Jet lag

To avoid jet lag you may need to think ahead and synchronise your body clock before you travel.

If you're travelling east, try going to bed earlier for a couple of nights and if you're travelling west, go to bed later.  If you're travelling west over four or more time zones (to New York, for example) make sure you get bright natural light in the early evening.  This will help you to adapt to the new time. 

If you're going back east to the UK , try to return at around midday to get the brightest light of the day.  Wear eyeshades on the plane and try to stay in the dark and quiet.  Don't forget to exercise on the plane too as well as walking around, stretching in your seat helps your blood circulation and reduces swelling of the feet and legs. 

Retail therapy

Retail therapy may not be so theraputic! 

A recent study carried out by a stress expert found 85% of people said they felt wound up when faced with poor customer service.  This results in symptoms such as high blood pressure, palpitations, headaches, nausea, mood swings and anxiety; as a consequence of the stress,14% suffer sleepless nights and 6% end up in tears.  So retail therapy, far from promoting well-being for shoppers seeking relief from everyday pressures, may actually end up making them ill.

Advice for back pain sufferers

Nap & pass

Students who take a nap while studying may do better in their exams those those who stay awake, a new study suggests.

Researchers in the US have found that napping may significantly improve the performance of those revising for tests or trying to memorise facts for speeches and presentations.  The study found that napping aids the memory but only when a person has made a conscious effort to learn.  One group of volunteers was permitted a 45 minute nap and then performed on average 60% better when re-tested on memory tasks after sleeping, compared with a group which stayed awake and whose results fell by 30%.  It is thought that the brain "downloads" information from the hippocampus - known to play a role in forming memories - to other regions of the brain during sleep.

Right is wrong!

If you are feeling grumpy this morning there could be a scientific explanation - you got out of the wrong side of the bed!  Experts say that positive energy originates from the left hand side, so when it comes to diving out from under the duvet, right is wrong and we should get up on the left.

The principles of Feng Shui - the ancient Chinese art of arranging space to achieve harmony - and psychology were applied to find the correct side to leave the bed.  According to Feng Shui, the left side of the bed is associated with what we hold dear - family, health, money and knowledge - and by getting out of bed on the left side you direct positive energy into the corresponding areas of your life.  Psycholgists say a good attitude is paramount to having a good day and the left side of the brain is key as this is the side responsible for logical and analytical function and the side which is used to think rationally about the day ahead.

So there you have it, both ancient and modern thinking suggests left is best when getting out of bed!

 

 

Dream Food

Some nutritionists and specialists suggest that foods containing tryptophan - an amino acid needed to produce the sleep-inducing hormones seratonin and melatonin in the brain - are a wise choice for an evening meal.  Experiment with different foods and meals; poultry, meat, eggs, bananas and wholegrains are high in tryptophan, as are dairy foods, soya products, beans pulses and some nuts and seeds which are also calcium rich.  For a late-night snack a little cereal with milk or some peanut butter on wholegrain toast may be just the thing to send you into the land of nod!

Sleep - for your health's sake!

Scientists at Warwick Medical School have studied men and women who slept for five hours or less a night and discovered that the women were more likely to fall ill than the men.  Women were twice as likely to get high blood pressure than women who slept for seven hours or more and emerging evidence also suggests a potential role for sleep deprivation as a predictor or risk factor for conditions like obesity and diabetes - so catch those zzzzzz's, they're good for you!

Scientists unlock key to controlling body clock

 Scientists unlock key to controlling body clock

Scientists may have discovered the "genetic switch" that governs sleep patterns. Researchers have identified how the action of one protein on another regulates the body clock, known as the circadian rhythm. A single amino acid in one of the proteins undergoes a change that triggers the genetic chain of events that keeps the body clock ticking. The research teams at the University of California at Irvine and Toho University Tokyo are now testing antibodies that can target the process precisely, paving the way for new drugs that could alter the body clock and so prevent sleepless nights caused by stress, jet lag or shift work.

Sleep and Alzheimer's disease

A good night's sleep could help to prevent Alzheimer's disease, researchers claim.  The sleep hormone melatonin works by breaking down the body's active and energetic hormones to slow brain activity and aid sleep.  Researchers also believe that melatonin's antioxidant properties could help reduce the severity of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases; melatonin is also thought to cut the risk of cancer, reduce sagging skin and thinning hair too.  The hormone can only be produced by the body in darkness so make sure your bedroom curtains are not letting in the light and make the most of your sleeping hours.

The One Show

Junk Sleep

Nearly 1 in 3 (30%) teenagers get just 4 to 7 hours' sleep instead of the recommended 8 to 9 hours.  Almost a quarter  admit to falling asleep watching TV, listening to music or with other machinery still running more than once a week.  The online poll of 1000 youngsters for The Sleep Council revealed that 4 out of 10 teenagers generally felt tired.  and the proliferation of electronic gadgets in teenagers' bedrooms is making things worse. The solution? Yougnsters need to be aware that a healthy lifetysle includes healthy sleep as well as healthy food and exercise and to be encouraged to switch off and get more, undisturbed sleep! 

Alarm Clocks

Did you know 42% of us always set an alarm before we have to get up for work, although 4% usually or always sleep through anyway and 26% always hit the snooze button to gain a few extra moments!  

Souvenirs you don't want!

Holidaymakers may be bringing back more than they anticipate as complaints to pest control companies about bed bugs rise dramatically.   Trips to warmer countries are believed to be largely responsible for the increase in infestations as bed bugs hitch a lift in suitcases; additionally, the trend for car-boot sales and secondhand furniture is aggravating the problem as the tiny creatures hide in crevices of mirrors, light fittings etc.  If you suspect you may have a problem you need to call in the experts as infestations are difficult to eradicate.

Sleep Problems

Using a mobile phone before going to bed can interfere with brain activity in the same way as coffee and make it more difficult to sleep.  Studies carried out by the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University found people who used mobile phones at bedtime took twice as long to drop off.

Device triggers brain into slow-wave activity

Scientists (at the University of  Wisconsin in the USA) may have discovered a way of triggering deep sleep artificially, by using an electronic device which stimulates the brain with harmless magnetic pulses recreating the effect of slow-wave activity - a characteristic of deep sleep. It could be used to treat sleep-deprived people who are unable to carry out slow-wave activity naturally. It may also eventually be possible to mimic in a short power nap the effect of a full 8 hours of sleep; or to use the device to aid retention of memories.

Sleep easier with this relaxing alternative night cap

If you're having trouble switching off, try this delicious sounding potion we discovered recently in Spirit & Destiny magazine:

Ingredients: Mug of milk; 1 teaspoon of honey; Sprig of Rosemary

Method: Heat a mug of milk on the hob or in the microwave. Its comforting taste and calming colour will help relax you. Honey symbolises all the positive things that happened during the day, so stir a spoonful clockwise into the hot milk, while reflecting on your day. Take a sprig of rosemary, which guards against negativity in general and nightmares specifically, and dip it into the hot milk, stirring briefly anticlockwise. Go to bed, then take the rosemary out, pat it dry and slip it under your pillow, Sip the milk, Sweet dreams!

26-30 March

The National Association of Home Builders in America is predicting that by 2015, 60% of custom built (i.e. luxury!) houses in the US will have two master bedroom suites or what's being described as a snoring room. The trend for separate bedrooms  is being driven by increasing awareness of the importance of getting a good night's sleep and increasing refusal of couples to suffer the discomforts of partner sleep disturbance. The US National Sleep Foundation in 2005 reported that 23% of American couples already sleep in separate beds or bedrooms or one of them ends up on the sofa. It could catch on here, too!

12-18 March 2007

A 15 minute nap in the afternoon can perk up a person's performance no end - especially if their length and quality of sleep at night is not perfect. So say the sleep experts (at the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University).  It's such an appealing thought that France are investigating whether or not to enshrine the idea in employment law. But, according to research by bed linen producer Dorma, while 79% of Brits like the idea, only 8% think it has any chance of catching on in the UK - where, apparently, most people would see it as a sign of weakness. Solution? Make sure you get enough sleep at night not to feel so tired during the day!

6-11 March 2007

A team from Harvard Medical School has found that people are much better at remembering lists of related words after a good night's sleep than after the same period spent awake - yet more confirmation that sleep's not just helping us to relax and strengthen our memories but also improving our cognitive functions. Our advice: if you are studying for an exam or preparing for a job interview, read through the difficult stuff just before going to sleep - and don't swot all through the night!

1-4 March 2007

59% of British women in their 40s and 50s suffer from sleeplessness, compared with 49% in France, 45% in Holland; 43% in Germany; 37% in Italy; and 31% in Switzerland.  British women also top the list for hot flushes, irritability, mood swings, reduced sex drive, headaches and depression.

Survey of 1,805 post-menopausal women published in European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology