Better Nights Sleep
(ContentDesk) October 5, 2005 -- Many Americans are chronically sleep-deprived; up to eighty percent of adults, by some estimates. Much of this deprivation can be attributed to ever-more frantic lifestyles, and most people understand the basic effects of poor sleeping habits. Some have found relief through sleep inducing drugs and comfort related products like memory foam mattresses, www.sleepaidfactory.com, but the problem is still widespread. Lack of sleep can make us feel drowsy during the day, we may become irritable, depressed and lack motivation, but there are other, more serious risks. Sleep deprivation can make everyday activities like driving more dangerous, and has the potential to impact every facet of our lives.Sleep is essential to life.
In some laboratory studies, rats who were denied REM stage sleep lived only a few weeks, from a normal lifespan of several years. Clinical studies have also shown repeatedly that for drivers, fatigue can be as dangerous as intoxication. More than 100,000 accidents per year can be attributed to fatigue, and many of those drivers may not even have realized how tired they were.While the need for sleep varies greatly for each individual, most adults require between seven and eight hours of sleep per night. Some may need as few as five hours, while others may require as many as ten hours per night. Contrary to what many believe, the body does not "adapt" to less sleep, but rather, lost sleep contributes to what scientists call our "sleep debt".
If we miss one hour of sleep every night for several days, eventually our bodies will demand repayment. Many people find time on the weekends for these extra hours of sleep, but this constant cycle of depletion and renewal takes its toll.Studies at the University of Chicago indicate that those suffering from sleep deprivation have a reduced ability to regulate glucose and produce insulin, displaying symptoms similar to early stage diabetes. While these effects were temporary, this study implies that chronic sleep deprivation could eventually lead to an increased risk of diabetes and obesity. Sleep deprivation can also increase the risk of depression, and some studies indicate that prolonged sleep deprivation may contribute to the development of fibromyalgia syndrome.Clinical studies have repeatedly shown the sleep deprivation inhibits creative thinking, reaction time, language skills and almost all other higher brain functions. One of the major causes of sleep deprivation is pressure point arousal.
Pressure point arousal, caused mainly by inadequate sleep surfaces, is a process by which by which the body is constantly disturbed from deep sleep because of minute disruptions. The loss of deep sleep can have many of the same effects as sleep loss in general. The deep sleep stages and especially REM stage sleep are the most important periods of brain activity. If we miss out on these sleep stages, we might never feel rested, even with a "full" 8 hours of rest. There are several products on the market, like memory foam mattresses www.healco.com/mattresses.html , www.a1mattress.com/mattress-page.html that are designed to eliminate pressure point arousal, and they have made a dramatic difference in the lives of some individuals.Sleep is a health necessity that is too often ignored.
Our society pushes us to sleep less and accomplish more, but there is a point when all of that hard work and no rest can become counterproductive. If you think you aren't getting the rest you need, consult a physician. Also, be sure to check out the links on this page for more information on sleep deprivation and related topics..
Bunk Beds Change, People Don't
I remember vividly the day my family moved from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Chicago. I was all of ten years old and like any child would be, excited to see the city. My father had received a promotion at the bank he had worked at since well before I was born and we were now leaving the relative comfort of our home for an apartment on Michigan Avenue. Driving into the city was almost surreal, and although sullen over leaving my friends behind, I was enthralled with the possibility of great opportunities that lay ahead. All the wonder and amazement I was experiencing after having traveled through the concrete canyons of the Windy City was soon overshadowed by the news that my father decided to impart to me the moment we entered our new domicile.
I would be sharing a room with my younger brother.
I recall the feeling one might have if a death sentence were handed down to him over some petty offense. The fact that they wanted me, a sophisticated young lad who was sure than...
Mattresses > Bunk Beds Change, People Don't
Aghhh! My Cat Has Got Fleas...
So, how come my cat has got fleas? Cats that are allowed outside pick up fleas by socializing with other cats or just by walking through territory where other cats have been.Think that your indoor only cat is safe?
Not so, fleas can travel into your home on your clothing (white garments seem particularly attractive to fleas).
Once inside your home
they easily transfer themselves to your cat who is a much more desirable host.A cat that has picked up fleas may scratch vigorously around its neck and may groom the spine obsessively.
Using a metal flea comb groom your cat paying attention to behind the ears, the neck and the base of the spine. Make sure that the comb reaches your cat's skin. If you find black, or deep brown gritty
specks on the comb put these on a dampened tissue.
If red seeps from them they are flea droppings, which are composed of dried blood. Fleas lay their eggs in your cat's fur. These eggs fall out and hatch into larvae...
Aghhh! My Cat Has Got Fleas...
Mattresses > Aghhh! My Cat Has Got Fleas...
Snoring- a Small Change Can Make a Big Difference
We all know how annoying snoring can be, both for the snorer and the partner.
The effects and seriousness of snoring are becoming more apparent with snoring being linked to conditions like high blood pressure and coronary disease.
The different types of snoring, range from a simple puff to a full on roar and there isn't one school of thought on the reasons behind snoring.
Snoring, I believe, is a signal that the body's systems are out of balance.
Finding which system is the difficult part.
But correcting the balance may not take a huge change, take the example of Andy.Andy was in his late 30s and had snored for several years.
He's not quite sure when it started but of late the snoring had being a more regular event.
He probably still wouldn't be aware of it, except it drove his wife crazy.
Andy had always being active, not a football star but he liked to throw a ball around.
If you asked a passerby...
Mattresses > Snoring- a Small Change Can Make a Big Difference
Eat Right, Work Out, Sleep Better
The Three Components of a Healthy Lifestyle(ARA) - In today's fast-paced world, moving at full speed isn't an option, it's a way of life.
Finding the energy to keep up has led many Americans to improve their diets and increase their activity and exercise.
Yet many people are missing the third vital component to a healthy lifestyle -- a good night's sleep. "Committing to improving overall health requires ambition, focus and knowledge," says women's health researcher Joan Shaver, Ph.D., RN, professor and dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
"We should think of a healthy lifestyle as a triangle, with the three points of proper nutrition, exercise and sleep.
If we fail to fulfill any one of these points, we are missing the potential for optimum health."Good nutrition and exerciseThe requirements of eating a balanced diet will vary from individual to individual, but it is vital that all major food groups are included. ...
Eat Right, Work Out, Sleep Better
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Internet Video: Prison Riot at Pitchess Detention Center
Los Angeles, CA. (ContentDesk) February 5, 2006 -- This six minute video blog features exclusive footage of prisoners rioting in the Pitchess Dentention Center, L. A. County jail system. Inmates are shown fighting fiercely, throwing mattresses, chairs, bed frames and makeshift weapons.
The Video Blog is available free, on demand, 24/7 at http://www.fulldisclosure.net/flash/VideoBlogs/VideoBlog13.php provided for viewing only "On Demand" 24/7, as a public service by the Full Disclosure Network (tm)" Also featured in the video blog is L. A County Sheriff Leroy Baca, Orange County Sheriff Mike Carona and the late L. A. County Sheriff Sherman Block . All three Sheriffs are on record as to what they feel is responsible for massive over-crowding of jails and racial unrest among the inmates.Reasons cited by the Sheriffs for the violence are:* Budget shortfalls causing staffing shortages.* Growing...
Internet Video: Prison Riot at Pitchess Detention Center
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spring break Better Nights Sleep Mattresses
Six Ways to Decorate Your Wedding Arch
Sometimes a wedding arch is a no-brainer way to spruce up your ceremony site. No-brainer, at least, until you actually have one in your hands and ready to decorate. Then it gets a little more complicated.
Thinking back to prom, you might recall something vaguely gauzy, but that doesn't give you much to go on when you have that bare-looking eight foot metal structure in your living room. Plus, maybe you want an arch that doesn't look like prom at all -- and personalization is what's...
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