- Care4sleep

Tips

Care 4 Sleep believes that it is better to prevent than cure sleeping problems. Therefore we will give you some of our favorite tips for a better sleep:

Create your own personal rituals before going to bed
Try to go to bed at more or less the same time every night,
Do not take too much coffee, black tea, nicotine or alcohol at night,
Drink relaxing herbal teas before going to bed,
Try to avoid late night snacks, especially those with sugar,
Wear comfortable, loose clothes at night,
Keep the bedroom well ventilated and keep the room temperature down,
Do not use your bedroom as a work-, study- or TV room,
Last but not least: breathe! Breathing exercises can help calming down the mind. Before going to bed take a few moments to feel how you breathe and try to deepen the breath. Little by little try to learn how to control your breathing as it can calm the mind and release tension from the body.

Sleep

Sleep is one of our basic human needs, nevertheless many people suffer from sleeping problems. Insomnia is wide studied subject and although more research in this field is required, scientific research so far shows that lack of sleep can influence our memory, our cognitive functions and even our hormones that regulate glucose metabolism and appetite. Insomnia has been linked to obesity and a desire for high calorific foods.
Most individuals need 7 to 9 hours sleep but the hours of sleep strongly differ between individuals. One functions well on 6 hours where others need up to 10 hours. However many people are not satisfied with the quantity and quality of their sleep and experience problems with falling asleep and sleeping through the night.

Sleeping problems

Some known factors that can influence sleep are: obesity, stress, illness, alcohol or hormonal changes in pregnancy and during the menopause. These hormonal changes mean that many women experience sleep problems during these times. Besides long term insomnia people may also suffer short-term sleep disturbances if work and other demands affect their sleep pattern. The health risks of lack of sleep often go unrecognized as sleep is sometimes seen as low priority.

Sleep remedies

Fortunately mother nature offers us a hand in case of trouble with sleeping. Many herbs are known for their relaxing effects. Here's a list:

California poppy is often used to stimulate sleep with little to no side effects. It can also help in case of anxiety, as it can stabilize the mind.

Hawthorn stimulates blood circulation and can therefore be good for the heart and for the preservation of a healthy blood pressure.

Hop can have relaxing effects. As it contains phytoestrogens Hop can help with complaints caused by menopause.

Mistletoe is used for headaches, dizziness, energy loss, irritability and other symptoms connected with raised blood pressure.

Oat stimulates a feeling of peace and can have a positive effect on your sleep. Oats are one of the best sources of inositol, which is important for maintaining blood cholesterol levels.

Passiflora treats insomnia and nervousness. It can depress the central nervous system (CNS).

White Chestnut helps to gain some distance from worries and repetitive thoughts. It stimulates a feeling of peace.

In Sleep Juice relaxing herbs are combined with honey and the antihistamine doxylamine (0,326%): it will help you fall asleep and sleep through the night.

We advise you to gradually reduce the intake of Sleep Juice, to regain the natural cycle of your own day and night rhythm. If sleeping problems remain, we advise you to talk to your doctor / health specialist about it.

DId you know?

The record for the longest period without sleep is 18 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes. The record holder reported hallucinations, paranoia, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory and concentration lapses.

A new baby results in an average of 400-750 hours lost sleep for parents in the first year.

REM sleep occurs in bursts totalling about 2 hours a night, usually beginning about 90 minutes after falling asleep.

Dreams, once thought to occur only during REM sleep, also occur (but to a lesser extent) in non-REM sleep phases. It's possible there may not be a single moment of our sleep when we are actually dreamless.

REM dreams are characterised by bizarre plots, but non-REM dreams are repetitive and thought-like, with little imagery - obsessively returning to a suspicion you left your mobile phone somewhere, for example.

Elephants sleep standing up during non-REM sleep, but lie down for REM sleep.

Some scientists believe we dream to fix experiences in long-term memory, that is, we dream about things worth remembering. Others reckon we dream about things worth forgetting - to eliminate overlapping memories that would otherwise clog up our brains.

Scientists have not been able to explain a 1998 study showing a bright light shone on the backs of human knees can reset the brain's sleep-wake clock.

The "natural alarm clock" which enables some people to wake up more or less when they want to is caused by a burst of the stress hormone adrenocorticotropin. Researchers say this reflects an unconscious anticipation of the stress of waking up.

To drop off we must cool off; body temperature and the brain's sleep-wake cycle are closely linked. That's why hot summer nights can cause a restless sleep.

After five nights of partial sleep deprivation, three drinks will have the same effect on your body as six would when you've slept enough.

Ducks at risk of attack by predators are able to balance the need for sleep and survival, keeping one half of the brain awake while the other slips into sleep mode.

Snoring occurs only in non-REM sleep

Some studies suggest women need up to an hour's extra sleep a night compared to men, and not getting it may be one reason women are much more susceptible to depression than men.

Most of what we know about sleep we've learned in the past 25 years.

Experts say one of the most alluring sleep distractions is the 24-hour accessibility of the internet.

"<p>Sleep Juice arrived and I am walking in the clouds having had 7 hours sleep last night. It is truly the most remarkable substance in the world (I don't like to exagerate!).</p>"
Victoria - London 2010-10-19 08:27:29

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