Natural Health Remedies - For Your Body and Mind

Today’s harried fast paced lifestyle is taking a toll on one of the most important parts of our life--our sleep. Read in order to achieve the highly coveted “good” night’s sleep & keep yourself in optimal health.

Let’s face it… we live in a “go-go” world! Our lifestyle is harried, our food is fast and statistics now show it’s taking a toll on one of the most important parts of our life--our sleep. The 2002 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep in America poll found that 74 percent of American adults are experiencing a sleeping problem a few nights a week or more, 39% get less than seven hours of sleep each weeknight, and more than one in three (37%) are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with daily activities. Our fast paced way of life is getting the best of us. What about you?

Answer True or False?

Five hours of sleep at night is good enough.
It's ok to skimp on sleep during the work week as long as you make up the time over the weekends.
The effects of sleep deprivation are short-term (e.g., darkness under the eyes and dull and/or splotchy skin after a bad night's sleep) and has no effect on long-term health.
Drinking caffeine early in the evening does not affect sleep.
Keeping a TV or computer in the bedroom has no effect on sleep.
The amount of sleep I get has nothing to do with my weight.

If you answered “true” to two or more questions you may need to make a few changes in order to achieve the highly coveted “good” night’s sleep and keep yourself in optimal health.

Experts suggest that most people need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night but that doesn’t apply to everyone. Some people only require 6 hours while those who are more active or have an illness may require more.

So how do you know if you are getting enough quality sleep? Those who are sleep deprived often look the part. Dark circles and the “sleepy” look are common, but they also can have unpredictable moods, drowsiness during the day, have difficulty concentrating, weak immune systems, recover poorly from injury and get sick more often. Sounding a little too familiar?

In fact, poor sleep has been found to impair the ability to perform tasks involving memory, learning, and logical reasoning. This may contribute to mistakes or unfulfilled potential at school or on the job as well as strained relationships at home. Even more disturbing, inadequate amounts of sleep have been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, weight gain, obesity, heart disease and depression, to name just a few.

But what if you go to bed early, have every intention on logging in your 7-9 hours but only to lie awake watching the clock…eyes wide open? Well, there are several simple adjustments you can make to stack the cards in favor of a better night’s sleep.

Avoid watching TV before bed…especially in bed!- The bed should be reserved for two things…sleep and romance…not Desperate Housewives or football! Research shows that those who experienced the most sleep disturbances had televisions in their bedrooms and used the TV to fall asleep.

Try a different pillow or mattress. It’s scary to think how long some of us have been sleeping on the same pillows and mattresses for years and years. Does your mattress provide the support you like? Do you wake with your back aching? Is there enough room for you and your sleep partner? Do you sleep better, or worse, when you sleep away from home? These are all things to ask yourself to determine if your mattress could be the “sabotager” of your good night’s sleep. Or more simply, just replacing your pillow with a new, fresh, higher quality version could be all that you need.

Avoid caffeine late in the day. Did you know that even a small amount of caffeine even 10-12 hours before bedtime can cause problems falling asleep! Try eliminating the tea, soda and even chocolate and see if sleep improves.

Listen to relaxing music. Establishing a relaxing bedtime routine, such as listening to music, could be just the thing you need to signal your body it is time to sleep. So, dim the lights and throw some slow jazz or purchase a “relaxing sounds” CD to help slow your mind and body down for an evening of peaceful sleep.

Try mind- body techniques. After an action-packed day, your brain and body need to unwind and detox before sleep can occur (a.k.a. you need to chill!) Create a “ritual” for bedtime - take a bath, meditate, do some easy stretches or yoga. Try to do your “ritual” in the same way, in the same place, at the same time each night. The repetition will trigger your mind and body that it is time to relax and sleep.

Try a natural sleep aid. For many people, while the above tips and suggestions may help, it often isn’t enough. if you are one of those people who really have a hard time getting to sleep and staying asleep, you may want to try a natural sleep aid.

While over the counter sleep medications may help you fall asleep, they cannot be taken long-term and have risky side effects. A sleep aid that uses natural ingredients is a better approach to getting a solid night’s sleep.

Article courtesy of fitness expert and best-selling author, Jesse Cannone, CFT. For more great health and fitness articles be sure to visit his website.

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The information contained on this site is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only.

The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.

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Your Success Links.com - Largo, FL

Natural Alternative to Sleep Aides

Latley I have been receiving numerous emails urging me to purchase Ambien, amoung other medications/drugs, on the internet.

First of all, it is dangerous to purchase any medication/drug on the internet, they contain dangerous ingredients and may not be distributed by licensed pharmacies.

I have also learned that there have been samples of Ambien purchased on the Internet, that where found to contain haloperidol (Haldol), a potent antipsychotic drug with dangerous side effects.

For more information about dangerous drugs on the Internet, contact the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or visit: www.fda.gov/buyonlineguide.

There are natural altenative to medications/drugs.

Here is another example…

The Drug - Ambien

Ambien is a hypnotic drug, it work by literally hypnotizing the brain to sleep.

By binding to the brain's GABA (gamma-amino-butyric-acid) receptors, it makes the neurotransmitter to perform more effectively. GABA's promote sleep by preventing the brain cells from firing, which causes you to sleep.

This medication is usually limited to short-term treatment periods of 1-2 weeks. Like other sleep medications, there is the possibility of dependency.

Some people using this medicine have engaged in activity such as driving, sleepwalking, eating and other unusual behavior during sleep they later had no memory of doing.

Side effects:

daytime drowsiness
dizziness
weakness
feeling "drugged" or light-headed
lack of coordination
amnesia
forgetfulness
vivid or abnormal dreams
nausea
constipation
stuffy nose
sore throat
headache
muscle pain
blurred vision

Serious side effects include:

depresspression
unusual thoughts
risk-taking behavior
decreased inhibitions
no fear of danger
anxiety
aggression
feeling restless
agitated
hallucinations
confusion
loss of personality

Natural Alternative - Sleepzyme

Sleepzyme has seven ingredients that help to improve sleep, each of the ingredients in this formula have been proven to be safe and effective at improving sleep.

It works without the dangerous and harmful side effects and is NOT addictive.

Side effects:

light grogginess - This tends to occur when the supplement is taken too late in the evening and not enough time for sleep has been allowed. You need to allow at least 6-8 hours of possible sleep time.
enhanced dream activity. By spending more time in deep sleep, you may experience more dreams then you currently do. Not a bad thing.

Get detailed information about Sleepzyme and receive your free 30-day trial. Click Here

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Natural Health Remedies

For Your Body and Mind

Can't Sleep? Why Not and Ways to Get a Good Night Sleep

Shakespeare called sleep "the chief nourisher in life's feast."

Chronic insomnia can contribute to serious health problems. So, it's important to find your reasons for sleeplessness. Once you identify the cause of your insomnia, you can treat it and get the sleep you desperately need.

Some Reasons That Cause Sleeplessness:

Stress, anxiety, and depression cause half of all insomnia cases.

Consuming products with caffeine during the day and evening, especially soft drinks and coffee, will cause sleeplessness.

Not having a regular sleep schedule. Support your biological clock by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including weekends, even if you're tired. This will help you to get back in a regular sleep rhythm.

Medications, check the labels; caffeine is a common ingredient in many prescription and over-the-counter headache medications.

Don't smoke, nicotine can stay in your system up to 4 hours and stimulates the central nervous system making it hard to fall asleep.

Before you reach for the sleeping pills, which the common side effects include headaches, muscle aches, constipation, dry mouth, daytime sleepiness, trouble concentrating, dizziness, unsteadiness, rebound insomnia and dependency, try some natural therapies or lifestyle changes first.

Supplements and Herbs to Help Promote Sleep:

Melatonin is a natural hormone made by your body's pineal gland. During the day the pineal is inactive. After the sun goes down and it becomes dark, the pineal gland is activated and begins to produce melatonin. As a result, melatonin levels in the blood rise sharply and sleep becomes more inviting. Daytime levels of melatonin are barely detectable.

Valerian can be thought of as an herbal sedative, helping to promote mental tranquility and relaxing the body. It is much milder than prescription sedatives like Valium, but works on similar pathways in the brain. Using valerian root tea or taking capsules of the extract is a safe way to soothe the mind, encourage relaxation and make it easier to fall asleep.

Sleepzyme is a natural sleep aide. Click here to see the list of ingredients and how they work together to promote sleep.

Foods to Help Promote Sleep:

Try eating a banana or a slice of turkey before going to bed. They contain tryptophan, an amino acid that's used to make serotonin, which is a chemical produced in the brain that helps you to sleep.

Try warm milk before bed. Milk contains calcium which helps the brain produce melatonin.

Aroma Therapy to Help Promote Sleep:

Lavender Essential Oil has a reputation as a mild tranquilizer. Simply dab a bit of the essential oil onto your temples and forehead before you go to bed. The aroma should help send you off to sleep.

Jasmine Essential Oil, by putting a drop on each wrist just before you go to bed helps to sleep more peacefully.

Soothing aromatic bath before bedtime, add 5 drops lavender essential oil and 3 drops ylang-ylang essential oil to warm bathwater. Both are calming, relaxing and soothing fragrances.

Physical Therapy:

Practice daily breathing exercises throughout the day and at bedtime. Take deep slow breathes, in and out, this helps to relax and calm the mind.

Get at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity every day. Aside from the other health benefits, this helps release stress.