SLEEP

How Sleep Boosts Your Energy

Scientists divide sleep into two major types:

• REM (rapid eye movement) sleep or dreaming sleep

• Non-REM or quiet sleep.

Surprisingly, they are as different from each other as each one is from waking— yet both may be important for energy.

Non-REM sleep involves three stages. Sleep specialists believe that the last of them—known as deep sleep or slow-wave sleep—is the main time when your body renews and repairs itself. This stage of sleep appears to be the one that plays the greatest role in energy, enhancing your ability to make ATP, the body's energy molecule. In deep sleep, blood flow is directed less toward your brain, which cools measurably.

At the beginning of this stage, the pituitary gland releases a pulse of growth hormone that stimulates tissue growth and muscle repair. Researchers have also detected increased blood levels of substances that activate your immune system, raising the possibility that deep sleep helps prepare the body to defend itself against infection. Someone whose deep sleep is restricted will wake up feeling less refreshed than a person who got adequate deep sleep. When a sleep-deprived person gets some sleep, he or she will pass quickly through the lighter sleep stages into the deeper stages and spend a greater proportion of time there, suggesting that deep sleep fills an essential role in a person's optimal functioning.

Just as deep sleep restores your body, scientists believe that REM sleep restores your mind, perhaps in part by helping clear out irrelevant information. Studies of students' ability to solve a complex puzzle involving abstract shapes suggest that the brain processes information overnight; students who got a good night's sleep after seeing the puzzle fared much better than those asked to solve the puzzle immediately.

Other studies, from Harvard Medical School and elsewhere, have found that REM sleep facilitates learning and memory. People who were tested to measure how well they had learned a new task improved their scores after a night's sleep. If they were prevented from having REM sleep, the improvements were lost. By contrast, if they were awakened an equal number of times from deep sleep, the improvements in the scores were unaffected.

There is also emerging evidence that getting enough REM sleep may help to preserve memory and cognitive function as you age.

What time should you sleep?

Is there a best time to sleep? There is a saying that sleeping early and waking up early is good for your health. How true is that? Is it all right to sleep late and wake up late?

You actually have an amazing biological clock ticking inside your body. It is very precise. It helps to regulate your various body functions including your sleeping time.

From 11pm to 3am, most of your blood circulation concentrates in your liver. Your liver gets larger when filled with more blood. This is an important time when your body undergoes detoxification process. Your liver neutralizes and breaks down body toxins accumulated throughout the day.

However if you don’t sleep at this time, your liver cannot carry out this detoxification process smoothly.

• If you sleep at 11pm, you have full 4 hours to detoxify your body.

• If you sleep at 12am, you have 3 hours.

• If you sleep at 1am, you have 2 hours.

• And if you sleep at 2am, you only have 1 hour to detoxify.

What if you sleep after 3am? Unfortunately, you won’t have any time to actually detoxify your body. If you continue with this sleeping pattern, these toxins will accumulate in your body over time. You know what happens next.

What if you sleep late and wake up late?

Have you tried going to bed very late at night? Did you realize you feel very tired the next day no matter how much you sleep?

Sleeping late and waking up late is indeed very bad for your health. Besides not having enough time to detoxify your body, you will miss out other important body functions too.

From 3am to 5am, most blood circulation concentrates in your lung. What should you do at this moment? Well, you should exercise and breathe in fresh air. Take in good energy into your body, preferably in a garden. At this time, the air is very fresh with lots of beneficial negative ions.

From 5am to 7am, most blood circulation concentrates in your large intestine. What should you do at this moment? You should poop! Pass out all unwanted poop from your large intestine. Prepare your body to absorb more nutrients throughout the day.

From 7am to 9am, most blood circulation concentrates in your stomach. What should you do at this moment? Have your breakfast! This is your most important meal in a day. Make sure you have all the required nutrients from your breakfast. Not having breakfast causes lots of health problems for you in the future.

That’s the way to start your day.

There you are… the most ideal way to start your day. After fully detoxifying your blood during your sleep, you wake up fresh to inhale beneficial energy. Then you pass out unwanted poop from your large intestine. After that, you take in balanced nutrients to prepare your body for a new day.

No wonder people living in villages or farms are healthier. They sleep early and wake up early. They follow their natural biological clock.

Living in city, we have more difficulty in following this sleeping schedule. We have good lightning, TV and internet to delay our precious sleeping time.

A Nap a Day?

Napping isn’t just for babies. Studies show that an afternoon nap is great for adults, too. There’s no need to feel lazy for indulging in daytime sleep. A short nap in the mid-afternoon can boost memory, improve job performance, lift your mood, make you more alert, and ease stress. Cozy up to these nap benefits.

• It Can Improve Your Memory

• You May Be Able to Connect the Dots Easier

• It Might Help You Climb the Corporate Ladder

• It May Lift Your Mood

• Need to Be More Alert? Nap

• Naps are Better Than Caffeine

• Long Night Ahead? A Nap Can Help

• They Can Ease Stress

• They're Good for Your Heart

• They Can Make You More Creative

• Naps Can Help You Sleep Better at Night

Small Naps Bring Big Benefits

A nap as short as 10 minutes can be beneficial, but keep your nap to 30 minutes or less so you don’t wake up feeling more tired. That grogginess you can feel after a nap is called sleep inertia. The longer you nap, the more likely you are to have that feeling. The worse it is, the more time you’ll need to wake up and transition back to work.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

It depends on your age. Each person has different needs. In general:

• School-age children: At least 10 hours

• Teens: 9 to 10.5 hours

• Adults: 7 to 8 hours

• Many of us don’t get enough. Most adults say they get 6 hours or less. Only a third of school students log the full 8 hours on an average school night. 

How to Sleep Better

Stick to a routine. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Stay quiet and relaxed as bedtime approaches. Dim any bright lights. Don’t do anything stressful. Both can make it hard to fall asleep. Skip naps if you have trouble at bedtime. Move around every day. Hard exercise seems to work best, but any kind helps. Try to keep your bedroom cool: 60-67 degrees is ideal.

Twelve Simple Tips to Improve Your Sleep

Falling asleep may seem like an impossible dream when you’re awake at 3 a.m., but good sleep is more under your control than you might think. Following healthy sleep habits can make the difference between restlessness and restful slumber. Researchers have identified a variety of practices and habits—known as “sleep hygiene"—that can help anyone maximize the hours they spend sleeping, even those whose sleep is affected by insomnia, jet lag, or shift work.

Sleep hygiene may sound unimaginative, but it just may be the best way to get the sleep you need in this 24/7 age. Here are some simple tips for making the sleep of your dreams a nightly reality:

1. Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, Nicotine, and Other Chemicals that Interfere with Sleep

Caffeinated products decrease a person’s quality of sleep.As any coffee lover knows, caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you awake.

2. Turn Your Bedroom into a Sleep-Inducing Environment

A quiet, dark, and cool environment can help promote sound slumber. Why do you think bats congregate in caves for their daytime sleep?

3. Establish a Soothing Pre-Sleep Routine

Light reading before bed is a good way to prepare yourself for sleep.

Ease the transition from wake time to sleep time with a period of relaxing activities an hour or so before bed. Take a bath (the rise, then fall in body temperature promotes drowsiness), read a book, watch television, or practice relaxation exercises.

4. Go to Sleep When You’re Truly Tired

Struggling to fall sleep just leads to frustration. If you’re not asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed, go to another room, and do something relaxing, like reading or listening to music until you are tired enough to sleep.

5. Don’t Be a Nighttime Clock-Watcher

Staring at a clock in your bedroom, either when you are trying to fall asleep or when you wake in the middle of the night, can actually increase stress, making it harder to fall asleep. Turn your clock’s face away from you. 

6. Use Light to Your Advantage

Natural light keeps your internal clock on a healthy sleep-wake cycle. So let in the light first thing in the morning and get out of the office for a sun break during the day.

7. Keep Your Internal Clock Set with a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Having a regular sleep schedule helps to ensure better quality and consistent sleep.

Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day sets the body’s "internal clock" to expect sleep at a certain time night after night.

8. Nap Early—Or Not at All

Many people make naps a regular part of their day. However, for those who find falling asleep or staying asleep through the night problematic, afternoon napping may be one of the culprits. This is because late-day naps decrease sleep drive. If you must nap, it’s better to keep it short and before 5 p.m.

9. Lighten Up on Evening Meals

Eating a pepperoni pizza at 10 p.m. may be a recipe for insomnia. Finish dinner several hours before bedtime and avoid foods that cause indigestion. If you get hungry at night, snack on foods that (in your experience) won't disturb your sleep, perhaps dairy foods and carbohydrates.

10. Balance Fluid Intake

Drink enough fluid at night to keep from waking up thirsty—but not so much and so close to bedtime that you will be awakened by the need for a trip to the bathroom.

11. Exercise Early

Exercise helps promote restful sleep if it is done several hours before you go to bed.

Exercise can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly—as long as it's done at the right time.

12. Follow Through

Some of these tips will be easier to include in your daily and nightly routine than others. However, if you stick with them, your chances of achieving restful sleep will improve.

WATER

How Much Water Should You Drink Per Day?

The body is about 60% water, give or take. You are constantly losing water from your body, primarily via urine and sweat. To prevent dehydration, you need to drink adequate amounts of water.

There are many different opinions on how much water you should be drinking every day. Health authorities commonly recommend eight 8-ounce glasses, which equals about 2 liters, or half a gallon. This is called the 8×8 rule and is very easy to remember.

However, some health gurus believe that you need to sip on water constantly throughout the day, even when you’re not thirsty. As with most things, this depends on the individual. Many factors (both internal and external) ultimately affect your need for water.

Benefits of drinking water

1. It lubricates the joints

Cartilage, found in joints and the disks of the spine, contains around 80 percent water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints' shock-absorbing ability, leading to joint pain.

2. It forms saliva and mucus

Saliva helps us digest our food and keeps the mouth, nose, and eyes moist. This prevents friction and damage. Drinking water also keeps the mouth clean. Consumed instead of sweetened beverages, it can also reduce tooth decay.

3. It delivers oxygen throughout the body

Blood is more than 90 percent water, and blood carries oxygen to different parts of the body.

4. It boosts skin health and beauty

With dehydration, the skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorders and premature wrinkling.

5. It cushions the brain, spinal cord, and other sensitive tissues

Dehydration can affect brain structure and function. It is also involved in the production of hormones and neurotransmitters. Prolonged dehydration can lead to problems with thinking and reasoning.

6. It regulates body temperature

Water that is stored in the middle layers of the skin comes to the skin's surface as sweat when the body heats up. As it evaporates, it cools the body. Some scientists have suggested that when there is too little water in the body, heat storage increases and the individual is less able to tolerate heat strain.

Having a lot of water in the body may reduce physical strain if heat stress occurs during exercise. However, more research is needed into these effects.

7. The digestive system depends on it

The bowel needs water to work properly. Dehydration can lead to digestive problems, constipation, and an overly acidic stomach. This increases the risk of heartburn and stomach ulcers.

8. It flushes body waste: Water is needed in the processes of sweating and removal of urine and feces.

9. It helps maintain blood pressure: A lack of water can cause blood to become thicker, increasing blood pressure.

10. The airways need it: When dehydrated, airways are restricted by the body in an effort to minimize water loss. This can make asthma and allergies worse.

11. It makes minerals and nutrients accessible: These dissolve in water, which makes it possible for them to reach different parts of the body.

12. It prevents kidney damage: The kidneys regulate fluid in the body. Insufficient water can lead to kidney stones and other problems.

13. It boosts performance during exercise: Dehydration during exercise may hinder performance.

Some scientists have proposed that consuming more water might enhance performance during strenuous activity. More research is needed to confirm this, but one review found that dehydration reduces performance in activities lasting longer than 30 minutes.

14. Weight loss: Water may also help with weight loss, if it is consumed instead of sweetened juices and sodas. "Preloading" with water before meals can help prevent overeating by creating a sense of fullness.

15. It reduces the chance of a hangover: When partying, unsweetened soda water with ice and lemon alternated with alcoholic drinks can help prevent over consumption of alcohol.

Other Benefits

Drinking more water may offer several other benefits as well, including:

• Increased regularity. Multiple studies associate low water intake with a higher risk of constipation. As such, drinking more water may promote bowel movements.

• Kidney stone prevention. One review of nine studies tied higher fluid intake to a lower risk of kidney stones.

• Headache relief. Research suggests that drinking more water can alleviate headaches caused by dehydration or fluid loss.

• Mood improvement. According to one review, increasing water intake may aid both brain function and mood, especially in children and older adults.

• Enhanced athletic ability. While dehydration can impair exercise performance, replacing fluids after physical activity can increase endurance and decrease exercise-induced DNA damage.

Drinking 3 liters (100 ounces) of water per day may aid bowel regularity, prevent kidney stones, alleviate headaches, improve mood, and strengthen physical performance.

Drinking Too Much Water Can Be Dangerous

Keep in mind that excessive water intake can be dangerous.

Drinking too much can disrupt your body's electrolyte balance, leading to hyponatremia, or low levels of sodium in your blood.

Symptoms of hyponatremia include weakness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, and — in severe cases — even death.

Although your kidneys can excrete up to 20–28 liters (4.5–6 gallons) of water per day, they can only process 800–1,000 ml (27–34 ounces) of water per hour.

For this reason, it's important to spread your water intake throughout the day rather than drink it all in a single sitting. Additionally, be sure to listen to your body and adjust your water intake accordingly if you're feeling unwell.

What is Dehydration?

Dehydration happens when you've lost too much water without replacing it, preventing your body from performing its normal functions. Remember that water makes up nearly 50% to 60% of your body, depending on your gender. It plays a large part in many bodily functions, such as lubricating your joints and retaining moisture in your eyes, keeping your skin healthy, eliminating toxins and facilitating proper digestion.

Proper intake of fluids is also vital for kidney functions, every time your body loses water, you need to replace those fluids to maintain balance between the salts, glucose and other minerals in your system.

If you become dehydrated, drastic changes in your body can immediately occur. Research has shown that even mild dehydration can decrease brain tissue fluid, which can result in changes in brain volume. Your blood becomes more viscous as well, straining your cardiovascular system and putting you at risk of health issues like thrombogenesis. Dehydration also compromises your body's ability to regulate your temperature.

Losing just 1% to 2% of your entire water content can cause thirstiness, a sign that you need to replenish the lost liquids. Mild dehydration can easily be treated but if it reaches extreme levels, it can be life-threatening and will require immediate medical attention.

Mild symptoms of dehydration include: dry, sticky mouth, sleepiness or tiredness, dry skin, headache, constipation, dizziness or lightheadedness, few or no tears when crying, dry, cool skin, muscle cramps.

Symptoms of severe dehydration are extreme thirst, irritability and confusion, sunken eyes, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat and breathing, fever, little or no urination, and any urine color that is darker than usual, and in serious cases, delirium or unconsciousness.

Chronic dehydration can affect your organs and lead to kidney stones, constipation and electrolyte imbalances that may result in seizures. Whether it is mild, moderate or severe dehydration, the liquids lost from your body must be immediately replaced. If you become dehydrated and begin experiencing symptoms like those mentioned here, get professional treatment as soon as possible.

What causes dehydration?

There are various reasons why dehydration occurs, and the causes can be a result of both losing too many fluids and not taking in enough. For example, intense physical activity can cause you to sweat profusely and lose substantial amounts of water, so proper hydration is necessary to replenish what you've lost. Other causes of dehydration include:

• Diarrhea — This condition prevents your intestinal tract from absorbing water from the foods that you eat, making it the most common cause of dehydration.

• Vomiting — Common causes include food borne illnesses, nausea and alcohol poisoning.

• Sweating — Vigorous sweating may occur for various reasons, such as if you have a fever, work in hot environments or engage in intense physical activity.

• Diabetes — Having high blood sugar levels can cause frequent urination and, subsequently, extreme loss of fluids in your cells, leading to dehydration.

• Frequent urination — Non-diabetics may urinate frequently because of alcohol intake or from taking certain drugs like antihistamines, blood pressure medications and antipsychotics. Too much caffeine intake can cause you to urinate more frequently, too.

How to prevent dehydration

Water plays such an immense role in your bodily functions, making it an essential part of your everyday life. Since dehydration can be life-threatening, it is important that you replenish your body with water immediately if you feel yourself becoming dehydrated.

Always bring water with you during exercise or any physical activity, especially when the temperature's too hot. One good rule of thumb to prevent dehydration is to drink as much water as it takes for your urine to turn light yellow. Dark urine means that your kidneys are retaining liquids in an effort to have enough for your body to perform its normal functions.

It is especially important to pay attention if you are sick with fever, are vomiting or have diarrhea, so you don't become dehydrated. Be sure to drink enough water to replace the liquids that you've lost. If you are vomiting or have diarrhea to the point that you can't drink enough to stay hydrated, you may need to visit an emergency department for help in maintaining hydration.

Sports drinks, beverages and commercial fruit juices are a group of heavily processed sweetened drinks that have too many sugars and not enough value to make them useful for hydrating purposes. Installing a water filter in your home, both at the tap and preferably also at the point of entrance, can help eliminate these harmful contaminants.

If you want to drink something more flavorful than water, you can opt for raw, organic green juice made from fresh vegetables. However, I recommend refraining from drinking juice with too many fruits as it will have high amounts of sugar and calories. Go for a green juice recipe that combines one or two fruits only and larger amounts of greens like spinach, celery or kale. That way, you can minimize your sugar intake and still get all the nutrients from the fruits and vegetables in their purest forms.

It is advised to keep your fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. If you have Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance or heart disease, it is wise to minimize your total fructose to 15 grams daily, including that from fruits.

Coconut water serves as a great replacement for sports drinks. It provides optimal health benefits due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. A word of caution: Coconut water also contains sugar, albeit in smaller amounts compared to other fruits, so drink it in moderation, preferably after a cardio workout, when you need to replace minerals and fluids.

No one but you can determine if you are hydrated enough. If you feel thirsty or you're sweating profusely, this is a signal that you need to replenish your body with water immediately. Don't wait for severe dehydration symptoms to occur before you take action, since this can be life-threatening.