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How to get good sound sleep

July 31, 2008

“Aman dies daily, only to be reborn in the morning, bigger, better and wiser,” so said Emmett Fox. It’s great to wake up refreshed in the morning, rather than be jolted out of a sound snooze because you couldn’t get to sleep the night before. Sleep deprivation can bring serious consequences: irritability and fatigue, and susceptibility to a wide range of illnesses from headaches to psychosis. Like the average person, you can fall asleep within five to ten minutes.

Here’s how you can:

Keep a check on your diet to ensure that you’re not ingesting large amounts of caffeine within a few hours of retiring.

Try to cut back on the pace of your physical activity at least one hour before retiring.

It is better to refuse to participate in any disturbing or stimulating discussions in the last hour before retiring for the night. Don’t watch the news just before going to bed.

Take a calming, satisfying book to bed. Get under the covers and read lying on your back.

Try to play a relaxation tape at bedside. Some are recorded just for this purpose or choose your own from the easy-listening section of your music-store.

Select a pleasant, satisfying fantasy to run through in your mind once the lights go out. Keep searching for one that works consistently for you.

Don’t think about going to sleep; focus on getting as cozy and as comfortable as you can in bed.

After lying in bed for thirty minutes without falling asleep, get up and do something relaxing. Then return to bed for a fresh start.

But if your problem is serious, and all the above tips do not work, take an appointment at the sleep disorder clinic at the nearest medical centre as soon as possible.

Written by James · Filed Under Sleep 

How to avoid Drowsiness

June 28, 2008

When the afternoon blahs leave us slumped over our desks like an unwatered houseplant, most of us reach for a supersized vat of coffee and/or a calorie-packed sugar snack. There are much better options, whether you need a quick lift to keep you from nodding off in a meeting or something to keep you going for hours.

WATER:
Sometimes what feels like fatigue is just dehydration (often made worse by too much coffee). Drink a cup of
water, take a quick walk around the block or the parking lot (fresh air is an energy booster, too), and then down another cup of water when you get back.

MELON:
Like cookies and candy, watermelon is high in sugar, which metabolises quickly, which gives you a rush. But watermelon’s way healthier: Instead of guilt, you get fibre, a hit of vitamins A and C, plus all that fresh, juicy flavour for almost no calories (fewer than 50 a cup). To make your new diet last longer, eat it with some protein and a little fat — as in low-fat cottage cheese or a fistful of sunflower seeds.

BAKED POTATO:
They are high on the glycemic index — that is, they give blood sugar a quick boost — which is bad for people with diabetes but good in moderate doses for other people in need of an energy surge. Heap on some salsa and top with a dollop of low-fat sour cream to enhance the effect. Spicy foods are stimulating, and hot peppers wake up more than your taste buds.

FEW DRIED DATES:
They were traditionally used in the Sahara to provide quick energy to camels. Like potatoes, dates are a high glycemic snack, but rich in minerals, too — especially potassium. Split the dates and fill with a tad of low-fat cream cheese to slow the sugar absorption.

Written by James · Filed Under Sleep