Best Orthopedic Pillows to be Free of Back Pain

An orthopedic pillow by providing proper support to the spine helps fight spinal degeneration and other spinal disorders such as spondylosis and arthritis. Most of all, orthopedic pillows, such as the cervical neck pillow or the contour neck pillows, help you sleep well and wake up with, hopefully, no back pain. Moreover, orthopedic pillows, like the contour neck pillows, are also sometimes referred to as therapeutic pillows.

Do Sleeping Positions Change?

Especially relevant, observational studies show that adults change their sleeping position an average of 11 to 13 times during the night.

Indeed, a majority of sleep time is in the side sleeping position. However, adults only spend 59 to 73 percent of their sleep time in the side lying position. Consequently, 27 to 41 percent of sleep time is in the back position.

Therefore, choosing a pillow specifically designed for side sleepers may not work when you sleep on your back and vice versa. In fact, a side sleeping pillow may cause problems for those who change positions during the night and sleep on their backs. Similarly, a back sleeping pillow may cause problems for those who change to sleeping on their sides.

Therefore, if you do get a pillow designed for only side sleepers, first verify that you always sleep in that position all night long. Ultimately, a good pillow should allow the free motion of sleeping position changes during the night.

Most noteworthy, there are many factors that influence the number of sleep position changes during sleep. Some of these factors include:

What are Orthopedic Pillows for the Neck?

Most of all, orthopedic pillows such as cervical neck pillows are used to:

Benefits and Use of Cervical Neck Pillows

Most of all, by providing proper neck support, cervical neck pillows help with:

Features of Cervical Neck Pillows

Traditional pillows work fine at first, but then they flatten out and stop providing support for the head and neck. On the other hand, a cervical neck pillow provides support and comfort to the neck and head. Most noteworthy, the cervical neck pillow’s contour and it’s content provides support and comfort. In fact, a pillow that is lacking in these features may end up causing increased pain, discomfort, pressure, headaches, or simply a loss of sleep. For example, a pillow that has the wrong contour and/or made from low quality material may be too hard, create heat, has allergens, or can harbor microbes or dust mites. By the way, if dust mites are a problem in your bedroom, its good to filter the air in your bedroom and vacuum the floor, especially if the floor is carpeted.

Now, a cervical neck pillow:

In conclusion, an ideal cervical neck pillow keeps your body in a neutral sleeping position. Indeed, this neutral sleeping position keeps your back and neck in their ideal position. As a result, there is no unnecessary pressure on the spine’s discs, muscles and nerves.

Back Sleeper Needs for Neck Orthopedic Pillows

For a back sleeper, a cervical pillow must have the right height. In fact, if it’s too high, the pillow will push the head forward. And, if it’s too low, the head will be too low and not in alignment with the spine.

Side Sleeper Needs for Neck Orthopedic Pillows

For side sleepers, the orthopedic pillows should have the right height to main alignment with the spine. Not too low nor too high.

Stomach Sleeper Needs for Neck Orthopedic Pillows

Sleeping on your stomach is tough on your spine, because the back has an excessive arc and the neck is turned to the side. Stomach sleeping places too much strain on neck joints and muscles. Consequently, a very low height pillow or even no pillow is best. Most of all, it is important not to use a firm or higher height pillow, especially with a soft mattress.

The best pillow for stomach sleepers is a cervical pillow for stomach sleepers in that it is designed for that purpose along with options for back and side sleeping. In fact, the cervical pillow allows stomach sleeping with a better cervical posture, reducing rotational and extensional damage that can cause neck problems, as well as providing better air flow. In addition, the cervical pillow is a very versatile pillow in that you can use it for any sleeping position, making it the ideal pillow to transition from stomach to side and back sleeping.

Meanwhile, preferred sleeping positions are often set early in life and can be tough to change, not to mention that we don't often wake up in the same position in which we fell asleep. Still, it's worth trying to start sleeping on your back or side in a well-supported, healthy position.

Finally, placing a flat pillow under the stomach and pelvis area can help to keep the spine in better alignment.

What is the Best Sleeping Position for Cervical Pain?

Getting the Right Orthopedic Pillow

Above all, most reputable pillow companies do not allow returns due to Federal and State Health Regulations regarding bedding or contaminable items.

Also, companies offering money back guarantees are usually selling very cheap pillows. In fact, there has been a flood of very cheap pillows. Meanwhile, companies usually do not make it easy to return pillows. In theory, companies should dispose of returned pillows and not repackage and re-sell. In fact, many companies play the odds that, even if you don’t like it, you will not go through the trouble of returning the pillow.

There are usually multiple conditions and factors related to neck pain. Therefore, it is usually best to find a pillow that suits your particular sleeping conditions and comfort requirements. In general, softer – more accommodating pillows are recommended for more painful conditions such as from injury or inflammation. Once past this point, a firmer pillow can be used if well tolerated.

Especially relevant, a transition phase from an accommodating pillow to a firmer or different design pillow can be challenging and should only be attempted when pain and discomfort levels are no longer tolerated by the existing cervical pillow.

Buckwheat Orthopedic Pillows

Contour Neck Orthopedic Pillows

Orthopedic Pillows with Separate Back & Side Sleeping Areas

It is important to know if you are aware of deliberately changing sleep positions while sleeping. Or, do you not wake up and unconsciously change sleep positions while sleeping. There are cervical pillows with multiple height areas. These cervical pillows are very popular. However, they do require deliberate positioning from the back area to the side area and from the side are to the back area.

The thing to keep in mind is that if you are asleep and unaware that you are changing positions a lot, you may find yourself waking in wrong areas of the pillow.

The idea for a multiple height pillow is good in that back sleeping requires a lower pillow height while side sleeping required a higher pillow height because of the shoulders. Indeed, multiple height pillows provide great support. By the way, the most popular of these is the so called “Orthopedic Pillow”. In fact, this pillow has soft angled transitions making it easy to change sleep positions. Also, this pillow is very good in that it can be measured to fit well and keeps a good posture for both side and back sleeping.

And, if you are a strict side sleeper, the so called “Side Sleeper Pillow” is an option that provides soft support and height for your shoulders, however, it is mainly for side sleeping.

On the other hand, if you are unaware of your changing sleeping positions, pillows with a continuous surface work well. Also, you may find that an adjustable pillow may help get better pillow height for different sleep positions. Next, there is the question of a pillow’s firmness - which is determined by the quality and quantity of material that can be adjusted.

Other Orthopedic Pillows for the Neck

Especially relevant, a soft memory foam orthopedic pillow is a great solution for more advanced degenerative conditions. Also, for adults and children, the so called “chiropractic pillow” gives you sizing options and a sound ergonomic design.

Next, the latex pillow uses high end Talalay processed latex and is very good for neck conditions, whereas the dunlop latex pillow tends to be bouncy. Furthermore, there are pillows that use zones that allow a traditional shaped pillow to function like a contour pillow. These memory foam pillows also have an option for natural infused aromatherapy like lavender and are a great combination of softness and firmness. Finally, these orthopedic pillows are also available in a special side sleeping version.

What are Orthopedic Pillows for the Lumbar Region?

What are Orthopedic Pillows for the Knee?

In addition, a knee pillow made of memory foam automatically adjusts to the contour of your knees but reverts back to its original shape when you don’t use it. Meanwhile, a hypoallergenic knee pillow is free from common allergens.

For those who have osteoarthritis, an orthopedic pillow like the knee pillow is actually a knee pad that does not slip when you get up. It is often used to align the spine properly but also as a solution for pain in the knee from the osteoarthritis.

Next, inflatable knee pillows can be adjusted for firmness, don’t occupy too much space when packed, remove pressure on the knees, and provide support for the lower back and hips as well as reduce any pain associated with those areas.

Side and back sleepers suffering chronically from lower back pain use knee pillow bolsters. Usually around 27 inches long, this type of knee pillow enables you to move in bed without moving the knee pillow.

How to Find Pillow Thickness for Yourself?

One of the biggest challenges of ordering pillows online is figuring out the thickness or height of orthopedic pillows such as cervical pillows, lumbar pillows, and possibly knee pillows. Moreover, the thickness of the pillow has a huge impact on its effectiveness.

So, to get a rough idea of pillow height, stand against a wall in your favorite sleeping positions.

Side Sleepers Using Orthopedic Pillows

First and foremost, stand straight but perpendicular to the wall with your arms against the wall. Next measure the distance from your ears to the wall. This distance represents the thickness of the orthopedic pillow you need with your head resting on the pillow. Consequently, with a firmer orthopedic pillow, this distance is little less that the thickness of the pillow you need. On the other hand, a softer pillow would need to be thicker. Regrettably, the only way to know the thickness of a softer pillow is to try it. However, you do have the minimum thickness of the pillow.

Next, measure the distance of large gaps between your body and the wall. For example, if there is a gap between the hips and the wall, measure that distance. Consequently, to maintain a straight spine, a firm lumbar pillow of that thickness will keep your spine straight.

Next, measure the distance between the knees and the wall. When you lie in bed, the knees would towards the bed, which could cause stress on your hips. So, a pillow between the knees with thickness close to the measured distance will help minimize the stress.

Back Sleepers Using Orthopedic Pillows

First and foremost, stand straight against the wall with the wall behind you. Next measure the distance from the back of the head to the wall. This distance represents the thickness of the orthopedic pillow you need with your head resting on the pillow. Consequently, with a firmer orthopedic pillow, this distance is little less that the thickness of the pillow you need. On the other hand, a thicker softer pillow works. Regrettably, the only way to know the thickness of a softer pillow is to try it. However, you do now know the minimum thickness of the pillow.

Next, measure the distance of large gaps between your body and the wall. For example, if there is a gap between the hips and the wall, measure that distance. Consequently, to maintain a straight spine, a firm lumbar pillow of that thickness keeps your spine straight.

Stomach Sleepers Using Orthopedic Pillows

First and foremost, stand straight against the wall with the wall in front of you. Next, if your head is the only part touching the wall, measure the distance from the wall to the hips. Consequently, to maintain a straight spine, a firm lumbar pillow of that thickness keeps your spine straight. And if there is another gap between the head and the hips, another orthopedic pillow of lesser thickness may be needed to fill that gap.

Is your Spine Aligned When Sleeping in Bed?

First, to answer this question, lay down near the edge of the bed in your favorite sleeping position or positions. Next measure the following distances.

For Back and Stomach Sleepers

For Side Sleepers

Next, plot these points on a graph paper. And, if you don’t see a straight line, use appropriately sized pillows to get a straight line.

Finally, the other option, is to take a picture with you on the bed and draw a line on the picture between the middle of the knee area to the ears or nose. This lets you know where you need orthopedic pillows to align your spine.

How to Relieve Transient Insomnia and Sleep Better

Especially relevant, the National Institutes of Health, describe insomnia as a common sleep disorder in which people have a hard time sleeping. Furthermore, insomnia is classified as either transient insomnia, acute insomnia, or chronic insomnia. In fact, the primary differentiator between these three classifications, is the length of time people suffer from insomnia. Above all, transient insomnia usually lasts less than a week, acute insomnia lasts a few weeks, while chronic insomnia lasts several months or years.

Stages of Transient Insomnia

Most noteworthy, the three stages of chronic, acute, or transient insomnia correspond to the onset of sleep, maintenance of sleep, and end of sleep.

For example, some people have a hard time going to sleep. But, after falling asleep, they may not be able to stay asleep. Or, after falling asleep they wake up too early in the morning. Or, after falling asleep they stay asleep a long time. On the other hand, some people fall asleep right away but, then, they wake up soon after and have difficulty going back to sleep.

Onset of Sleep

In fact, difficulty falling asleep, sometimes for hours, occurs at the onset of sleep. And, this difficulty may be due to:

Maintenance of Sleep

Most noteworthy, everyone wakes up at least once in the middle of the night. And most people go right back to sleep, some without even knowing they woke up. But for others, going back to sleep becomes a problem. Indeed, these difficulties may be due to:

End of Sleep

Finally, there are times you wake up too early in the morning and can’t go back to sleep. And, this may be due to:

Definition of Transient Insomnia

Most of all, transient insomnia is a temporary form of insomnia which can last from one night to a week. Furthermore, transient insomnia may be one night of poor sleep or recurring episodes of insomnia interspersed with days and weeks of normal sleep. Indeed, transient insomnia is caused by the following conditions.

Definition of Acute Insomnia

On the other hand, acute insomnia can last several weeks and caused by the following conditions.

Definition of Chronic Insomnia

Lastly, chronic insomnia lasts a long time, may be even months or years. And, chronic insomnia may occur for the reasons listed below.

Breadth of the Disorder

Meanwhile, at some point in their lifetime, most people have difficulty falling asleep once in a while. However, it’s only when this problem occurs frequently or regularly that people are diagnosed as having chronic, acute, or transient insomnia.

In fact, studies show that up to 95 percent of Americans suffer from episodes of insomnia as some point in their lives. Furthermore, according to the American Sleep Association, 30 percent of adults experience either transient or acute insomnia, while 10 percent experience chronic insomnia. Especially relevant, 770 million people around the world suffer from chronic insomnia.

Gene Region Linked to Chronic, Acute, and Transient Insomnia

Most noteworthy, a February 2019 study, in Nature Genetics, of more than 450,000 people in the United Kingdom identified 57 gene regions associated with chronic, acute, or transient insomnia. Meanwhile, 29 percent of the study participants reported frequent sleeplessness. Furthermore, these gene regions explain why some people get insomnia and other don’t. In addition, the study found that increased insomnia symptoms doubled the risk of coronary artery disease, depression, and a reduced sense of well-being.

Psychiatric Disorders Linked to Chronic, Acute, and Transient Insomnia

Yet, another new study, using DNA from 1.3 million people, resulted in identification of 956 genes. In fact, variants of these genes increased risk of insomnia. Also, the study discovered biological processes, cell types, and areas of the brain that have these genes.

Next, they found that parts of these genes play an important role in the functionality of axons (which allow neurons to communicate with each other). In addition, some of the genes were active in cells of the frontal cortex and the brain’s subcortical nuclei. Especially relevant, recent brain imaging studies showed these same brain areas as suspects in people with insomnia.

Also, the study found a strong genetic similarity between insomnia and:

Finally, the study reported that vulnerability to insomnia runs in families.

Remedies for Transient Insomnia or Acute Insomnia

Because insomnia doubles the risk of coronary heart disease along with links to other conditions, insomnia needs to be treated. Moreover, treatments for acute or transient insomnia are given in the section below.

Treatments for Insomnia

Bedroom

Most of all, if none of these remedies work, it is important to see your doctor.

Sleeping with a wedge pillow, using therapy wedge pillows, is great for receiving sufficient rest and recovering. These specific kinds of pillows are utilized in homes, medical clinics and nursing homes to assist people with different health complications such as back pain, sleep apnea and many others. With the world turning out to be more wellbeing conscious in recent times numerous items that were restrictive to clinical practices and establishments are getting all the more broadly accessible for the open customer. Nowadays you can easily buy your wedge pillow for your bed to provide you with the various advantages that accompany it.

In contrast to a typical pillow, wedge pillows are made to last and give much comfort as expected. Wedge pillows specifically don't level and spread the all-encompassing zone at the head of your bed. With the increase in elevation, solace and size you are guaranteed of a decent evenings sleep for a considerable length of time to come.

The Benefits of Wedge Pillows

While a few people appreciate the feel of wedge pillows, a good number of sleepers usually end up buying one for a particular well being reason. Most ordinarily, it's utilized to improve or dispose of health problems identified with:

Snoring and sleep apnea

When you sleep horizontally in your bed, the force of gravity works against the respiratory system and this can alter your airway. In certain individuals, this prompts interference of usual sleeping pattern (rest apnea). A wedged pillow smoothly repositions the body and disposes of these interferences.

Cough and post-nasal drip

Brought about by mucus trickling down the rear of the throat and into the airways, post-nasal drip can bring issues both during rest and when waking. For some, this prompts a constant cough that appears like not disappearing. Sleeping on a wedged pillow gives enough elevation to the chest area, which keeps mucus from assembling at the rear of the throat. At last, this diminishes irritation and inflammation, resulting in good overall health.

Back pain

In individuals with particular types of back pain, a wedged pillow can give enough slope to stack the vertebrae and hips in the right spinal arrangement. Normally individuals with upper back issues benefit most from a wedge pillow than those with pain in their lower back.

Nighttime asthma

For those experiencing asthma during the night, a wedge pillow retaliates against the unfavourable impacts of gravity and stops blood from pooling in the lungs (which might be one of the reasons for breathing issues).

Post-operative care

Specialists frequently suggest therapy wedge pillows in people who have recently undergone surgery. Dependent upon where it is put, it can relieve pain and swelling in sensitive joints. A few people even discover two wedge pillows helpful – one for the upper body and another for knees.

Help relieve heart burns

The entire explanation behind heartburns is that acid travels back up to the upper body into the throat, making things very not comfortable in your throat area and upper chest. This cannot be possible if you are dozing at a raised edge.

Hiatal hernia

A bed with a wedged pillow is likewise incredible for individuals experiencing a hiatal hernia. As you most likely are aware, the outside of a level bed or a supportive sleeping pad can be very painful in case you experience a condition like this one.

Sleeping in an elevated position assists a lot with this, it eases or even eliminates pain at all. Have a go at getting a pillow of this sort for your bed and you'll likely rest a lot simpler around evening time.

These are only the most widely recognized advantages of a wedge pillow. Converse with various customers who have used a wedge pillow and you will realize that each his/her own unique needs and preferences. It's this flexibility that makes it so famous.

FAQs

Is it good to sleep with a wedge pillow?

Side sleepers who utilize a wedged cushion to rest at a slope will likewise discover help for medical problems like rest apnea and heartburn. Besides, utilizing a wedged pillow for side rest will offer more noteworthy help to your neck and shoulders, permitting your body to fall into the ideal nonpartisan position.

Are wedge pillows bad for you?

When sleeping on a flat position, stomach acids may get up to the throat and mouth. The acids can cause a respiratory failure that is enormously unsafe. Nowadays, specialists recommend individuals use wedged pillows. These items keep your head somewhat higher than the rest of the body.

Is a wedge pillow good for neck pain?

Sleeping with a wedged pad under your head can help diminish neck pain while hoisting your legs with the wedge pad can offer back help and help lessen pressure on your lower back.

Should shoulders be on pillow when sleeping?

In case you are a back sleeper, you should push your pad down close to your shoulders not lay your shoulders on the cushion. Your head ought to be level when it's on the pad. Your ears ought to be in an equal line with your shoulders. The pad ought not to be thick to such an extent that your chin is tucked into your chest.

Conclusion

In case you are experiencing one of the various physical conditions, a wedge pillow may truly profit you. Getting sufficient rest is one of the most significant things in this world, thus numerous individuals experience the ill effects of wounds and sicknesses that make it very hard to rest. A wedge pillow will help with these conditions, by permitting the body to rest in a slanted and raised position. The purposes behind considering one are many, and the utilization of a bed wedge is generally helpful for individuals experiencing different wellbeing conditions.

4 Tips to Sleep Comfortably While Camping

The hustle and bustle of city life can get anyone down. That’s why more and more people are escaping into nature, replacing cold concrete environments with natural greenery. Data shows that time out in nature can do wonders for your mental health and even benefit your physical health. Camping gives us the opportunity to really immerse ourselves in nature, breathe in the fresh air, and spend a few days just moving instead of sitting in front of a computer. Most people plan out their camping trip by focusing on the daytime activities -- hiking, skiing, sightseeing but one of the worst things you can do is forget to prepare for the night. In fact, to get the most out of your escape its important to sleep comfortably while camping.

A few nights of restful sleep can greatly improve your mood and energy levels, but you have to take special steps to make sure you’re getting the most out of your nights.

Here are a few tips to help you get the best sleep possible while camping.

Pick the Right Spot

Before you start setting up your tent or pulling out the air mattresses, it’s worth spending a bit of time to find a great camping spot. Of course, every person is different, so your own idea of what makes the “perfect spot” depends entirely on your own preference. Here’s a short list of a few of the things you might want to consider.

Things to Consider

No Screens Before Bedtime

We’re so attached to our phones that they’re the first thing we go for in the morning and they’re the last thing we look at before sleep. However, there’s scientific evidence that shows that the sharp light from our phone screens is responsible for the poor quality of sleep we’re all getting. The blue, artificial light suppresses melatonin, the hormone that manages your body’s sleep cycle.

Leave your phone for emergencies and allow yourself to just enjoy nature and sleep comfortably while camping.

No, I’m not proposing you leave modern life behind and live in the wilds as our ancestors did, but a few days away from your phone can do wonders for your internal clock. After all, humans have spent almost their entire existence scheduling activities and sleep on the rising and setting of the sun. Let your body reset and re-tune to its natural settings.

You’ll find you wake up earlier in the day energized by the best rest you’ve had in months.

Prepare for Pests

Shutting the zipper on your tent’s entrance at night is second nature to most people. Who wants woodland critters getting into your food? But many campers forget the absolute havoc mosquitoes can wreak. The worst part is that they’re so small that they might already be in your tent by the time you close up. It doesn’t even take that many to ruin your night -- just one or two will have you scratching and slapping until morning.

One option is bug spray. A good spray will take out mosquitoes within a minute, but you’ll have to sleep with the smell in your nose all night. If you’re going for the spray, it’s good to release some into your tent a few hours before you go to bed. Keep the entrance closed to allow the spray to work its magic, then enter once you’re ready to sleep.

No camper should leave their home without bug repellant. Whether it’s a spray or a lotion, bug repellant will keep mosquitoes away the whole night through. While very effective, they’re not a complete solution since repellants aren’t meant to be applied to your face.

The best solution is a mix of both. Spray your tent to get whatever bugs have crept in during the day, then apply repellent on your arms, legs, and neck before bed. Don’t forget to zip up whenever you enter or leave your tent.

Regulate Your Body Temperature

Nights out in nature can get really cold. Even if you’ve got a sleeping bag, it’s good to bring along a blanket or two just in case. You can also line your bag with tomorrow’s clothes to keep your toes warm.

For air beds, you can get a nice mattress topper to help make your sleeping experience more comfortable. A good, thick one will help keep the heat from escaping out from beneath you.

Sometimes the nights are actually too warm for comfortable rest. In this case, you can sleep without a blanket or on top of your sleeping bag. Dressing down can help as well -- assuming you’re comfortable enough to do so with your tent mates -- but you’ll need to be extra cautious of mosquitoes getting at your exposed skin.

Opening the door to your tent will allow the cool night breeze in and increase air flow. This is a good option if you’ve got a mosquito net or some other meshed material to prevent animals and mosquitoes from getting in.

Preparation Makes for Great Rest

Just a bit of forethought and preparation can help you get the most of your nights out camping. And the better your rest, the more energy you’ll have to do all the activities you want during the day.

While these tips mostly apply to camping in a tent rather than a camper or RV, there are plenty of ways to make sleep in an RV more comfortable.

Your camping trip will be so much more enjoyable if you’re able to figure out how to sleep comfortably - follow these tips and you’ll wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go.

How to Balance Exercise and Sleep

Biking, jogging, lifting weights, dancing, or aerobics---these are just some of the many ways people exercise to stay fit. However, exercising regularly isn’t enough; in fact, too much exercising can be harmful. In addition to a balanced diet, you need to pair hard exercise with adequate sleep. Meanwhile, the way to balance exercise and sleep is sleeping at least 8 hours, as needed by a healthy adult.

Now, you may wonder why sleep is so important; after all, you’re just lying there and relaxing. Well, it’s pretty simple. As you sleep, your body becomes incredibly active repairing itself from all the stresses, injuries, and damages it incurred while you’re awake.

For example, no matter how much a bodybuilder works out, his muscles wouldn’t bulk up if he has inadequate sleep. That’s because it’s during his sleep when his sore muscles heal. And because the body doesn’t want to injure itself again, it adds another layer of muscles to reinforce the existing muscles. This layering is what builds big, impressive muscles.

As you can see, it doesn’t matter how much you exercise. Insufficient sleep can hamper athletic performance.

Equalizing Sleep and Exercise

How do you find an ideal balance of exercising and sleeping to achieve optimal health? Here are a few pointers:

Pick the best mattress

Exercise several hours before bedtime

Exercising can cause exhaustion, allowing you to fall asleep quicker and attain a better quality of sleep. However, you shouldn’t do heavy exercises too late at night. Doing so increases your body temperature, and the adrenaline gives your mind a certain “high.” These two factors prevent you from falling asleep.

As a rule of thumb, you should do your exercise sessions 3 to 4 hours before bedtime. This gives your body time to cool down and get ready for sleeping.

Stick to an exercise-sleep routine

Your body is naturally wired to “remember” routines. As thus, follow and stick to a routine. For example, you may want to head off to the gym an hour or two after mid-day so you can sleep early at 9 PM. If that works for you, stick to that routine every day. You’ll feel reinvigorated after lunch and begin to feel drowsy as 9 PM draws near.

Exercise in the morning

Fitness experts suggest that you perform your exercises as part of your morning routine. Doing so boosts your energy level and alertness. You’ll be productive all throughout the day. At the end of the day, you’ll probably feel exhausted, ready to hit the bed for some sweet sleep. 

Turn electronics off

Do you always look at your gadgets to check your next day’s exercise program, how far you ran today, how many calories you burned, and so on? Switch them off. Too much exposure to artificial light from smartphones, tablets, laptops, and TV inhibits the natural release of melatonin. Melatonin is the primary hormone that regulates your body’s sleep-wake cycle. Less melatonin means it’s harder for you to fall asleep.

Switch off your gadgets or TV half an hour to 45 minutes before bedtime. Rather than using light-emitting devices, read something such as a fitness magazine, an athletic journal, or a novel.

Eat a light meal a few hours before bed

Listen to your body

Your body has an innate way of telling you what it needs. Thus, always consider what you feel. For example, if you feel unusually lethargic even though you’re supposed to work out in the gym at a particular time, then obey your body and have a rest. Perhaps you were not adequately rested last night. Perhaps you worked out too intensely during the past few days, and your body wants to take a break. 

Don’t drink alcoholic beverages before bedtime

Some people chug some beer or wine before sleeping to feel drowsy. While it often works, health experts dissuade people to do this. For one, alcohol hampers muscle growth and decreases testosterone levels. Two, alcohol can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle.  Three, alcohol dehydrates you as it metabolizes alcohol.

All these internal activities interrupt your sleep, causing you to wake up in the morning tired, irritable, and perhaps suffering from a hangover.

Take the right medicines

If you are a particularly active individual, you might have trouble sleeping. Visit your doctor and see if he can recommend some sleep aids. Melatonin, antihistamine, Ambien, and other doctor-prescribed sleep medication are generally effective in the short-term. Note, however, that in the long term, they can be habit-forming.

Get out of bed

If all else fails, don’t twist and turn on your mattress all night long. The energy you use in trying to sleep may actually be preventing you from drifting into unconsciousness. Instead, get off your bed and do something that relaxes you---reading a book, working on a scale model, or some other quiet activity to help you calm down. Try not to think too much of things and situations that keep you stressed.

Conclusion

A good, healthy life revolves around balance. Too much of everything, even a good thing such as exercise, can be detrimental to your health and well-being. As such, it’s important to compensate for your hard work with a good quality of rest.

From picking the perfect mattress for a good night's sleep to sticking to getting off from bed to ward off stressful thoughts, these tips should help you snooze tight each night so your body can rejuvenate itself.

Guest Author’s Bio

Different Types of Sleeping Disorders: What You Need to Know

About 50-70 million US adults are being affected by sleeping disorders. Further studies reveal that being unable to sleep properly has caused road accidents that resulted in about thousand deaths and forty thousand injuries.

It comes across frequently in our lives that we cannot find that sweet spot of sleeping. There are nights that our consciousness just cannot put it all together to let our bodies rest in sync. Sounds harmless at hindsight, right? But if we are talking long-term here, the sleepless nights or just screwed up sleeping patterns accumulated can cause serious health problems and real-world physical harm to ourselves.

With that, it is better to educate ourselves about the different types of sleeping disorders in our lives and possible remedies to combat them, so we can be worry-free the next night we lay flat in our beds.

5 Most Common Sleeping Disorders

In this article we will look at the five most common sleeping disorders and their treatment.

1. Insomnia

Insomnia is one of the most common sleeping disorders in humanity. It refers to the difficulty of a person to get sleep or staying asleep. There are two types of insomnia, and they are:

If you have insomnia, you could be already experiencing any of the following:

Common treatments for insomnia

Medications for insomnia are usually tailored to target the underlying causes. If the root cause of poor sleep is due to anxiety or depression, then your physician may prescribe you with something that treats such conditions. There are also medications for sleep that can be prescribed as well, but they are more of a short-term solution or as-needed basis type of medication.

If you are uncomfortable with taking that much medicine, you can resort to non-medical methods such as cognitive behavior therapy, hypnosis, sleep restriction, and relaxation techniques. Lifestyle changes are also welcome.

2. Narcolepsy

If insomnia is the sheer lack of sleep type of condition, narcolepsy is somewhat on another opposite direction. It is a disorder that causes you to suddenly fall asleep at any given point of time no matter where you are. You can experience this while eating, socializing, or even driving. The consequences of this can range from mild to something dire, depending on what you are currently doing.

Now, you could have narcolepsy if you experience the following:

Common treatments for narcolepsy

To counter narcolepsy, the usual treatment is via scheduled naps and medication. The diagnosis of narcolepsy is done through overnight polysomnogram followed by a daytime study called a multi sleep latency test.

3. Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is described as a serious yet common sleeping disorder. This happens when your airway is being blocked, causing stoppages in breathing. This often results in snoring, choking, and even morning fatigue as soon as you wake up.

You could have sleep apnea if you experience:

Common treatments for sleep apnea

There are a lot of ways to treat sleep apnea, such as weight management, positional therapy, and surgery. But perhaps the most common treatment of them all is called CPAP therapy.

CPAP therapy or continuous positive airway pressure, as they call it, is the process of using a CPAP device to synthetically pump air through the airway through a mask and tube installed to the device to clear the blockade in your airway. Before using one, make sure to clean your equipment first using a CPAP cleaner. A CPAP cleaner is a specially manufactured sanitizer that uses UV or oxygen technology to keep your device and equipment clean and safe to use.

A CPAP cleaner is commercially available through online outlets so make sure to get one before using your CPAP device.

4. Restless Legs Syndrome

This unusual sleeping syndrome is characterized through the uncontrollable urge to move your legs while you are resting. There is also a feeling of tingling, aching, or burning in your calves. This can also be felt in other body parts as well.

You could have RLS if you experience:

Common treatments for restless legs syndrome

To treat RLS you must undergo behavioral therapy and medications, specifically the type that can supply iron. You can also start by reducing intake of stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol, regular exercise, and developing good sleeping habits. During episodes of RLS you can do some self-treatments like leg massaging, hot bath, hot and cold compress, relaxation exercises, and mind exercises.

5. REM Sleep Behavior Disorder

REM sleep behavior disorder is the acting out of your dreams while you sleep. Basically, this is when you re-enact whatever it is you see on your dreamland. This can cause danger to you or anyone around you so you must take this disorder seriously.

You could have REM sleep behavior disorder if you experience:

Common treatments for REM sleep behavior disorder

Treatment options for REM sleep behavior disorder include the intake of:

Non-medical treatments include changes in the sleep environment and making it as safe as possible so no further harm will be inflicted.

Final Thoughts

It is crucial that you consult with your physician and deal with your sleeping disorders as early as possible. A sleep disorder not only causes yourself a great deal of health problems, but it can also inflict a whole world of inconveniences and serious harm to your colleagues and loved ones. There is always help and treatment around, so never hesitate to seek them the moment you start to feel these sleeping disorders.

Sources:

Top Reasons Why Sleep is Most Important Factor for a Better Body

Getting a proper night’s sleep consistently can easily be called as the single most important things as far as maintaining the right shape of your body is concerned. No matter how diligently you stick to your diet or exercise schedule, if you are missing out on a good sleep quality, you will fail to achieve the kind of body you are trying to build for yourself. A good sleep health can in turn make the process of losing weight much easier by increasing the effectiveness of your work out and diet. We will therefore be looking at all the reasons why sleep is quintessential for a better body by evaluating the relation between proper sleeping and weight gain and why does your body need sleep.

1 Brain Function

A key factor in good overall sleep and weight loss is the way your brain functions. Although it may not look like it, your brain function has a lot to do with the way your body is processing your diet and exercising. A good sleep helps you maintain good mental functioning which in turn increases the efficiency of your work out. Different stages of sleep help in crucial aspects of the brain such as memory consolidation, cognition, mood, productivity, concentration, and mood boost. This not only helps in increasing the athletic performance of the body but also reduces the risk of injuries and accidents.

2 Muscle Repair and Immunity

The restorative qualities of sleep such as muscle repair helps people participate in physical activities that put extra strain on the muscles. Additionally, better rested individuals experience better motivation and can easily channel energy bursts from their body. This is why players are often advised by their trainers to have a good night’s sleep before a big event. Even non-athletic individuals can easily perform their work out sessions with ease without putting too much stress on their body muscles and heart. People who have a good sleep health are also more likely to have a good immune function and they are better equipped to fight with infections that cause illnesses.

3 Weight Loss

Before trying to understand how does sleeping help you lose weight and how does sleep burn fat, let’s look at a couple of studies related to the subject. A study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information that was trying to find a link between sleeping and weight gain established that poor sleep is responsible for lack of proper regulation of glucose in the body. It also said that insufficient sleep was linked with decreased insulin sensitivity and a heightened risk of obesity. Such individuals are therefore at a marked risk of experiencing conditions like type 2 diabetes. The researchers pointed at the mark similarity in the growing trend of obesity and poor sleep health which are almost running parallel to each other.

Another study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal monitored several participants suffering with obesity who were made to sleep in either a period of 5.5 hours or 8.5 hours for a span of 2 weeks. The researchers looking at the relation between weight loss and sleeping found that the people who slept for about 5.5 hours every night actually lost their muscle mass. Whereas the participants in the second set lost 55 percent more body fat. 

4 Appetite

Numerous similar studies in the past have established the link between quality sleep and weight loss. Researchers have also pointed at the abnormal levels of hormones that control hunger in the body, known as leptin and ghrelin. Lack of sleep decreases the levels of leptin which suppresses the appetite in your body and increases that of ghrelin which is responsible for a heightened appetite. This makes it harder for sleep-deprived people to stay in a good shape because of the constant craving of food that they experience due to hormonal imbalance. Not only does this increase your appetite for unhealthy food but also reduce your motivation of working out.

5 Stress

This in a way triggers a cycle which increases your cortisol levels that are responsible for regulating stress in your body. Increased stress in turn makes it further hard to fall asleep and you find it extremely hard to come out of the cycle once you are in it. What’s worse is that people can experience conditions like stress eating at times like these, particularly sugary and fatty foods. Such a condition forces an individual to keep eating even when they are not actually hungry as this is just a way of the body responding to increases emotion levels. Lack of sleep makes it harder for the insular cortex in the brain to deal with such an issue, so much so that at times sleep-deprived individuals can’t even tell the difference between food that is fresh and that which is rotten.

Bottom line

So, the answer to questions like “does sleeping help you lose weight?” and “does sleep burn fat?” is “yes, it does!” However, studies have shown that insufficient amount of sleep can reduce the amount of weight lost as fat but increase the amount of weight lost as body mass. To make sure that you do not miss out on achieving a good night’s sleep consistently, try following these easy steps when facing problem falling asleep. You may also want to invest in a good mattress and an equally suitable mattress topper that you need for sleeping comfortably. Check out some of the best feather mattress topper reviews from this year.

In conclusion, we would like to state that all it takes is the right amount of sleep along with your diet and exercise to help maintain the balance between weight loss and sleeping. We hope that the facts mentioned above help you better understand why does your body need sleep to achieve the kind of body you are aiming for.

How Good Sleeping Practices Delay Alzheimer’s Effects

First and foremost, dementia is a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. Furthermore, Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia. In fact, Alzheimer’s accounts for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Most of all, alzheimer’s effects worsens over time. It is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on a conversation and respond to their environment.

Especially relevant, Alzheimer’s effects include poor sleep.

Also, nearly 10% of Americans age 65 and older and one-third of Americans age 85 and older have Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, of those with Alzheimer’s, 81 percent are age 75 or older.

Alzheimer’s Effects - Protein tau

First and foremost, in one study, scientists studied 119 adults aged 60 and older. Also, 80% of these adults had no thinking or memory problems. While, the others had only mild thinking or memory problems.

In any case, among these adults, the study found that adults with reduced slow-wave sleep (also known as deep sleep) or poor sleep had higher levels of the brain protein tau. Incidentally, these elevated levels of tau are one of Alzheimer’s effects. Moreover, brain damage and mental decline caused these elevated tau levels.

Hence, Alzheimer’s effects include poor sleep or reduced slow wave sleep in older adults. So, poor sleep is a warning sign for the presence of Alzheimer's.

Observational Studies of Alzheimer’s Effects – Amyloid Plaques

First of all, observational studies also found reduced slow-wave sleep as a common factor among adults, over age 65, who had amyloid beta plaques in their brain. In fact, amyloid beta plaques in the brain, are a physical sign of Alzheimer’s effects. Yet these adults did not show signs of Alzheimer’s effects, such as memory loss and cognitive decline.

Incidentally, slow-wave sleep (which is part of deep sleep phase) consolidates your memories. As a result, reduced slow-wave sleep hurts the memory consolidation process.

Especially relevant, amyloid beta proteins accumulate in the brain every day. Also, amyloid beta proteins are thought to be a waste product from the energy used by brain cells to communicate with each other. However, your brain sweeps out the excess amyloid beta proteins every night during slow-wave sleep.

Regrettably, some studies suggest that, interrupted slow-wave sleep causes build up of amyloid beta proteins to form plaque in brain tissue. Incidentally, scientists believe, this sign of Alzheimer’s effects, is also the first stage in the development of Alzheimer’s. Indeed, plaque can build up two decades before symptoms of memory loss and confusion appear.

PET Scans of Alzheimer’s Effects – Amyloid Beta Levels

Meanwhile, a 2015 study in Nature Neuroscience imaged the brains of 26 adults, between the ages of 65 to 81. Also, these adults had not been diagnosed with dementia and did not report any sleep problems. First, PET scans on the adults measured their brain's amyloid beta levels. Then they were asked to memorize 120 pairs of words and tested on how well they remembered a portion of them.

The adults then slept for eight hours. During this time their brain waves were measured. And these brain waves searched for sleep disruptions, as well as to find out if they woke up during the slow-wave phase. The next morning, as they tried to recall the memorized words, their brains were scanned again.

Over all, adults with the highest amyloid beta levels in their brain had the poorest quality of sleep. Moreover these adults performed worst on the memory test. In fact, some forgot more than half of the words. In conclusion, then, improving the quality of your sleep results in the brain's lowest amyloid beta levels.

Also, the high amyloid beta levels still remaining in the brain after sleep, likely turns to plaques. Therefore, these high residual amyloid beta levels are another growing sign of Alzheimer’s effects.

Role of Sleep

Conclusion

In the meantime, other studies report that aerobic exercise helps you get better sleep quality. Also, because overweight people tend to have more sleep problems, it's important to lose weight by a combination of dieting and exercising.

In conclusion, exercising, losing weight, and practicing good sleeping habits helps you improve your sleep. Which in turn protects you from both amyloid beta plaques as well as tau proteins, both of which are growing signs of Alzheimer’s effects. In addition, good sleeping habits, like sleeping 8 hours every day, also protects you from all the other bad consequences.

Be on the Lookout for these Sleep Loss Symptoms

The Body’s Sleep Loss Symptoms

First and foremost, your body’s signs are listed below.

Cognitive

Next, your cognitive related sleep loss symptoms are listed below:

Food

Next, your food related sleep loss symptoms are listed below.

Sleep

Also, your sleep related symptoms are listed below.

Mood

And, your mood related sleep loss symptoms are listed below.

Other Sleep Loss Symptoms

Finally, the other signs of sleep loss.