4 Mind 4 Life: Health and Mental Health

There are tons of people that have trouble sleeping that are looking for natural cures for insomnia. Fortunately, there are some solutions that you can try to help you get a better night’s sleep. There are millions of people that are put on sleeping pills and although they can help for a period of time, many people hate the side effects associated with them. Plus, it’s way better for your body to get natural sleep instead of sleep that is induced by drugs. Sure it makes more sense to take sleeping medications if nothing else works, but there are other things that you can try before you resort to taking the most extreme measures.

What Can You Do To Overcome Insomnia?

1. Read a book before bedtime – Probably the easiest natural cure for insomnia is to simply open up a book and read. Not only will it make you smarter, but you will actually be changing your brainwaves to a slower pattern. As you get caught up in what you are reading, your mind shifts to a slower brainwave state. In comparison to surfing the internet or talking on your phone (which will keep you awake), reading helps many people start to feel sleepy.

2. Avoid the computer – The best thing that you can do for yourself before bed is to shut off your computer if it is distracting. Do you commonly surf the internet before bedtime? If so, you are going to keep yourself up for a longer time.

3. Turn off your cell phone – Cell phones are nothing more than a distraction when you are trying to fall asleep. If you take the time to turn off your phone, you won’t be preoccupied with late night texts or messages. Don’t accept calls after a certain time so that you can actually take a break from all of the chatter.

4. Turn off the TV – A lot of people watch TV before they go to sleep. Based on my own experience, I know that watching an entertaining show or movie can keep me up for a much longer time than expected. Turning off the TV will help you minimize distractions so that you can get to sleep.

5. Listen to relaxing music – Calming music or self hypnosis tapes work great when you are trying to get some sleep. I personally listen to a self hypnosis or guided meditation tape so that I can calm down my thoughts and drift off into a nice peaceful sleep.

Natural remedies for insomnia

1. Melatonin – This is probably the most well known natural remedy for insomnia that is on the market. Your body actually makes melatonin (it is a hormone) on its own, but the production can get thrown off in some people under stress. Consider taking this if you want to fall asleep quicker.

2. Kava (“Kava Kava”) – People under a lot of stress are sometimes recommended to take Kava in order to help them fall asleep. There have been disputes by the FDA about this though because it has caused liver problems when found in dietary supplements. I personally would probably not use this, but some people find it very helpful.

3. Valerian Herb – This is a less common herbal solution for insomnia that people use to help them get sleep. It is more common in European countries than the United States. Some people swear by taking this, while others don’t find it to be effective. The easiest way to find out whether it works is to give it a try for yourself.

What if you have severe insomnia?

If your insomnia is so severe that you cannot seem to find relief, then be sure to go out and talk to your doctor about what you can do to overcome it. Some people have gotten used to having insomnia and don’t mind it as much as others. The truth is that it can take a toll on your mental performance as well as your energy levels during the daytime. Anything that impedes you of getting a good night’s sleep needs to be stopped.  Do whatever works best for you, even if it means getting the Dreamate Sleep Aid or going old school and counting sheep.

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There are many dangers of sleep apnea that you should be aware of if you have this problem. If you haven’t already consulted a doctor or medical professional to talk about your problem, do so as soon as possible. The advice that you get from a professional is going to be much more accurate than what you read online. With that said, there are some common dangers that you should know about if you are plagued with sleep apnea. For people asking, “What are the dangers of sleep apnea?” – read some of them below to find out.

Some common sleep apnea dangers include:

Increased risk of heart attack and complications – Studies have found that people with sleep apnea problems end up having a significantly greater risk of having a heart attack than people who don’t; mostly due to low oxygen levels. Obviously this is a huge motivating factor to fix the problem for most people. Usually the dangers of things like apnea scare people a little bit and they end up making healthier changes.

Psychological disturbances – Sleep apnea can severely affect a person’s psychological state. It could lead to feelings of depression, anxiety, or stress. The ironic thing is that some of these conditions may cause sleep apnea to worsen.

Poor concentration – A lot of individuals with sleep apnea recognize that it can drastically affect their levels of concentration during the day. Having poor concentration means worse work performance and getting less accomplished; which could be considered by some as being “dangerous.”

Daytime sleepiness – A common danger of sleep apnea is daytime sleepiness. If you are at a job operating heavy machinery or driving your vehicle somewhere, all it takes is one slip up and you could put your life in jeopardy.

Weight gain – Gaining weight can be dangerous in its own right. Nobody wants to gain weight because weight gain is something that can lead to health problems and put you at increased risk for more apnea. Fat can literally build up on the necks of people with apnea, which can prevent good airflow.

Sleep apnea can be fatal – The scariest thing about having sleep apnea or knowing someone with it is that it can be life-threatening. The dangers of sleep apnea in children are just as scary as the dangers for adults and both cases should be taken very seriously. Always ask your doctor for advice on what you can do about your apnea and be sure to take the time to read about some common sleep apnea remedies if you haven’t gotten any good advice yet.

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Sleep apnea is caused when the throat literally closes when a person is asleep. It is an extremely serious condition that can end up being life-threatening if not dealt with properly. Some researchers even believe that there is a magnified risk of having a heart attack for people with sleep apnea. So what can you do about it if you are a person that is plagued with this condition? Well, there are some sleep apnea remedies that you can give a shot, but there is no guarantee that they are going to cure you of your apnea. Always make sure that you visit a medical professional if you have this condition for treatment advice.

Sleep Apnea Remedies Natural Options

Lose some weight – A lot of people that are overweight and/or obese happen to have sleep apnea and don’t realize that losing some pounds could help them breathe better. If you are overweight, you should try to eat healthy and exercise so that fatty deposits don’t build up around your airway; this can and does happen. If you gain weight, it could cause your condition to worsen.

Position yourself properly – Making physical adjustments to your body positioning before you go to bed may help you get a better source of airflow during your sleep. Some people elevate their head and avoid sleeping on their back.

Improve the quality of your sleep – Getting a poor night’s sleep can cause the condition to worsen (very ironic). With that said, make sure that you are getting at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.

Avoid alcohol use – Alcohol and sleep apnea don’t mix… Alcohol can cause sleep apnea to worsen, yet a lot of people try to convince themselves otherwise. I know several people personally with sleep apnea that drink a lot of alcohol and don’t want to admit to that there might be a connection. The bottom line is that if you stop drinking, your condition could easily improve.

Don’t smoke or do drugs – Obviously doing things like smoking cigarettes and taking other drugs that affect your throat area may worsen your problem. Staying away from them may be able to improve your sleep and improve your particular case of apnea. Many drugs can cause your throat area to actually swell up – which could make your apnea worse than it already is.

Always see a doctor if you have sleep apnea

Before trying a sleep apnea remedy that is listed above, make sure that you go visit a doctor to see what he/she recommends. Medical professionals will be able to give you advice that is more geared towards your particular apnea (there are different types like central and obstructive). Obstructive sleep apnea remedies may not be equally as effective in people looking for central sleep apnea remedies (and vice versa). Although the underlying problem may be sleep apnea, it is important to understand that everyone is unique and may require different treatment.  Remember that this is a serious condition and simply getting something like the Dreamate Sleep Aid is not going to help with your condition.  Always talk to a medical professional for advice about your apnea!

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The Dreamate Sleep Aid is a cool sleeping gadget that you can use to help yourself fall asleep at night. It apparently uses acupressure in order to gently massage your wrist and put you right to sleep. I personally haven’t had a chance to try one of these out, but I think it would be cool to give it a shot sometime to see whether it actually did what it was advertised for: to help me fall asleep. I would imagine that if these Dreamate Sleep Aids actually work, they could be a huge benefit to people that are struggling with insomnia. I would certainly rather give one of these things a shot over taking sleeping pills anyday.

Dreamate Sleep Aid Reviews

I took the time to read some reviews of the Dreamate Sleeping Aid and most of them were from people that used the product themselves. I cannot say whether it works well because I have not used it, so I thought that I’d write a general overview of the product so that you all could get a better idea about what to expect with this product.

The product is made and manufactured by OMA and if you take a look on Amazon.com, you will see that this is the only product that this company offers. The reviews were pretty positive and really the only negative thing that I saw had to do with being shipped the wrong product from Amazon. The people that actually got the Dreamate thought that it worked well and really helped them relax and fall asleep.

Some key features of the Dreamate Sleep Inducer include:

1. Double Frequency Acupressure Technology – I’m not too sure what the “double frequency” means, but “acupressure” just means physical pressure. It is also apparently a good biofeedback device. I’ve talked a lot about biofeedback, so I really like the fact that it can be used as such.

2. Biological Clock Training Features – It can help you recognize your biological clock and understand your sleep cycles better; this is something that a lot of people could benefit from.

3. Golden Triangle Stimulation of Massage Points – Not sure what the “golden triangle” is, but massaging sounds like it would definitely help you fall asleep quickly.

4. Conductivity Gel – This just helps the device stay attached so that it is able to do a good job at getting you to fall asleep faster.

Dreamate Sleep Aid Review (My Final Thoughts)

I think that this product sounds very interesting and based on customer reviews, it seems like it works. I would like to get my hands on one so that I can try it out and let people know whether it actually helps people fall asleep. If you work for OMA (and happen to be reading this) and feel like sending me a free sleep aid for review purposes, I will be happy to check it out and let people know my final thoughts!

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Skipping sleep can shut down the brain

Being sleep-deprived for just one night will make your brain unstable and more prone to sudden “shutdowns.” These shutdowns are like lapses that don’t allow you to utilize the full power of your brain. The natural function of the brain is weaker and you may experience shifts between sleep and wakefulness throughout the day state researchers.

“It’s as though it is both asleep and awake and they are switching between each other very rapidly,” says David Dinges from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. His “sleepy brains” study appears in the Journal of Neuroscience and has gained mainstream attention.

David Dinges, a lead researcher was quoted saying, “Imagine you are sitting in a room watching a movie with the lights on. In a stable brain, the lights stay on all the time. In a sleepy brain, the lights suddenly go off.” This quote explains the findings of his research in a nutshell. When you provide your brain with adequate sleep, your brain is fully operating. When you deprive your brain of sleep, your brain can shift between functioning and shutting down (malfunctioning). We already know that depriving yourself of sleep is one of the things that kill brain cells.

What the findings of this study suggest?

The findings of this study suggests that individuals who are sleep-deprived will shift between stages of near-normal brain functioning and significant lapses in cognition throughout the day. Two key areas that sleep-deprived brains are usually not able to perform well in are: visual processing and attention skills.

David Dinges and other researchers conducted brain imaging studies on 24 adults who performed simple tasks which involved visual attention when they were well rested and compared the results to those of when they had missed 1 night’s sleep. Researchers used fMRI imaging to analyze the results, allowing them to measure and observe the amount of blood flow in the brain.

The key findings: the sleep deprived vs. the well rested

• Sleep Deprived: The fMRI imaging showed that when individuals were sleep-deprived, there were significant lapses in key areas of the brain.

• Well Rested: When the individuals were well rested, fMRI imaging showed no lapses in functioning in the areas that faltered in the sleep-deprived brain. The brain power of well-rested individuals remained strong and healthy.

The lead researcher also stated, “These people are not lying in bed. They are sitting up doing a task they learned and they are working very hard at doing their best.” Lapses seemed to suggest that lack of sleep impairs the brain of fully warding off the involuntary drive to sleep. Dinges also says that this study makes it clear how dangerous sleep-deprivation can be while driving on the highway – when even a split second lapse could potentially get you into a major accident!

The obvious conclusion

I think it is obvious to say that we need a goodnight’s sleep for optimal brain functioning! So do yourself a favor and get to bed at a decent time. Too much lack of caring for yourself and your sleeping patterns can cause health problems, cognitive impairments, and is unhealthy. For optimal brain power, you already know that it is good to take a nap if necessary – or set aside some time to sleep in. Get to bed earlier, do whatever you need to to fulfill your necessary sleeping requirements. Sleeping replenishes the body and revitalizes the brain. Cutting it from your routine or trying to avoid it for productivity reasons will only impair your brain functioning. So do yourself a favor… get a good-night’s sleep!

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Is it possible that only waking up and smelling coffee gives your brain a jolt of energy (more beta brainwaves) without even taking a drink? Many people drink coffee in the morning for some caffeine-energy. However, a new study shows that just smelling coffee may have some of the same benefits. The research in the area of coffee is discovering how drinking and smelling coffee affects the gene expression and proteins in your brain.

The new “coffee bean study”

The author of this new “coffee study” was Han-Seouk Seo of Seoul National University. He wrote about how this is one of the first bits of research to look at how the smell of coffee affects our brain activity and behavior. This new study dealt with lab rats, most of which hadn’t gotten adequate sleep. Han-Seouk Seo wrote: “There are few studies that deal with the beneficial effects of coffee aroma.” Apparently, this study is the first ever with a primary focus on the effects of “coffee bean aroma” on sleep-deprived rats’ brains.

For this study, lab rats were used in combination with “Colombian coffee beans.” Researchers tested how the smell of coffee affected the brains of: adult male rats who were “stressed” and sleep deprived, and a group of unstressed adult male rats. They were compared with 2 more groups of rats: stressed and unstressed rats not exposed to the aroma of Colombian coffee beans.

The results of the study

The group of researchers then observed the rats’ brains to attempt to discover the molecular effects of the coffee bean scent. Below is what they discovered:

• The sleep-deprived “stressed” rats showed displayed different levels of activity in 17 genes in the brain. Whether they were better or worse, the study did not say… It just said the levels of activity were different than normal.

• This isn’t to suggest that sleep-deprived or “stressed” people are the exact same as sleep-deprived lab rats. Some study authors believe that since drinking caffeine can cause the same “stress” associated with sleep-deprivation, it may be better for people to sniff coffee.

Should I start sniffing Colombian coffee beans?

Does this mean that you could carry around some Colombian coffee beans to help keep your beta brainwaves roaring? Could you beat the sleep by taking a sniff of some coffee beans? The question remains to be answered! This study found that the scent of coffee affects our brain activity levels and proteins in 17 genes…

They did not find any conclusive evidence supporting the scent of coffee’s effects on the brain. I personally think that sniffing coffee beans would have some effect on us and our brainwaves. Many aromas can change our brainwaves. Taking a whiff of peppermint or chewing peppermint gum can give our beta brainwaves a boost! More coffee-brain-interaction research is in the works and is interesting to follow. Stay tuned for more, I’ll keep you updated!

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