Vanquish those Vices and be…
Vanquish those Vices and be on your Way to a Better Nights Sleep
The term vice is popularly applied to various activities considered immoral by some; a list of these might include the use of alcohol and other recreational drugs, gambling, recklessness, cheating, lying, selfishness. It is also used in reference to police vice units who persecute crimes associated with these activities. Often, vice particularly designates a failure to comply with the sexual mores of the time and place: sexual promiscuity, homosexuality.
Behaviors or attitudes going against the established virtues of the culture may also be called vices: for instance, effeminacy is considered a vice in a culture espousing manliness as an essential element of the character of males.
If you suspect you need more ZZZs, here are ten tips to help you get them:
Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule including weekends. Our sleep-wake cycle is regulated by a circadian clock in our brain and the bodys need to balance both sleep time and wake time. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and can help with sleep onset at night. That is also why it is important to keep a regular bedtime and wake-time, even on the weekends when there is the temptation to sleep in.
Establish a regular, relaxing bedtime routine such as soaking in a hot bath or hot tub and then reading a book or listening to soothing music. A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep. Avoid arousing activities before bedtime like working, paying bills, engaging in competitive games or family problem-solving. Some studies suggest that soaking in hot water (such as a hot tub or bath) before retiring to bed can ease the transition into deeper sleep, but it should be done early enough that you are no longer sweating or over-heated. If you are unable to avoid tension and stress, it may be helpful to learn relaxation therapy from a trained professional. Finally, avoid exposure to bright light before bedtime because it signals the neurons that help control the sleep-wake cycle that it is time to awaken, not to sleep.
Create a sleep-conducive environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool. Design your sleep environment to establish the conditions you need for sleep - cool, quiet, dark, comfortable and free of interruptions. Also make your bedroom reflective of the value you place on sleep. Check your room for noise or other distractions, including a bed partners sleep disruptions such as snoring, light, and a dry or hot environment. Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, white noise, humidifiers, fans and other devices.
Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows. Make sure your mattress is comfortable and supportive. The one you have been using for years may have exceeded its life expectancy - about 9 or 10 years for most good quality mattresses. Have comfortable pillows and make the room attractive and inviting for sleep but also free of allergens that might affect you and objects that might cause you to slip or fall if you have to get up during the night.
Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex. It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the sleeping environment. Use your bed only for sleep and sex to strengthen the association between bed and sleep. If you associate a particular activity or item with anxiety about sleeping, omit it from your bedtime routine. For example, if looking at a bedroom clock makes you anxious about how much time you have before you must get up; move the clock where you won’t see it.Stay away from the activities that cause you anxiety.
Have your evening meal at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime. Eating or drinking too much may make you less comfortable when settling down for bed. Don’t have a big meal right before bed Spicy foods may cause heartburn, which makes it harder to fall asleep at night and may cause stomach upset. Try to restrict fluids close to bedtime to prevent nighttime awakenings to go to the bathroom, though herbal teas and milk may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep.
In general, exercising regularly makes it easier to fall asleep and contributes to sounder sleep. A rigorous workout routine right before bed will make it hard to fall asleep. In addition to making us more alert, our body temperature rises during exercise, and takes as much as 6 hours to begin to drop. A cooler body temperature is associated with sleep onset. Do your workout routine with three hours to spare before bedtime. Late afternoon exercise is the perfect way to help you fall asleep at night.
Avoid caffeine (e.g. coffee, tea, and soft drinks, chocolate) close to bedtime. It can keep you awake. Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it can produce an alerting effect. Caffeine products, such as coffee, tea, colas and chocolate, remain in the body on average from 3 to 5 hours, but they can affect some people up to 12 hours later. Even if you do not think caffeine affects you, it may be disrupting and changing the quality of your sleep. Avoiding caffeine within 6-8 hours of going to bed can help improve sleep quality. To determine how much caffeine you ingest daily, check out our Caffeine Calculator.
Stay away from (e.g. cigarettes, tobacco products. Used close to bedtime, it can lead to poor sleep. Nicotine, which is a stimulant, will make it harder to go to sleep if you smoke before bed. When smokers go to sleep, the withdrawal symptoms may keep them awake as well. Nicotine can cause difficulty falling asleep, problems waking in the morning, and may also cause nightmares. Difficulty sleeping is just one more reason to quit smoking. And never smoke in bed or when sleepy!
Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. Though many people believe alcohol calms them, it actually disrupts sleep, causing nighttime awakenings. After a night of getting tanked up, your sleep will be not as peaceful as you might think.
If you have trouble falling asleep, maintaining sleep, awaken earlier than you wish, feel unrefreshed after sleep or suffer from excessive sleepiness during the day or when you wish to be alert, you should also consult your physician. Be sure to tell him/her if you have already tried these tips and for how long.
Try natural sleep aids. Theres science behind that warm glass of milk: the tryptophan in it increases serotonin, a natural sleep enhancer. Some doctors suggest herbal treatments such as passion flower, valerian and kava kava, but only to get your sleeping patterns back on track. Then, quit taking them.
Deprived of Sleep - Americas Sleeping Disorder Nightmare
Sleep deprivation is an overall lack of the necessary amount of sleep. A person can be deprived of sleep by their body and mind, insomnia, or actively deprived by another individual. Sleep deprivation is sometimes used as an instrument of torture, but it has also been shown to be an effective treatment of depression and other mental illnesses as well.
Sleep deprivation is a common condition that afflicts 47 million American adults. Common causes include: not allowing enough time for sleep, sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and myoclonus, excessive worry or depression, repeated awakenings from noise, working at night and travel across time zones, medical conditions that cause pain, breathing problems, and mental illnesses such as depression. Symptoms can interfere with memory, energy levels, mental abilities, and emotional mood. A study conducted by the University of Chicago Medical Center in 1999 indicates that the condition drastically affects the bodys ability to metabolize glucose, leading to symptoms that mimic early-stage diabetes. Sleep deprivation is sometimes used as a torture device but studies show that it has been an effective treatment for depression and other mental illnesses. Sleep deprivation is very unhealthy and may also result in irritability, blurred vision, slurred speech, memory lapses, confusion, hallucinations, queasiness, insanity, and eventually death. Getting less than six hours of sleep per night can affect coordination, judgment, and reaction time.
Exhaustion, fatigue and lack of physical energy are common sleep deprivation symptoms. Lack of sleep affects our state of emotions, causing pessimism, sadness, stress and anger. The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) has suggested that social problems such as road rage may be caused, in part, by a national epidemic of sleepiness. Sleep deprivation increases the risk of motor vehicle and work accidents and results in decreased productivity.
The brain needs sleep to function at its highest potential. Without adequate rest, the brain’s ability to control speech, access memory, and solve problems are affected. The effect on physical energy is also startling: when glucose metabolism falls, healthy people show signs of age and diabetes at an early age. These physical reactions disappear when the test subject is allowed to rest properly. Driving and other activities can become dangerous without sufficient rest.
Emotional stress or excitement can interfere with sleeping patterns, as can some medical conditions and medication. Food additives and caffeine can also make falling asleep difficult.
Over seventy identified sleeping disorders can disrupt normal nighttime patterns, and more disorders may yet be discovered
Fortunately, most of these disorders can be treated successfully. Symptoms of a possible sleeping disorder may include: insomnia, excessive snoring, the feeling of choking, bad dreams, and abusing sleep aids.
The right amount of sleep is different for every person. While the majority of adults should spend between eight to nine hours asleep, very few people are able to function well on 3-4 hours of sleep per night. The time a person spends asleep also changes with age:
0-24 months: 13-17 hours
Two year olds: 9-13 hours
Ten year olds: 10-11 hours
Sixteen to 65 year olds: 6-9 hours
Over 65 years: 6-8 hours
Here are some sleep tip habits for a good nights rest. Stay away from caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, especially later in the day. Have a light snack (but avoid eating a large meal) shortly before bedtime. Go to bed and get up at the same times each day, even on weekends. Get regular exercise early in the day. Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. A fan or soft music can help disguise distracting bedtime noise. Use your bed for only sleep and sex. Before bedtime, do muscle-relaxing exercises or take a warm bath. Dont take sleeping pills unless your doctor prescribes them. Avoid daytime naps unless they last less than 1 hour and are taken before 3 PM. Try counting sheep or counting backward, which can lull some people to sleep. If you lie in bed awake for more than 30 minutes, get up, go to a different room and read or watch television, and return to bed when you feel sleepy. For a medical diagnosis and treatment, check with your general practitioner. Be on your way to a better nights sleep and a better, more alert state of mind!
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