Sleep Enough

If it is natural, does it mean it is automatically safe? There are thousands of natural food supplements and natural remedies, including those for better sleep, that are not regulated by any health ministry. But that does not mean they are totally safe, of course. One of the popular natural remedies for sleep is kava kava, made from the roots of kava (Piper methysticum), a plant native to the Pacific islands. In a previous post I’ve talked about it, but kava probably needs mentioning again, as an example of herbs that are not entirely safe to be used (or misused). Read the rest of this entry »

Our bodies, and our minds, need about 8 to 9 hours of sleep for optimal health. But, thousands of people cannot fall asleep or keep waking up at night. The consequences are – we are tired and groggy in the morning and not ready to face the day. There is a huge choice of machines, CDs, DVDs and computer applications advertised as help for those who have trouble sleeping, by producing relaxing white or pink noise. But, does white noise (or pink noise) really work? Read the rest of this entry »

Sleep apnea affects many people. One in ten Americans suffer from sleep apnea, which is a condition in which a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep for up to 60 seconds. These interruptions occur 30 times or more in an hour. In severe cases, sleep apnea can be fatal. Read the rest of this entry »

Most people dream. But, do we really need to? Do dreams have a particular purpose? According to Professor Ernest Hartmann, the Director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Newton Newton Wellesley Hospital in Boston, Mass. and the Professor of psychiatry from the Tufts University School of Medicine, the honest answer is: we do not know.

Most accepted theories claim that there is no rhyme or reason to dreaming. But, we have always been puzzled by the connection between our dreams and our daily experiences. They are somehow linked, but not clearly. What is our brain doing during sleep? Read the rest of this entry »

Caffeine is a stimulant of the central nervous system. You could say a large number of people are addicted to it. Many rely on a dose of caffeine to wake them up in the morning, and to keep them going throughout the day. But, what happens when we take too much caffeine? We are doing exactly that with energy drinks – which is mostly sugar and caffeine. Read the rest of this entry »