Sunday 28 June 2015
10 Amazing Tips To Improve Your Sleep
You know how amazing you feel when you have had a good nights sleep, try these simple yet effective tips!
Sleep, helps to release Growth Hormone, aids with Weight Loss, Skin care etc....
How to fall back to sleep in 20 minutes or less
IF you’re in the habit of waking up in the middle of the night, try our tricks to send you into a deep slumber without the stress.
By KIM JONES
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A third of us suffer from insomnia, but not all sleeplessness is the same. While some of us struggle to nod off at the beginning of the night, many more of us wake in the wee hours, watching the clock as we stress out about losing sleep.
The good news? “It’s perfectly normal for us to wake up – usually between the hours of 2 to 4 am,” says Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, sleep and energy therapist at London’s Nightingale Hospital, author of Tired But Wired (Souvenir Press, £12.99 – see Bookshop on page 82) and Silentnight sleep expert.
“The important thing is not to fret about it when you do wake – if you don’t worry, then it can be easy to get back to sleep.”
If you’re in the habit of waking in the middle of the night, try these tricks to send you back to slumber without stress…
Turn your clock to the wall
“Don’t ever check the time when you wake,” says Dr Ramlakhan.
“This just sets off the worry cycle and also takes you out of the sleep centre of the brain and into the more alert calculation centre of the brain as you work out how much sleep you’re losing. So turn your clock face away from you at lights out and stay in the land of not knowing.”
Take a seat
“Tossing and turning leads you to associate your bed with being awake and frustrated,” says Dr Craig Hudson, author of Feel Great Day & Night: A Natural Approach to Treating Insomnia, Moorehill Press (www.craighudsonmd.com) “Instead, associate wakefulness with a chair that you place by your bed.
If you’re awake for more than 15 minutes, get out of bed and sit in the chair.” Do something relaxing, like listening to soothing music. “But don’t fall asleep in that chair!” warns Dr Hudson. “As soon as you start to feel sleepy again, climb back into bed. That way you reinforce to your brain that when you’re lying in your bed, you’re ready for sleep.”
Count your blessings to get in a better state of mind for sleep
Make your bed
“You could also leave your bed to go and do something mundane, such as emptying the dishwasher,” suggests physiotherapist Sammy Margo (thegoodsleepexpert.com). “But the key thing when leaving your bed is to make it,” says Sammy.
“That way, when you come back to a tidy, made bed and pull back the covers, there’s a shift in thinking. You’re starting afresh, going to sleep, not trying to get back to sleep.”
Stay in the dark
Never, ever look at electronic devices like phones or tablets if you wake. All light hampers sleep and the particular blue light they emit is thought to be especially effective at suppressing production of the hormone melatonin, which induces relaxation and sleep.
“Keep a good-quality sleep mask by the bed, put it on and your brain will produce melatonin, helping you fall asleep,” says Dr Hudson.
Rub your ears
Try the following to stimulate a sleep-sensitive acupressure point in the ear called the Shen Men, suggests Gillian Berry, acupuncturist from the British Acupuncture Council (acupuncture.org.uk). “Use your thumb and forefinger and rub the top of the ear where there is an obvious hollow towards the area closer to your face,” she says.
Roll your eyes
Close your eyes and slowly roll your eyeballs upwards a few times.
Research suggests that when you roll your eyes up to an angle of about 20 degrees, the brain shifts from its alert beta state to the relaxed alpha state, characterised by a slowing of brain waves, helping you drift off.
Be still – and squeeze
Try to stay fairly still if you wake up – your body interprets movements (such as tossing and turning) as a sign that it’s time to get up. Instead, Sammy Margo suggests progressivemuscle relaxation – tensing and relaxing your muscles in groups for a few seconds.
Start at the toes, move to the feet, then the calves, thighs, buttocks, abdomen, back and shoulders, arms, hands, fingers, forehead, face and finally, your eyes.
Have a sleep signal
Next time you’re relaxed and falling asleep, give yourself a “sleep signal” – gently stroke your cheek or earlobe, for example. Your body will interpret this as a sign that you’re sleepy and next time you wake in the middle of the night, you can use your “sleep signal” (eg stroking your cheek) and go back to slumber.
Bathroom break
Output of the hormone vasopressin, which suppresses urine production, can decline as we age. Don’t drink anything an hour before bed, go to the toilet before cleaning your teeth and then try again when you’re undressed and about to get into bed. It’s amazing how every little helps.
“When you do go to the bathroom, don’t put lights on and stay sleepy – stumble around with your eyes half-open, half-closed,” says Dr Ramlakhan.
Rewind your day
Fed up of counting sheep? Count your blessings instead, suggests Dr Ramlakhan. “Close your eyes, breathe deeply and start rewinding your day, thinking of all the positive things that have happened, however small – a text message from a friend, for example.
Neurologically, this puts you in a better state of mind for sleep, shifting from using the primitive limbic system of your brain to the prefrontal cortex of your brain, making you feel more calm and happy.”
Source:http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/568200/How-to-fall-asleep
Sunday 21 June 2015
Saturday 20 June 2015
Is more sex the key to more sleep this summer? Six top snoozing tips
EVERYONE loves a zizz, but the hot weather can leave Britain tossing and turning at night.
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It would seem more sex is the key to sleeping properly this summer, in the heat
With summer upon us, more and more people find that a rise in temperature means a decline in sleep. But fear not, sleepy civilians, because we come up with some tips and tricks to ensure that the arrival of Summer does not need to interfere with our desire for zeds.
Sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan has come up with some practical and easy solutions to ward off the pesky insomnia induced by the summer heat:
1. Stop your bedroom over-heating during the day by keeping curtains and blinds closed.
2. Wash your feet with cold water before getting into bed, and run your wrists under cold water.
3. Use light bed sheets and a Summer duvet - 4.5 Tog recommended.
4. Try a Geltex mattress. It combines an elastic gel and air-permeable foam to offer breathability.
5. Stay well hydrated.
6. You could also purchase a fan, apply a cold flannel to the forehead, or even chill your pillowcase before getting into bed.
It's thought the heat of the summer causes some issues with sleeping
If keeping cool doesn't seem to be working, though, maybe getting a bit more hot and bothered could be the answer to beating those sleepless Summer nights.
Research has shown a chemical released by orgasming actually ensures a better night's sleep.
It is called oxytocin - a chemical that reduces our cortisol levels, creating a feeling of general relaxation and sleepiness.
A sexual climax is also said to stimulate the release of vasopressin which has been linked to cerebral tiredness and an increased ability to reduce stress. And, the endorphins produced by having sex have a sedative effect.
Two good things that will have your eyelids drooping in no time. So go forth and multiply, and get back into summertime slumbers.
Source: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/583485/Sex-key-more-sleep-summer-snoozing-tips
Libido booster facts: Seven foods to avoid if you're having sex tonight
THESE are to be avoided if you're in the mood for love, this evening.
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These foods won't help you if you want a high sex drive this evening
The relationship between a man and wife in the bedroom is an important part of marriage but what happens if you're not in the mood?
With the weather getting hotter, the nights thick and sticky, it would be easy to fall into the habit of not making love.
But if you want to boost your sex life there are a whole list of foods to avoid when you want to get jiggy with your loved one. For starters yogurt, grains and chocolate are best missed out - even if you do think that fondue set needs digging out of the attic.
Michael Hirt, founder of the Centre for Integrative Medicine in California's San Fernando Valley, said: "These foods lower testosterone by increasing the activity of an enzyme, aromatase, which converts testosterone into estrogen.
"The overall effect of increased aromatase activity is lower testosterone levels and higher estrogen levels."
This meat and two veg won't help you to keep your sex drive high
CHEESE: Drop that cheese toasty if you fancy getting down and dirty tonight. If the cheese of your choice comes from cow’s milk it might muddle around with a man's testosterone levels.
Best to steer clear of the cheese course this evening.
MINT: While making sure your breath is nothing less than minty fresh will certainly help get you to first base, mint isn't good for your libido.
It's thought the menthol in mint lowers testosterone, which in turn depletes your sex drive.
COFFEE: Yes, it will give you a limited buzz but it's not good for long-lasting love making.
The caffeine in coffee beans leads to increased anxiety, which in turn can lower your sex drive.
Mint might help you get that first snog but isn't good for your tackle
DIET DRINKS: Leave the diet soda break for after your late-night activities, if you can.
Aspartame in the beverages are said to directly affect the male serotonin levels, a vital hormone for getting into that happy place.
ALCOHOL: Forget the pre-date beverage and try a water instead - it will help you out in the long run.
Alcohol can affect your sex life by lowering testosterone levels and sexual functioning. (Which sounds as scary as it is.)
PIES: It would be safe to say sex is a form of exercise, depending on how vigorous you might want to steer clear of the pies.
Not only will getting rid of a spare tyre be great for your health, but also the hydrogenated fats in pies suppress testosterone levels.
MICROWAVE POPCORN: This might seem like a random shout, but the nonstick chemicals used in the inner lining of microwave popcorn bags often contain perfluoroalkyl acids.
These chemicals can have a direct affect on one's manhood, in turn resulting in a less-than eventful evening in some cases.
Source:http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/583807/Libido-booster-facts-Seven-foods-sex-life
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