Don't Skimp On Your Sleep, It Could Cause Your Death!

A recent study has shown that those of you who regularly get fewer than six hours of sleep at night are significantly increasing your risk of stroke. Researchers found that those in middle age who skimped on sleep were more likely to suffer stroke symptoms than those who got at least nine hours of shut-eye even if they were of healthy weight and with no family history of stroke.


Study: More than 5,000 participants, who were between 45 and retirement age, were monitored for three years as part of the US study.

The participants were divided into five groups according to how many hours a night they slept. They were asked to report their symptoms every six months.

The findings:

• Those who slept for fewer than six hours were most likely to experience symptoms such as numbness or weakness down one side of their body, dizziness, loss of vision or a sudden inability to express verbally or in writing.

• Scientists at the University of Alabama said the impact of sleep deprivation was a major one, even after taking into account age, weight and other known risk such as high blood pressure.

• Co-author Virginia Howard, a professor of epidemiology, said: ‘Many people can have these symptoms and not recognize them as a precursor to having a stroke, and perhaps not even mention them to their doctor. 

• ‘Sleeping habits can exacerbate the potential for these symptoms, which are internationally recognized as putting people at extraordinary risk of subsequent stroke.’ 

 How will this study affect you?

  

Most people think that all they need is to sleep more, but they failed to realize that quality of sleep is more important.

A few years back, I was barely sleeping enough because of late-night supper, project deadlines and work stress (I had a demanding boss!)which were keeping me up at night. My body was in a horrible shape, my weight was fluctuating and I looked older than my actual age.

In 2010, I started to seek help and to search for my own remedies.I have been sleeping better ever since then and have compiled all my knowledge into a series of newsletter.

To get started, here are some good sleep habits you can follow:

Food:  Avoid caffeine late in the day, eat the last meal of the day at least 2 hours before bedtime and cut down or avoid fluids at least one hour before bedtime.

Exercise: Avoid vigorous exercises too close to bedtime.

Bedroom: Try as much not to watch television in bed and relax your mind before bedtime to create a bedroom environment that enhances sleep.

If you have any other difficulties regarding sleep or would like to ask what food is advisable for you to take it to improve your quality of sleep, click here to leave a comment or drop me a question. 

Sign up for my newsletter “5 Minutes Daily Healthy Tips For the Busy You” and see a better you in 6 weeks!

What you will be expecting in your mail once a week,

1. Updated information on health news

2. 5- minute exercise routines you can do daily

3. Tips to improve your physical and spiritual well-being

 and many more...

Once you have signed up, you will receive a FREE info-fact sheet which will give you a summary of how insomnia will affect you and what can you do about it.

Keep the questions coming, we will work on them one by one.

To your health,

Are you changing your sleeping habits?

Check it out. I think you'll love this. Press the play button below...

Now I know this isn't you in the video, right friend?

Right?

Good.

Many people will start to procrastinating when it comes to starting an exercise regiment, lifestyle and diet change.

When they don't do anything, absolutely NOTHING changes.

But they know that not remaining at status quo will means an improvement in their health, relationships and work.

Let's get started today!

Start to take note of your diet and take action. You never know when it is too late to reverse the process.

I wish you a pink of health,

Dawn

Insomnia remedy- Philip Stein’s sleep watches

A week ago, I chanced upon a newspaper clipping on URBAN which had a short feature of Will Stein, who is the owner of Philip Stein, a renowned company which carries an extensive collection of watches. In the interview, Will Stein mentioned that he wears a watch which uses natural frequency technology to aid his sleep. I was intrigued by such a technology and decided to go find out more about it since I am in the pursuit for solutions to help people sleep better.  

In 2002, Philip Stein developed a watch which uses frequency-based technology incorporated into its luxurious watches. Within a year of the official launch, the company was overwhelmed by testimonials- better sleep, less tension, improved concentration and improved overall wellbeing. There was even an endorsement by media giant Oprah Winfrey who featured the watch on the show.

The interesting thing is that in 2009, Philip Stein commissioned NeuroTrials Research, an independent clinical trials organization, to conduct a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study. The results were positive and most people could sleep better. This page is where you can find the results of the clinical test.

It’s interesting how the natural frequency from the watch can resonate with the human’s electromagnetic field to help with sound restful sleep. Such findings have also raised skepticism among insomniacs who will baulk at the idea of spending a minimum of $1000 to own such watches.

In my opinion, such health related products should work to a certain extent if not people will not be won over by it. However, it may not work for everyone. An individual who is stressed and having sleep disorders should take note of other factors which are also equally as important.

Do you know anyone who wears watches of such technology? Leave a comment!

Read also: Sleep routines that HELP you sleep better

                  Sleeplessness: How does it affect you?

Opt-in to my mailing list and get in touch with me for a wellness screening to better understand the condition of your body which may be affecting your quality of sleep every day.

Sleep deprivation will lead to TYPE 2 diabetes

Extracting from the article published in The Straits Times, it is alarming that “Last year, 11.3 per cent of the population had diabetes, up from 9 per cent in 2004, according to National Health Survey.” Most sufferers have Type 2 diabetes- the kind linked to poor diet, obesity, lack of exercise and lifestyle- and the problem is spreading as “people in the developing world adopt more Western lifestyles.”

Diabetics have inadequate blood sugar control, which can lead to serious complications like heart disease and stroke, damage to the kidneys or nerves, and blindness. However, many are caught unaware when they are developing prediabetes symptoms which eventually lead to diabetes in less than 5 years later. 


Before people develop Type 2 diabetes, they almost always have "prediabetes"—blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. 

One of the crucial factors which can lead to diabetes is poor sleep. Lack of sleep also reduces the release of appetite controlling chemicals in our body. This causes obesity and paves path for type2 diabetes. Sleeping less than six hours each weeknight makes you four-and-a-half times more likely to develop prediabetes, according to a study presented at a recent American Heart Association conference.

Prediabetes already afflicts 57 million Americans, and 25% of them will develop Type 2 diabetes. The researchers say sleep may be crucial in helping manage hormones that control blood sugar. These are some symptoms you could look out for if you are concerned whether you are at risk:

•   increase in urination
•  increased feeling of thirst
•  marked weight loss
•  feeling of being ill

Fortunately, pre-diabetes does not automatically become irreversible Type 2 diabetes if one can correct their lifestyle changes to a healthier one with nutritious diet, adequate sleep and a regular exercise routine.

By the above discussion we can conclude that diabetic patients need to keep an eye on their sleep habits and also pre-diabetics who are at risk for conversion to Type 2 diabetes. A sound sleep always improves your general health and reduces the risk of diabetes as well as other diseases. 


No one can deny or undermine the refreshing importance of sound sleep. Isn’t it so?

Opt-in to my mailing list and get in touch with me for a wellness screening to better understand the condition of your body which may be affecting your quality of sleep every day.

Untreated sleep apnea- who is at risk?

Most of us do not think that snoring is something to be overly concerned about- unless our bed partner is disrupted by it! However, frequent and loud snoring could be a sign of sleep apnea, a common and hazardous problem which leads to respiratory difficulties while asleep. Sleep apnea affects between 2-4 percent of the middle-aged population. Males, middle-aged and obese have the greatest risk of developing sleep apnea. In untreated sleep apnea, breathing may stop or be markedly reduced. With the stoppage in airflow, there is at least a 4% drop in oxygen in the blood which is a direct result of the reduction in the transfer of oxygen in the blood. At this point, you could be jolted out of your natural rhythm.

Sleep deprivation, nasal congestion and sleeping on your back can worsen sleep apnea. Also, our lifestyle is a factor that contributes to snoring. Drinking alcohol can worsen sleep apnea by reducing the activity of the upper airway and dilating muscles that prevent the airway from closing over during sleep.

As a consequence, you will be spending more time in light sleep and less time in the deep, restorative sleep that you will need to be energetic, mentally sharp, and productive the next day.

Untreated sleep apnea can lead to more severe health consequences. These are some examples.

• Increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart
  attack, stroke, obesity and diabetes

• Increase the risk of, or worsen, heart failure

• Irregular heartbeats

• Increase in chance of having work-related or
  driving accidents

How are you diagnosed?

If you suspect that you are having sleep apnea because of habitual snoring and choking episodes, you should visit a sleep specialist and obtain a detailed medical history and physical examination. Often, a sleep study will be conducted. Breathing, blood oxygenation level, snoring, brain activity and many other parameters are monitored. The sleep study will enable the doctor to diagnose and assess the severity of the condition.

How can you treat sleep apnea?

The basic objective of treating OSA and reversing all the complications is to prevent the upper airway from collapsing inwards during sleep. The various options available include:

• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy

• Upper airway surgery

• Oral appliances

• Lifestyles modifications

CPAP therapy is delivered from a machine which delivers air pressure through a mask placed over your nose while you sleep, just enough to keep your upper airway passages open to help patients with moderate to severe sleep apnea from snoring. Although CPAP is a preferred method of treating sleep apnea, some people find it cumbersome or uncomfortable.

Another option is wearing an oral appliance designed to keep your throat open. CPAP is more effective than oral appliances, but oral appliances may be easier for you to use. Surgical options have success rates rarely higher than 65% and often deteriorate with time.

In my opinion, success rate for all these procedures may not be 100% effective as they are often only between 50-70% effective. The most effective way is to modify your lifestyle. People who have sleep apnea are mostly overweight, partial weight loss (10%) may improve the condition and reduce the risk for more severe health consequences.

Resources

• www.sleepapnea.org -- American Sleep Apnea Association

• www.aasmnet.org -- American Academy of Sleep Medicine

Discover how you can maintain a healthy diet and have a successful weight loss regime.

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Insomnia treatment- Instant stress relief!

In my previous articles, most of you would have identified some of the symptoms you may be facing. The most common symptom generally felt by many is feeling fatigue the first thing in the morning. Coffee seems to be the only beverage that seems to be working, but the number of cups seems to be increasing as one cup does not seem to be enough to keep you energetic anymore.

Are people doing anything to increase their quality sleep hours instead of doing something to increase their wake hours?

The mind has a great influence over the energetic body because it plays a significant part in the health of our energy body. It can either work for us, helping to balance the energy flow and bringing about good health, or it can work against us, causing disruptions and diminishing our overall health.

Conditions such as insomnia indicate that the body is struggling and that there are energetic imbalances, which will require time and effort to put right.

I have been searching for a method which can help give you instant stress relief when you can feel a knot at your forehead. Here is a tip which you may find useful:

Focus on two very effective stress-releasing points, on your forehead about 2.5 cm (1 inch) up from the center of your eyebrows. Do it consciously and direct your energy here when your mind refuses to relax down, or when you are unable to sleep, despite your body and mind being exhausted. 

Increased clarity

Holding your stress-releasing points for a minute or two can bring tremendous relief from the turmoil of the mind. Use them whenever tensions are building, when you feel the need for increased clarity, or when you think your inability to sleep is due to stress and anxiety.

• Gently place your thumb and index or middle finder in position to induce calm.
•  After a while, you will probably notice that your breathing deepens and flows more freely and that your mind is clearer as your thoughts become less congested.

      Use these methods when you are having a rough time during school or at work. If it works for you, teach others how to do it.

If you realized that this mini exercise is not helpful, your sleep condition could be more serious. 

To accurately find out your health status and the underlying reasons which are disrupting your sleep, opt-in to my mailing list and get in touch with me for a wellness screening to better understand the condition of your body which may be affecting your quality of sleep every day.

Sleep routines that HELP you sleep better

This post is going to teach you a routine to improve your sleep!

Imagine that when you open your eyes in the morning, your mind is refreshed and you can immediately jump out of bed. Your eyes are clear and bright, and there are no signs of eye bags. After putting on your power suit, you make a quick check at the time. You are early for the meeting scheduled at 11am! If only every day is like today!

Would you like to have many days like that too?

The unfortunate fact is that, most people find it difficult to get out of bed once the alarm rings and they look dead tired when they start their day. Once lunch is over, they have a tendency to fall asleep and have poor concentration. This is the time when they drink the most cups of Nescafe, and struggle with the task on hand. 

What can you do if this scenario seems familiar to you?

Firstly, bedtime routine is part of sleep hygiene and helps us to prepare psychologically and physically for sleep. Try out these tips that may help you:

• Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol late in the day

• Eat the last meal of the day at least 2 hours before bedtime

• Cut down or avoid fluids at least one hour before bedtime

• Engage in exercise but avoid vigorous activity too close to bedtime

• Don't watch television in bed

• Relax your mind before bedtime

• Create a bedroom environment that enhances sleep

• Get up at the same time everyday

• Avoid daytime naps

Do you know…?
Relaxation is an important part of preparing for sleep. People who are plagued by a continuous stream of thoughts near bedtime can try listening to soothing music, relaxation tapes or meditation.

Our body temperature also plays an important role in determining the quality of sleep we have during the night. Our body temperature falls naturally towards the end of the day as we prepare to sleep. Having a warm bath, at least an hour before going to bed, can help raise the core body temperature and decreasing the transition time to sleep. Water has a relaxing effect on us, which also enhances sleepiness.

Exercising can also help to improve sleep. Physical exercise tires us out and results in the release of chemicals and hormones in the body that produce better quality sleep. Exercising in the afternoon rather than exercising close to bedtime is encouraged.

Having the right diet is important because we are what we eat. Inculcating the habit to have more fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet can help promote sleep.  As a first step, it’s a good idea to decrease the amount of stimulants you take in your body. Caffeinated drinks, chocolate, fizzy drinks, alcohol and nicotine, refined white sugar, junk or fast food, will lead to heartburn, dehydration, irritation of digestive process and irregularities in the heartbeat, if they are in our system for a long term.  All of which can contribute to wakefulness.

We also need to include a plentiful supply of vitamins and minerals in your diet. Therefore, eating food with high vitamin B content is vital. Vitamin B can be found in leafy green vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, lean meat and wheat germ.  Grapefruit juice, apples, apricots and honey have also been found helpful in promoting sleep. At the same time, having food rich in calcium and magnesium can also encourage the relaxation we need for sleep.

Are you curious whether you are having sufficient vitamins and minerals in your body? Would you like to enquire whether you are eating the right food for your body?

Opt-in to my mailing list and get in touch with me for a wellness screening to better understand the condition of your body which may be affecting your quality of sleep every day!

I wish you a good night's sleep,

Effect of insomnia- Death from lack of sleep

I can’t sleep!

I’m having sleep deprivation!

I have a close friend who often shares his woes to me about not being able to sleep well. He seldom exercises and feels lethargic when he misses his daily pull ups and jogs. Due to his busy schedule, he has to sleep late. In the morning, he suffers from daytime sleepiness and often has sore throat and flu throughout the day whenever he does not have a good night’s rest. He wishes to wake up for work every morning, feeling refreshed with a clear mind and an evenly balanced mood. Could you be facing such symptoms as well?

What is sleep?

As stress mounts on the society to work longer hours, it indirectly affects the quality and quantity of sleep that determines a good night’s rest. During sleep, our senses are totally disengaged and we are temporarily unresponsive to our environment.

Sleep is important to health, and lack of sleep can lead to problems with our immunity, heart and circulatory system, hormone secretion and more. Poor quality or insufficient sleep can lead to impairment of daytime functioning, excessive daytime sleepiness and progressive memory loss.

How much sleep do we need?

Teens and preteens (12 to 18 years) require an average of 8.5-10 hours while adults would need 7.5-9 hours of sleep. Most adults actually sleep between 6-8 hours a day and they are often deprived of sleep.

The best way to assess whether you are meeting your sleep needs is to evaluate how you feel as you go about your day. Feeling energetic and alert all day long means that you are logging enough hours!

Besides the amount of sleep, we also should take note of the quality of sleep. Most people who are generally sleep deprived do not enjoy sufficient deep sleep. Deep sleep is the time when the body repairs itself and builds up energy for the day ahead. It plays a major role in maintaining your health, stimulating growth and development, repairing muscles and tissues, and boosting your immune system.

Could you be suffering from a sleep disorder?

Many people around me are unaware that they could be having sleep disorders. They could be having excessive daytime sleepiness, excessive movement during sleep, sleep apnea, snoring, narcolepsy or even sleep-walking.

However, they are not doing anything about it.

A sleep disorder is an abnormality in the state or progression of sleep. Being unaware of the symptoms and finding a treatment for the disorder, this could mount to long-term insomnia.

What is insomnia?

Insomnia is a symptom which defines inadequate or poor quality sleep which could be due to:

• Difficulty in falling asleep

• Difficulty in staying asleep

• Waking up too early in the morning and unable to get back to sleep

• Un-refreshing sleep

This condition which plagues many Singaporeans both young and old may be divided into situational factors, medical or psychiatric conditions, or primary sleep problems. Insomnia increases with age and is more common in women. People over 65 years of age generally have approximately 1.5 times higher rates of sleep difficulty compared with adults below the age of 65.

The duration of symptoms can be classified into transient, short-term or chronic. Transient insomnia generally last less than seven days; short-term insomnia usually lasts for about one to three weeks, and chronic insomnia lasts for more than three weeks.

What causes insomnia?

I have been doing observational studies for some time with people around me. The most common reason which causes insomnia is stress, anxiety and also poor lifestyle habit.

However, there are also many other health conditions which will lead to sleep disorders. Below are just a handful of conditions,

• Excessive snoring

• Chronic illness e.g diabetes

• Ageing

• Menopause

But we all have to agree that despite most trying to change their lifestyle by exercising and eating right, the problem still remains because of lack of time and motivation to change.

What is the possible problems insomnia will cause?

Sleep disorders and insomnia can result in accidents at work and on the road because it reduces your concentration level resulting in poor alertness and slow response. Many people with ongoing insomnia problems become depressed or generally agitated. Insomnia can also worsen an underlying medical condition.

Can Insomnia be treated?

Insomnia treatments are available. Before treatment can be administered, you have to first diagnose the primary cause for insomnia. It can be treated with short term use of sedative medications which are prescription, non-prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids, sleep hygiene, alternative therapies, or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Therefore it’s important to understand the type of treatment available to avoid any serious repercussions to one’s health.

Are you curious whether you are having sleep difficulty? Or like to know which extent of sleeplessness you are facing?

Opt-in to my mailing list and get in touch with me for a wellness screening to better understand the condition of your body which may be affecting your quality of sleep every day.