Insomnia – 14 Possible Causes

December 10th, 2008

Reading Level: Leisurely

Insomnia affects multiple areas of one’s life, such as health, weight gain, anxiety levels, relationships, memory, and work proficiency.

A Forbes.com posted an article today on 14 possible causes of insomnia. By identifying possible causes, you can make the necessary lifestyle changes or talk with your physician. Here are excerpts on the possible causes. Please use the link below to read the full article.

Depression And Anxiety - It’s estimated that 40 percent to 50 percent of people with insomnia also have depression or an anxiety disorder. Research shows the connection is present in children, too.

Environment - Some of us are more sensitive to noise. It’s also believed to be better to have a cool rather than warm bedroom. The cooling off effect you experience after drinking warm milk or taking a warm bath helps you feel sleepy.

Marital Strife - Research has shown that married people tend to have fewer sleep problems than those who are divorced. Studies show happily married women had fewer troubles falling asleep, staying asleep, fewer early morning awakenings and more restful sleep.

Being With Baby - A University study shows that parents’ sleep and their satisfaction with the infant’s nighttime behavior was worse when the infants spent any part of the night with parents versus those who slept apart.

Medication - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants cause insomnia, talk to your doctor about your prescriptions. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

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Weight Loss through a Good Night’s Sleep

November 5th, 2008

Reading Level: Leisurely

Your weight gain can be caused by a lack of sleep.

An estimated 50-70 million Americans are suffering mentally and physically from a lack of sleep (1). Though eating habits obviously play a role in weight gain, studies have shown that there is a definite relationship between a lack of sleep and weight gain.

Various hormones released during your sleep regulate your weight and appetite.

Leptin, released during sleep, is the hormone which tells your body that it is full and doesn’t need more food. The lower the levels of leptin in your body, the more of the hormone ghrelin is released to increase your hunger (2). The growth hormone is also released during sleep; while this hormone causes growth in children, it controls muscle mass and fat level in adults (1).

A University of Chicago research found definite relationship between too little sleep and increased appetite/weight gain. The people in the study who slept only 4 hours a night had leptin levels decrease by 18 percent. This caused the ghrelin levels, which stimulate appetite, to increase by 28 percent (2). These results should be motivational in getting a good night’s sleep. Many of us just stay so busy that sleep is the easiest thing to cut back on.

If stress is causing your lack of sleep, not putting into action a plan to deal with stress will only add to your weight problems.

Stress increases your levels of adrenaline and cortisol, mobilizing the body’s sugar supply, for the purpose of quick thinking and action in emergency situations. If you live in a frequent or continual state of stress, Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

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Sleep Disruption and Re-Setting Your Biological Clock

June 26th, 2008

Reading Level: Leisurely

I read a fascinating article last month by Dr. Joseph Mercola on sleep disruption. He described how our bodies were designed for dusk to dawn sleep and that the development of electric lights has thrown off our biological clocks, causing many people to live in a state of permanent jet lag.

He then gives several tips on re-setting your biological clock for effective sleep patterns. These tips not only address the times we choose to sleep but various light sources that affect us which we may not normally think of.

Here is a quote from Dr. Mercola’s newsletter on permanent jetlag. A link to the full article is at the end of the post:

This is a CRUCIAL part of health maintenance that many overlook. They are insensitive to the fact that electrical lighting is a relatively recent innovation and less than a century ago this simply was not available. This modern convenience has sabotaged the health of a large percentage of the population for not paying close attention to how to make adjustments for this modern-day convenience.

Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

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Achieving Deep Sleep

June 12th, 2008

Reading Level: Leisurely

Most people admit to being tired and exhausted the majority of the time. Many suffer from restless sleep for a variety of reasons and would do anything for a good night’s sleep!

I recently read an article, it may have been by Dr. Mercola, that said most Americans actually exist in a continual state of jet-lag due to throwing off their internal clocks by not making a habit of a dusk to dawn sleep pattern. The article below quoted in Dr. Mercola’s newsletter says that “Americans now get about 25 percent less sleep than they did a century ago.” In addition to health problems such as weight gain, depression, high blood sugar, increased cancer risk, and brain damage, it said “an estimated 71,000 people are injured in fall-asleep crashes each year.”

In this quote from Dr. Mercola’s newsletter, there are 10 steps for achieving deep sleep.

Below the quote is a link to his full newsletter. Once there, look for 2 other links. After the 10 steps to deep sleep quoted in his newsletter, there is a link to a Reader’s Digest Article with 14 more steps for a good night’s sleep. However, Dr. Mercola has made his own list of 33 Secrets for a Good Night’s Sleep and you will see it at the end of his comment section. These are all good, practical tips, some of which we had already implemented in our household, and some we are going to begin tonight!

1. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water, and then iron them before making your bed. The scent is proven to promote relaxation.

Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

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