What Is Stress?

What is stress?

Stress is the feeling of being under too much mental or emotional pressure.

Pressure turns into stress when you feel unable to cope. People have different ways of reacting to stress, so a situation that feels stressful to one person may be motivating to someone else.

Many of life's demands can cause stress, particularly work, relationships and money problems. And, when you feel stressed, it can get in the way of sorting out these demands, or can even affect everything you do.

Stress can affect how you feel, think, behave and how your body works. In fact, common signs of stress include sleeping problems, sweating, loss of appetite and difficulty concentrating.

You may feel anxious, irritable or low in self esteem, and you may have racing thoughts, worry constantly or go over things in your head. You may notice that you lose your temper more easily, drink more or act unreasonably.

You may also experience headaches, muscle tension or pain, or dizziness.

Stress causes a surge of hormones in your body. These stress hormones are released to enable you to deal with pressures or threats – the so-called "fight or flight" response. 

Once the pressure or threat has passed, your stress hormone levels will usually return to normal. However, if you're constantly under stress, these hormones will remain in your body, leading to the symptoms of stress.

Source:nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/pages/understanding-stress.aspx

How To Sleep Better And Get Up Early

7 Ways Sleep Boosts Your Health

Here are seven ways in which a good night's sleep can boost your health:

1. Sleep boosts immunity

If you seem to catch every cold and flu that’s going around, your bedtime could be to blame. Prolonged lack of sleep can disrupt your immune system, so you’re less able to fend off bugs.

2. Sleep can slim you

Sleeping less may mean you put on weight! Studies have shown that people who sleep less than seven hours a day tend to gain more weight and have a higher risk of becoming obese than those who get seven hours of slumber.

It’s believed to be because sleep-deprived people have reduced levels of leptin (the chemical that makes you feel full) and increased levels of ghrelin (the hunger-stimulating hormone).

3. Sleep boosts mental wellbeing

Given that a single sleepless night can make you irritable and moody the following day, it’s not surprising that chronic sleep debt may lead to long-term mood disorders like depression and anxiety.

When people with anxiety or depression were surveyed to calculate their sleeping habits, it turned out that most of them slept for less than six hours a night.

4. Sleep prevents diabetes

Studies have suggested that people who usually sleep less than five hours a night have an increased risk of having or developing diabetes.

It seems that missing out on deep sleep may lead to type 2 diabetes by changing the way the body processes glucose – the high-energy carbohydrate that cells use for fuel.

5. Sleep increases sex drive

Men and women who don’t get enough quality sleep have lower libidos and less of an interest in sex, research shows.

Men who suffer from sleep apnoea – a disorder in which breathing difficulties lead to interrupted sleep – also tend to have lower testosterone levels, which can lower libido.

6. Sleep wards off heart disease

Long-standing sleep deprivation seems to be associated with increased heart rate, an increase in blood pressure and higher levels of certain chemicals linked with inflammation, which may put extra strain on your heart.

7. Sleep increases fertility

Difficulty conceiving a baby has been claimed as one of the effects of sleep deprivation, in both men and women. Apparently, regular sleep disruptions can cause trouble conceiving by reducing the secretion of reproductive hormones.

Source:nhs.uk/Livewell/tiredness-and-fatigue/Pages/lack-of-sleep-health-risks.aspx

Improve Your Sleep Tonight

Here are some healthy habits to get into to improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep:

• Turn off your TV/computer/smartphone before you go to bed. Electrical appliances stimulate the brain and won’t aid sleep.
• Try and get into a bedtime routine, like when you were a child. Take at least 30 minutes to wind down.
• Take a hot bath. A night’s sleep is normally preceded by a drop in body temperature. When you have a comfortably hot bath, artificially raising your body temperature, when you go back into your cooler bedroom it helps the body be more receptive to adjusting its body temperature.
• Warm skimmed milk (organic if possible), Brazil nuts and walnuts aid sleep, as do bananas. All release natural chemicals to relax the body and help you fall asleep due to their calcium content.
• Can a salad for dinner help you sleep? Yes! Lettuce contains lactucarium, which has sedative properties. You can make a lettuce tea by simmering a few lettuce leaves in hot water for 10–15 minutes and sip before going to bed.
• Your body needs vitamin B6 to help make melatonin and serotonin. Foods rich in B6 are fish like tuna, halibut and salmon, as well as raw garlic and pistachio nuts.
• Chamomile tea really can help sleep. It contains glycine, which relaxes nerves and muscles and can act as a mild sedative and also help reduce any anxiety.
• Carbohydrates at night can help induce sleep, such as rice, sweet potatoes and wholewheat pasta.

• Passion-flower tea has been found to promote good sleep.
• Some people find acupuncture, Ayurvedic medicine or traditional Chinese medicine helps them restore a good sleep cycle.
• Avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol. Caffeine and sugar shouldn’t be consumed late in the day as they have been proven to cause restless sleep. Consider making 2pm your cut-off time for caffeinated drinks if you’re having trouble sleeping.
• A few drops of lavender oil on the pillow are relaxing, but more than that is stimulating so use with caution.
• If your mattress and pillows are worn out or if your bed is more than ten years old, invest in new ones as soon as possible.
• If you have a digital clock in your room, I’m afraid you’re going to have to turn it off, as well as your phone. Both release electromagnetic waves into the room that can interrupt sleep.
• Along a similar vein, make sure your room is as dark and quiet as possible. Invest in an eye mask and earplugs if needed.
• Try to sleep the same amount of hours every night and go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time, even at weekends. This allows your body to know when to secrete your hormones and make repairs.

Source:naturalhealthmagazine.co.uk/health/insomnia-cures-you-havent-tried

6 things you can do at night to de-bloat and promote weight loss

Of course nights are great for going on dates, binge-watching Netflix, doing work, chatting on the phone - you name it. But you know what else they're great for? Setting yourself up for bigger and better weight-loss results. Just follow these tips to get yourself that much closer to your goal weight

1/ HAVE A LOW SODIUM DINNER

"If you want to wake up feeling less bloated, definitely skip the Chinese dinner," says Keri Gands, R.D., author of The Small Change Diet. What happens is the salt stays in your system overnight, so you wake up puffier than you normally would. The best option is to cook a healthy meal of steamed veggies and a lean protein - neither of which should be loaded with salt.

2/ DO A NIGHT TIME WORKOUT 

You know that sweating can help you drop pounds, but you may think that exercising too close to bedtime can keep you up at night. Luckily, that's not true; a 2013 survey from the National Sleep Foundation found that active people are 56 to 57 percent more likely to say they usually get a good night's sleep - no matter what time of day they exercise.

3/ PACK YOUR LUNCH

The average restaurant meal contains more than twice the number of calories you should be consuming in one sitting, according to a 2013 study - and that's not even taking into account the lower calorie count you'll want your lunch to clock in at if you're trying to drop pounds. But in the a.m rush, who has time to make lunch? Save yourself from a midday diet-wrecker by prepping your meal the night before.

4/ DRINK LOTS OF WATER 

H20 flushes out your system, which helps you get rid of any water you're retaining. But since you don't want to be up all night running to the bathroom (and getting quality shuteye is crucial to weight loss), Gans suggests putting a halt to your water chugging one hour before bedtime.

5/ MAKE SURE YOUR BEDROOM IS SUPER DARK

The hormone melatonin can help your body produce more calorie-burning brown fat, according to an animal study published last year in Journal of Pineal Research. Since your body already produces melatonin when you're in complete darkness, make sure your room is light-free to boost weight loss.

6/ TURN DOWN THE THERMOSTAT BEFORE HITTING THE HAY

The idea of burning more calories while you sleep may sound too good to be true, but a National Institute of Health Clinical Center study found that people who slept in a 66-degree room burned seven percent more calories than people who snoozed at 75 degrees. Seven percent isn't  a ton - but it can't hurt! 

Source:womenshealthmag.co.uk/weight-loss/how-to-lose-weight/2449/night-time-weight-loss-tips#ixzz40S7PLPWw

Change Your Life Whilst You Sleep

Can you IMAGINE if changing your life...

... Was as EASY as falling ASLEEP?

Turbo-charge your confidence. Lose weight quickly. Rocket your relationships. Become a luckier person. Let go of stress. Be a super-positive thinker. Speed up your brain.

Imagine if ALL of this were possible.

Just by falling ASLEEP.

WELL, IT IS.

And it's all down to an ingenious audio technology known as "Sleep Programming."

Sleep Programming is officially more powerful than hypnosis. It's recently been proven by San Diego University -- and is used daily by the US Government to help train new military recruits.

How does it work? Simple!

Just play one of the special Sleep Programming CDs on loop as you fall asleep - and get ready to wake up a NEW PERSON!

It's the FASTEST and MOST EXCITING way to change. And it's available to YOU - RIGHT NOW.

Check out the official website online CLICK HERE

And get READY to CHANGE!

6 Tips for Getting More Sleep

1. Make sleep a priority

Simply deciding that getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night is going to be one of your health priorities can go a long way. Resist putting work or household chores – or even a good book – ahead of sleep.

2. Develop a sleep routine

Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on the weekends. Studies suggest that going to sleep at 10 pm and waking up at 6 am works the best with our body’s natural rhythms.

Developing a ritual that you follow each night before going to sleep (e.g. journaling, reading, paced breathing, and drinking chamomile tea) can also help prepare your body for rest.

3. Make the bed a “sleep only” space

Sometimes it is easy to convert your bed into an all-purpose area – especially if you live in a small apartment. Eating in bed, watching TV in bed, or even working in bed can make it more difficult for you to sleep at night.
 

4. Avoid eating and exercise within three hours of going to sleep

This can be hard for night owls, but it is important to remember that eating and exercise both get your body energized, not ready for a good night’s sleep. Although regular exercise can make it easier for you to sleep eventually, you should make sure to leave your body plenty of time to wind down afterwards.
 

5. Turn off the lights (and devices)

Make sure that the area where you sleep is dark and quiet (although if you live in a noisy neighborhood, a white noise machine can be helpful). The hormone melatonin is produced in total darkness, and the longer you stay in the dark, the more melatonin the pineal gland produces. Melatonin regulates our sleep and wake cycles, destroys free radicals, suppresses the development of breast cancer, increases the immune system’s killer lymphocytes and more. Some people use black-out shades or eye masks to block out light when they sleep and/or turn off or move anything out of the room that emits even dim light in their bedroom (e.g. LED lights in TVs, clocks or night lights). If you need a night light, a dim red light is the best choice. [LINK TO SOURCE 6]

Additionally, the blue wavelength light emitted from TVs, computer screens and cell phones suppresses melatonin production more than other wavelengths, so it is wise to avoid exposure to them 2-3 hours before bedtime. That means no more falling asleep in front of the TV! However, exposing your eyes to lots of bright natural light during the day can help you sleep better at night.
 

6. Listen to your body – and get rid of the alarm clock!

After starting to get into a sleep routine, see if your body can awaken on time naturally, without the help of an alarm clock. (Maybe try this out on the weekend first, though!) Listening to your body is the best measure of whether you’re getting sufficient rest.

Source:gerson.org/gerpress/6-tips-for-getting-more-sleep/?gclid=CM3M2PaRlsUCFRQatAodITsAdg

Power napping really IS good for you

A 30-minute snooze can repair the damage caused by a lack of sleep, study finds

• Naps help relieve stress and bolster the immune system, study finds
• Scientists hope findings will help shift workers and insomnia sufferers
• Sleep deprivation increases risk of obesity, diabetes and depression
• New research found 30-minute nap helps repair damage of too little sleep

Indulging in a power nap can repair the damage caused by a lack of sleep, new research today claims.

Having a 30-minute snooze can help relieve stress and bolster the immune systems by restoring hormones and proteins to normal levels.

Scientists hope their findings will help shift workers and those suffering insomnia, by mitigating the damage caused by too few hours sleep.

Sleep deprivation not only puts people at increased risk of suffering accidents, but they are also more likely to develop chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression.  

Indulging in a 30-minute power nap can help restore the damage caused by having too little sleep, a new study has today revealed

Dr Brice Faraut, of the Université Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité, said: 'Our data suggests a 30-minute nap can reverse the hormonal impact of a night of poor sleep.

'This is the first study that found napping could restore biomarkers of neuroendocrine and immune health to normal levels.

'Napping may offer a way to counter the damaging effects of sleep restriction by helping the immune and neuroendocrine systems to recover.

'The findings support the development of practical strategies for addressing chronically sleep-deprived populations, such as night and shift workers.'

The study examined the relationship between hormones and sleep in a group of 11 healthy men between 25 and 32.

During one session, the men were limited to two hours of sleep for one night.

For the other session, they were able to take two, 30-minute naps the day after their sleep was restricted to two hours.

Each of the three-day sessions began with a night where subjects spent eight hours in bed and concluded with a recovery night of unlimited sleep.

Their urine and saliva was analysed to determine how restricted sleep and napping altered hormone levels.

After a night of limited sleep, the men had a 2.5 fold increase in levels of norepinephrine, a hormone and neurotransmitter involved in the body's fight-or-flight response to stress.

Norepinephrine increases the body's heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar. Researchers found no change in norepinephrine levels when the men had napped following a night of limited sleep.

Lack of sleep also affected the levels of interleukin-6, a protein with antiviral properties, found in the saliva.

The levels dropped after a night of restricted sleep, but remained normal when the subjects were allowed to nap. The changes suggest naps can be beneficial for the immune system.

The study was published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Source:dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2947999/Power-napping-really-good-Just-half-hour-snooze-repair-damage-caused-lack-sleep-study-finds.html#ixzz3RMrLCtJb 

Why lack of sleep is bad for your health

Many effects of a lack of sleep, such as feeling grumpy and not working at your best, are well known. But did you know that sleep deprivation can also have profound consequences for your physical health?

When you might need more sleep than normal

There are some situations when you'll need more than the standard eight hours of sleep a night. It’s not unusual to want 10-15 hours of rest and sleep a day if you are:

• recovering from illness
• pregnant
• living with a chronic illness
• have been through extreme physical exertion, such as running a marathon

One in three Britons suffers from poor sleep, with stress, computers and taking work home often blamed for the lack of quality slumber.

However, the cost of all those sleepless nights is more than just bad moods and a lack of focus.

Regular poor sleep puts you at risk of serious medical conditions including obesity,heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy.

It’s now clear that a solid night’s sleep is essential for a long and healthy life.

How much sleep do we need?

Most of us need around eight hours of good quality sleep a night to function properly – but some need more and some less. What matters is that you find out how much sleep you need and then try to achieve it.

As a general rule, if you wake up tired and spend the day longing for a chance to have a nap, it’s likely that you’re not getting enough sleep.

A variety of factors can cause poor sleep, including health conditions such as sleep apnoea. But in most cases it’s a matter of bad sleeping habits.

Find out the common medical causes of fatigue.

What happens if I don't sleep?

Oversleeping

Although it isn’t as common as not getting enough sleep, sleeping too much can also cause problems.

Oversleeping has been linked to physical problems such as diabetes and heart disease.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, oversleeping can occur in 15-40% of people with depression.

Everyone’s experienced the fatigue, short temper and lack of focus that often follow a poor night’s sleep.

An occasional night without sleep makes you feel tired and irritable the next day, but it won’t harm your health.

After several sleepless nights, the mental effects become more serious. Your brain will fog, making it difficult to concentrate and make decisions. You’ll start to feel down, and may drop off during the day. Your risk of injury and accidents at home, work and on the road increases.

If it continues, lack of sleep can affect your overall health and make you prone to serious medical conditions such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

Here are seven ways in which a good night's sleep can boost your health:

1. Sleep boosts immunity

If you seem to catch every cold and flu that’s going around, your bedtime could be to blame. Prolonged lack of sleep can disrupt your immune system, so you’re less able to fend off bugs.

2. Sleep can slim you down

Sleeping less can make you weigh more! Studies have shown that people who sleep less than seven hours a day are 30% more likely to be obese than those who get nine hours of sleep or more.

It’s believed to be because sleep-deprived people have reduced levels of leptin, the chemical that makes you feel full and increased levels of ghrelin, the hunger-stimulating hormone.

3. Sleep boosts your mental wellbeing

Given that a single sleepless night can make you irritable and moody the following day, it’s not surprising that chronic sleep debt may lead to long-term mood disorders like depression and anxiety.

When people with anxiety or depression were surveyed to calculate their sleeping habits, it turned out that most of them slept for less than six hours a night.

4. Sleep prevents diabetes

Studies have suggested that people who usually sleep less than five hours a night have an increased risk of having or developing diabetes.

It seems that missing out on deep sleep may lead to type 2 diabetes by changing the way the body processes glucose, the high-energy carbohydrate that cells use for fuel.

5. Sleep increases your sex drive

Men and women who don’t get enough quality sleep have lower libidos and less of an interest in having sex, research shows.

Men who suffer from sleep apnoea – a disorder in which breathing difficulties lead to interrupted sleep – also tend to have lower testosterone levels, which can lower libido.

6. Sleep wards off heart disease

Long-standing sleep deprivation seems to be associated with increased heart rate, an increase in blood pressure and higher levels of certain chemicals linked with inflammation, which may put extra strain on your heart.

7. Sleep increases your fertility

Difficulty conceiving a baby has been claimed as one of the effects of sleep deprivation – in both men and women. Apparently, regular sleep disruptions can impair fertility by reducing the secretion of reproductive hormones.

How to catch up on lost sleep

If you don’t get enough sleep, there’s only one way to compensate – getting more sleep.

It won’t happen with a single early night. If you’ve had months of restricted sleep, you’ll have built up a significant sleep debt, so expect recovery to take several weeks.

Starting on a weekend, try to tack on an extra hour or two of sleep a night. The way to do this is to go to bed when you’re tired, and allow your body to wake you in the morning (no alarm clocks allowed!).

Expect to sleep for upwards of 10 hours a night, at first. After a while, the amount of time you sleep will gradually decrease to a normal level.

Don’t rely on caffeine or energy drinks as a short term pick-me-up. They may boost your energy and concentration temporarily, but can disrupt your sleep patterns even further in the long term.

Source: nhs.uk/Livewell/tiredness-and-fatigue/Pages/lack-of-sleep-health-risks.aspx