Get The Sleep You Need
Posted October 29, 2009
on:What Is The Sleep Cycle?
You cycle through five sleep stages several times during the night. The first four are progressively deeper. As you ease out of deep sleep, you enter the lighter REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, then start over again. We spend 30 percent of our sleep time in the deepest stages.
Sleep well last last night? According to experts, the answer is often no, even when we think our slumber is good. A good night’s rest isn’t just a matter of spending enough hours in bed or avoiding insomnia. It’s also important that the sleep you do get is of good quality.If your sleep is fitful or if you suffer from brief awakenings through the night, you may not be getting the restorative rest you need. People have long taken simple dietary measures to promote good sleep, and many of these can indeed help ensure that you wake up feeling refreshed and revived.
A Basic Necessity
Scientists are still trying to learn the specific ways in which sleep affects the body and why people need it, but they have established this basic truth: Sleep is necessary for our physical and mental health, especially for our immune and nervous systems. Too little sleep leaves us feeling drowsy, impairs memory, makes it difficult to concentrate, interferes with problem–solving ability, and hinders physical performance.Fortunately, if you’re somewhat sleep-deprived, just one night of high-quality sleep should refresh you completely.
Influences On Slumber
Many factors influence sleep quality, including noise, light, temperature, and your sleep schedule. Most people sleep better when bedtime and wake-up time occur at the same time each day and when the bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool. Exercise regularly, and no closer than four or five hours before bedtime, to avoid alertness and to help your body cool down. Just as important, what-and when-you eat can also have a significant impact on sleep quality; some foods can promote restful sleep and others may inhibit it. Nutrients like magnesium, calcium, zinc, B vitamins, and complex carbohydrates can help you sleep better, while fat, caffeine, and alcohol tend to inhibit or disrupt deep sleep.
Best Bedtime Snacks
- Banana
- Cold cereal with milk
- Crackers and cheese
- Decaffeinated herbal tea
- English muffin
- Half a turkey sandwich
- Oatmeal
- Whole-grain toast with peanut butter
A Snooze-Inducing Diet
You can help yourself sleep better at night by eating the right things during the day. A well-balanced diet includes nature’s sleep aids:
- magnesium, found in meats, seafood, greens, and dairy products; and
- B vitamins, found in meats, whole grains, bananas, beans, potatoes, and broccoli.
- A light, well-planned bedtime snack may also encourage a restful night. To help ensure that you get good-quality sleep, aim for these nutrients, which can help promote restful slumber:
Complex Carbohydrates These essential starches encourage sound sleep because they trigger the production of serotonin, a brain chemical that calms the mind and helps govern the brain’s sleep/wake cycle, making you feel tranquil. To start the process of winding down, serve bread, pasta, potatoes, and rice at dinner. all high in complex carbs. For a bedtime snack, choose an English muffin, toast, or cereal with milk.
Minerals Magnesium and calcium work together to help muscles relax and contract, and play a role in stimulating and calming the nerves. Zinc and magnesium may help control restless legs syndrome, an aching or fidgety feeling in the legs that can cause chronic sleeplessness. It’s known that poor sleep can rob the body of magnesium, which may in turn make it harder to deal with nighttime anxiety. Good sources of magnesium include green, leafy vegetables like spinach, whole grains, peas, nuts, and dried beans.
B Vitamins Studies have found that an increased intake of a number of B vitamins, including B6, thiamin, and folic acid, may improve sleep. These vitamins help regulate amino acids, including tryptophan, which is necessary for production of serotonin. They may also influence the action of melatonin, a hormone-like compound that helps regulate sleep patterns. You’ll get ample amounts of the B vitamins in small portions of lean red meat.
Herbal Nightcaps Some herbs are thought to have soothing properties that help promote sleep. Reach for teas like chamomile, hops, lemon balm, catnip, fennel, melissa, passionflower, primrose, rosemary, skullcap, and valerian.
Food For Thought
Drinking warm milk has long been thought to promote sleepiness, but science can’t vouch for it. In theory, milk should work because its proteins contain the amino acid tryptophan, which helps produce the soothing brain chemical serotonin. Instead, however, other amino acids in high-protein foods like milk compete with each other for absorption, blocking any serotonin-boosting effect.
Staying fit and relaxed is not only good for your health, it is good for you. If you want to enjoy life more, the following tips can help:
THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
No amount of exercise canguarantee a long life. However, even moderate amounts of exercise can improve the likehood of a healthy life. Along with a positive attitude and a healthy diet, your fitness level plays a major role in how well you feel, what illnesses you avoid, and how much you enjoy life. Consider the benefits of fitness presented here. Find one or more reasons to commit to your own fitness program.
Most studies show that exercising 30 minutes on most days each week is what it takes to improve fitness. However, sometimes it’s easier to make exercise a habit if you do it every day. With exercise, harder is not better, but longer is. Although you can get good fitness benefits from as little as 10 minutes of exercise per day, extending your exercise time will increase your rewards. This is true for up to one hour of exercise per day. Beyond that, there may be diminishing health returns and increasing risk of injuries.
OVERCOME BARRIERS TO EXERCISE
There are six barriers to exercise that are all easy to easy to evercome.
- No time? Try shorter periods of activity spread throughout the day, such as three 10-minutes walks.
- Too tired? It’s often lack of exercise that makes you tired. Exercise gives you energy. Try it.
- Embarrassed? People often are, especially at first. Be proud that you’re taking care of your body.
- No partner? Yes, it’s fun to exercise with others. If your regular partner quits, find another one. You can also join a fitness club, take a class, or exercise to a video.
- Bad weather? Too hot, too cold, too wet, too windy-it never seems right for exercise. Lots of people exercise come rain or shine. Try a variety of indoor and outdoor activities.
- Too costly? Try a lo-cost option, such as walking instead of driving.
What is Plaque
Posted October 29, 2009
on:Left untreated, tooth and gum problems can cause pain, limit the foods you can eat, ruin your smile and affect your overall health. Professional care is important. Regular check-ups can help find and treat problems early. However, the real key is prevention to avoid tooth and gum problems.
Plaque and young children should not be put to bed with a baby bottle of milk, formula, juice or a sweet drink, such as soda. If you must put your baby to bed with a bottle, fill it with plain water. When a baby’s teeth come in, you should start gently cleaning them every day with a baby’s toothbrush and water. It’s best to clean them right before bedtime. When your child is 2 to 3 years old, and is able to spit out after brushing, you can start brushing with a peasized drop of fluoride toothpaste. Children need supervision with tooth brushing until 7 to 8.
DENTAL SEALANTS FOR CHILDREN
ORAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Dental sealants are a simple, painless way to help prevent decay. Sealants are thin, plastic coatings painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, especially permanent molars. Children should get sealant on their permanent molars as soon as the teeth come in – before decay attacks the teeth. The first permanent molars come in between the ages of 5 and 7. The second permanent molars come in when a child is between 11 and 14 years old. Consult your dentist about sealants during your child’s first dental visit.
TOBACCO — NEED MORE REASONS TO QUIT?
Both smoking and the use of smokeless (“spit) tobacco significantly increase the risk of developing oral cancer. Smoking is also a significant risk factor for gum disease.
To learn more about prevention and avoiding dental problems, please ask your dentist.
DREAM
Posted September 26, 2009
on:- In: poem
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DREAM
As a child I dream
Of a world cool and clean
So let us love and care
For Mother Nature dear.
Men and women of great heart
Strong, brave, and smart
Men and women of great minds
Old and young, of different kinds.
By: CHARMAINE
AUNTIE SHEHLA
Posted September 25, 2009
on:- In: poem
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AUNT SHEHLA
You are my Auntie
My beautiful Auntie
You make me happy when you are here with us
You make me know how much I Love You
Because you are my Auntie Amina
By: Mark Andrew
MY DEAR AUNTIE
Posted September 25, 2009
on:- In: poem
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MY DEAR AUNTIE
An Educated, With money, and Well dressed
You are so high that I can’t reach you out
Yet so down to earth that anybody can think highly of
You are so dear; like an angel sent by Allah (S.W.T.)
Influencing other; to love one another
A beautiful image was created when you were born
A highly regard human being right now
A perfect example for humanity
This Poem is for you
Meant only for you
So that you’ll know
How blessed am I that I have you in my life
My Auntie Shehla or Lynn
Or whatever your name is or will be
Who have been helping us financially
And enthuses us much
Thank you, for entirety.
By: Jennela
DREAM
Posted September 25, 2009
on:- In: poem
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DREAM
As a child I dream
Of a world cool and clean
So let us love and care
For Mother Nature dear.
Men and women of great heart
Strong, brave, and smart
Men and women of great minds
Old and young, of different kinds.
By: CHARMAINE
MISSING YOU
Posted September 25, 2009
on:- In: poem
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MISSING YOU
Everytime I think of you I always catch my breath
I’m still standing here And your miles away
And I wonder why And there’s a storm that’s ranging through my frozen heart tonight
I hear your name in certain circles and it always makes me smile
I spent my time just thinking’s about you
And its my heart that’s begging down this long distance
And I ain’t missing’ you Auntie Shehla
Since you’ve went home
Hopefully someday, somewhere, somehow,
well be together With my family.
By: Leng leng
Growing Through Temptation
Posted September 22, 2009
on:- In: poem
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Happy is the man who don’t give in and do wrong,
When he is tempted,
For afterwards he will get as his reward the crown of life,
That Allah (S.A.W.) has promised those who love Him.
Our temptation have been our masters in divinity.
This is my short saying or Poem.
By: Margie
God’s Gifts
Posted September 21, 2009
on:- In: poem
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I love the things that God has made!
I love the big round sun.
That seems to say, “Come out and play”
And gives a smile to everyone.
I love the clouds that sail like ships
Moving fast in the sea-blue sky
I love the wind that whispers
To the tress as I pass by,
I love the rain that gives drink
To lovely growing things,
And splashes in the puddles
Making little magic rings.
I love the softly glowing moon,
The stars like a candlelight.
That God leaves on when He has drawn
The curtain when the night comes.
By: Adrian