scenes. I can't seem to break the spell."

The inability to turn one's mind off is one of the chief complaints of insomniacs. Zellweger is probably also suffering from something called "on-call effect" -- when you can't get to sleep because you're anxiously awaiting the next day's events.

This is not surprising to hear about within the entertaininment industry, when crew and performers have to travel often and report for "call times" as early as 5 or 6 a.m. On-call effect is also very common with new parents, who can't sleep because they're waiting for the baby to start crying.

If you're like Renee and you can't shut your body and mind off at bedtime, you may need to initiate some sleep rituals to help you unwind. Here are a few things you can try:

1. Take a hot bath or shower before bed.
2. Try some stretching exercises to let the tension out.
3. Write your concerns in a worry journal.

Oftentimes what keeps us up at night is thinking about all our "To Do"s. If you write them down before you go to sleep, and convert your concerns into action items for the next day, you free yourself of the obligation to keep thinking about them.

-- Cure Your Insomnia Today --

Is Your Sleep Ruining Your Health and Shortening Your Life?

One of the most basic human functions is sleep. Yet, most people tend to view sleep as something that occurs naturally every night. If, like millions, you are not sleeping well, it means that something is wrong in your life; something is out of balance, not as it should be.

And if you’re not feeling energetic during the day, suffering from fatigue and drowsiness, chances are your sleep is the root problem. Not only does sleep dictate your daily functioning, but your daily functioning and activity impact your sleep just the same. And no, this is not simply a result of the number of hours you sleep. Your internal biological clock, often referred to as the sleep clock or circadian clock, regulates your sleep and your daytime energy levels. This inner clock is sensitive to many factors such as activity levels, what you eat and drink, your thinking, and much more. Human beings were designed to live in a natural cycle, but this healthy, natural, biological cycle has turned into just the opposite for millions of people around the world-a vicious cycle with the ensuing reality of sleepless nights and drowsy days. Most people in today’s fast paced world lead a lifestyle that causes a disruption of the delicate inner sleep system. These activities (or lack of activities) cause an imbalance in the biological sleep clock, creating less restful sleep, regardless of the number of hours you sleep. Sleep is not about quantity, it’s about quality. What you do during the day determines how your body rejuvenates itself during the night. When your body is unable to rejuvenate itself during sleep (you guessed it), you experience another day with less energy, irritability and mood swings, followed by another ineffective night’s sleep. Do you see the vicious cycle here? The key to reverse this cycle is to take proper care of your sleep system. Most people who suffer from sleep problems, insomnia or lack of energy during the day think the answer is more sleep. Worse, many look to sleeping pills for the answer. We live in a drug-oriented society, and people often seek pills and medication for a quick fix. Many tend to forget that pills only treat symptoms-they don’t eliminate the root of the problem. Taking sleep medication is like placing buckets throughout your home rather than mending the hole in the ceiling-fixing the underlying problem. Trying to alleviate your condition by sleeping longer can make matters worse. You’re not tired because you need more sleep; you’re tired because your sleep system is a mess, resulting in poor quality sleep.

Shocking Sleep Studies A University of California study has shown that sleeping 8 hours or longer is linked to a higher mortality rate. In fact, people who sleep between 6.5 - 7.5 hours outlive people who sleep 8 hours or longer! Studies have also shown that sleeping pills are linked to a higher mortality rate. Statistically, people who take sleeping pills die sooner than people who do not use them. Yes, this is a scary reality. Worse yet, if your lead a lifestyle that upsets your biological sleep clock, you are not only getting less restful sleep, but you are also weakening your immune system leaving your vulnerable to disease and health problems.

How to Get Relief The bottom line-if you’re feeling drowsy during the day, sleep poorly, can’t fall asleep or if you feel fatigued despite having spent 8 hours or more in bed, chances are that you’ve effectively and unknowingly thrown your sleep system out of balance leaving you prone to disease and depriving you of restful sleep and energy during the day. You may have tried to correct the problem, but chances are you are trying to combat it in all the wrong ways. So, take a moment to review your own sleep patterns and consider if your sleep is giving you the energy it should.

-- Cure Your Insomnia Today --