DO YOU HAVE INSOMNIA?

Since I had my baby Alexander 5 months ago, I have found my lack of sleep very troubling. Not only because I am crabby and slightly klutzy( hence my recent broken toe accident), but because my body feels achy. As a new mother, I have read at least ten different items on the best amount of time my baby should sleep. In retrospect, I should be looking at just as many article and books in regard to my own sleep and health wellness. If you are a new mother or just a fellow insomniac. Every Wednesday will be a blog about a health problems. This Wednesday is Sleep and finding ways get more shut eye.

1) TRY ZEO: A NEW APP ON YOUR SMART PHONE THAT REGULATES EVERY STAGE YOU SLEEP!

 

On September 26, 2011, Zeo launched the mobile version of its new Zeo® Sleep Manager™ consumer product line.  Zeo Sleep Manager Mobile allows consumers to track both their sleep quantity and sleep quality in the comfort of their own beds and also helps people manage and improve their sleep using their iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, and popular Android-based smartphones.  Zeo Sleep Manager is the only consumer sleep tracking system with scientifically-proven accuracy that measures actual sleep phases, including Light, Deep and REM sleep, providing a complete and accurate picture of users’ sleep.  Zeo Sleep Manager Mobile then sends sleep data directly to users’ smartphones, which then sync automatically to their online Zeo accounts, so they can easily access online analytical tools and customized expert guidance to help them improve their sleep.

2) According to Webmed:

 "A mattress can impact a person's sleep," says Michael Decker, PhD, RN, associate professor at Georgia State University and spokesman for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

 Ideally, a mattress that reduces the pressure points on your body should give you a better night's sleep, Decker says. Yet the ideal mattress is different for each person.

Anyone with back or neck pain should take a Goldilocks approach to mattress buying: not too hard, and not too soft.

"If you're on too soft [of] a mattress, you'll start to sink down to the bottom. But on too hard of a mattress you have too much pressure on the sacrum, and on the shoulders, and on the back of the head," says Howard Levy, MD, an Emory University assistant professor of orthopaedics, physical medicine, and rehabilitation.

A medium-firm mattress, or a firm mattress with a softer pillow top, will give your spine that "just-right" balance of support and cushioning.

 If you have allergies or asthma, you might have considered buying a bed labeled "hypoallergenic."

 If you've been having trouble sleeping, the problem might not be your mattress type, but its age. "It's really important for people to realize that mattresses have a certain lifespan,"

3) Survey by Sleep in Australia: shows sleeping solo improves sleep

      Admit it, does he or she keep you up with snoring? Coughing, moving  around? Even though you love your significant other, it may be time to sleep in separate beds 

4) How much sleep do we need?

The amount of sleep each person needs depends on many factors, including age. Infants generally require about 16 hours a day, while teenagers need about 9 hours on average. For most adults, 7 to 8 hours a night appears to be the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as 5 hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day. Women in the first 3 months of pregnancy often need several more hours of sleep than usual. The amount of sleep a person needs also increases if he or she has been deprived of sleep in previous days. Getting too little sleep creates a "sleep debt," which is much like being overdrawn at a bank. Eventually, your body will demand that the debt be repaid. We don't seem to adapt to getting less sleep than we need; while we may get used to a sleep-depriving schedule, our judgment, reaction time, and other functions are still impaired. 

5) American Sleep Association Tips For A Better Night Sleep 

Tips for a Good Night's Sleep:

Adapted from "When You Can't Sleep: The ABCs of ZZZs," by the National Sleep Foundation.

• Set a schedule:

• Exercise:

Try to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day. Daily exercise often helps people sleep, although a workout soon before bedtime may interfere with sleep.

• Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol:

• Relax before bed:

• Sleep until sunlight:

If possible, wake up with the sun, or use very bright lights in the morning. Sunlight helps the body's internal biological clock reset itself each day. Sleep experts recommend exposure to an hour of morning sunlight for people having problems falling asleep.

• Don't lie in bed awake:

• Control your room temperature:

Maintain a comfortable temperature in the bedroom. Extreme temperatures may disrupt sleep or prevent you from falling asleep.

• See a doctor if your sleeping problem continues: