Looking all over the place to find the best solutions for back pain? Go no further and give it a read; I am sure this article will help to channelize your directions towards the best relief choices. Back pain can turn out to be a real nightmare, if not taken care at the right time. An immense population of people around the globe is currently suffering from this problem. Chiropractic treatments or physiotherapy can be debatable as well as an expensive option for a lot of people.

However, a lot of us are unaware of the ways in which we can alleviate the pain while sleeping. So here we are, with some incredibly useful tips and tricks that can help to reduce this problem while you are sleeping.

Major causes for back pain

Now, before we dive into the remedies of back pain, it is essential to briefly discuss some of the factors that may cause this problem.

1. Sedentary Lifestyle

A large section of people, especially those with a 9 to 5 job, spend about 10-11 hours a day sitting on a chair. This can severely affect their back posture, leading to chronic pain and disorders.

2. Zero exercises

Exercises such as Pilates tend to improve muscle strength and enduring capacity in individuals. Lack of such exercises can lead to poor body posture and increased back pain in adults.

3.Being overweight

A significant increase in weight tends to dislocate the center of gravity, mostly towards the anterior portion of your body, thereby inducing an increased strain on your back.

4. Smoking

Smokers are at potential risk to suffer from back pain mainly because of the inhaled nicotine, that inhibits calcium absorption thereby leading to degenerative vertebrae and may even expose them to osteoporosis.

Several other factors, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and pregnancy can increase the risk of back pain in individuals.

Ways to reduce back pain while sleeping

Surprisingly, there are various ways to alleviate this problem while you are sleeping. A large number of factors such as your sleeping position, the perfect mattress, or your sleep duration have a strong relationship with your back pain.

So let’s dive into some of the tips and techniques that will aid to alleviate this problem, while you are well asleep.

1. The Right Mattress

Now, there is a direct relationship between your body posture and your back pain; if your posture isn’t right, then this may lead to back discomforts and vice versa. Fortunately, all these problems can be resolved with the use of a comfortable mattress.

Impact of mattresses on back pain:

The texture of your mattress should strictly conform to your sleeping body’s position. This way, it allows the broader part of the body to sink in, while the neck and the head remain elevated.

Extra soft or lumpy mattresses may allow your entire body to sink in without providing it the correct alignment. On the other hand, a firm mattress has a debatable story. Earlier doctors recommended the use of firm mattresses for patients who suffer from back pain, but recently it has been out ruled by chiropractors and orthopaedics. Continuous use of firm mattresses can affect the spinal cord and the various pressure points of the body.

Earlier spring mattresses were a popular choice. Even today, a lot of people opt for such flat and firm mattresses, which make arch their spines causing a lot of pain and discomfort to the body. Thus, the continuous use of such mattresses can lead to chronic pain and, they can even exaggerate your discomforts to another level.

Best mattress to help your pain

Some of the best mattresses that help to maintain your sleeping body posture are usually made up of medium-firm memory foam or latex. Such surfaces restrict unnatural body position or any negative effects on your spines. Instead, they help some of the body parts to sink and others to remain afloat, giving us the perfect alignment. Memory foam mattresses conform to our body shape thereby allowing the body to rest in its natural position.

Most of the cheap or firm mattresses do not allow our body to align in its comfortable position, either the entire body is at the same level, or uncomfortable support is granted to different body parts. Memory foam mattresses allow the more extensive parts as such our hips and shoulders to sink in, whereas keeps our neck and waist at a higher level. This position gives a perfect shape that allows our spine to rest comfortably, thereby reducing the back pain. Therefore you should opt for mattresses that provide the perfect gap and sink to your body.

Some of the essential tips for choosing a medium-firm memory foam mattress:

• Choose a medium-firm mattress; never opt for extra soft or extra firm sleeping surfaces.
• While purchasing a memory foam mattress, opt for the one which is made from safe, plant-based natural material. Cheap quality foam mattress for back painmay contain harmful chemicals or can get too hot in summer.

2. Perfect sleep position

Even if you have your perfect mattress, back pains can stay a while if your sleeping position isn’t correct. So here are some tricks that you can add up to your regular sleep positions to alleviate your pain:

1. Back sleepers: Doctors usually recommend to sleep on your back, especially for those, who are diagnosed with lumbar discomfort. This position allows your body to attain a comfortable, natural alignment.

Tips: To reduce your back pain, place a pillow below your knees that will give your spine a perfect position, thereby reducing the pain.

2. Stomach sleepers: People suffering from disc diseases are usually advised to sleep on their stomach. This is suggested because if you sleep in this position, there is no pressure applied to your back which gives your back an ample amount to heal.

Tips: Place a pillow below your pelvis and lower abdomen, this helps to release any pressure from your back; giving you a perfect body posture.

3. Side sleepers: Sleeping on your sides can be beneficial for those who are diagnosed with nocturnal back pain. This position allows your spine to attain a proper stretch and prevents any unwanted arching.

Tips: Use a slightly firm pillow between your knees that allows one leg to be above the other, thus giving your body, its perfect pressure points and sleeping posture.

3. Upgrade your pillows

Most of us tend to overlook the importance of a good quality pillow. Pillows can play a significant role in improving or worsening your back pains.

Impacts: A pillow with an improper fit can cause severe neck or back strain. All the advantages of a perfect mattress can be overweighed via the use of a poor fit pillow. When you sleep with your head inclined on a pillow, the pillow should contour to your head’s shape thereby allowing the rest of the body to gain its proper posture. When this contouring is unavailable, it creates a tension between your head, neck and rest of the body. You may find yourself waking to a headache or neck discomforts and back pains in such scenarios.

Use the best pillow:

Always opt for an expensive, high-quality pillow that contours to your head’s shape. Never use more than one pillow to support your neck; this might elevate the problem of back pain.

Tips:

1. Stomach sleepers should ideally opt for higher -fill pillows. Such pillows support a natural head angle thereby vanquishing any tension between your neck and back.
2. Side sleepers should choose thin fill because such pillows allow your head and neck to be in perfect alignment to your body. When you lie on your side, your hips and shoulder are not deep into the mattress, thus thinner pillows keep your neck and head position angled at this posture.
3. Back sleepers should opt for medium-fill pillows, that help the body to get aligned to the sunken buttocks and shoulders, as well as it supports the gap between your waist and the mattress.

With all these being said, there are various other factors such a sleep duration or stress reduction that can help you to reduce the unbearable and unwanted back pains. However, if the pain is chronic with zero improvements, immediately seek medical help before the problem becomes irreversible.

Conclusion

None of us like to bear the unwanted back pain and discomforts, but unfortunately, a lot us suffer from this pain once in a while, mainly because of our busy and sedentary lifestyle. This article helps you with some of the most recommended tips and advises to cure this problem while you are well asleep. But such solutions are usually subjective, and their continuous use depends on the response of your body. A proper mattress or a perfect pillow can help to reduce the pain to a large extent, but these are surely not the only solutions to your problem.

If the pain is persistent and cannot be relieved by the above means, always seek proper medical help. Moreover, the solutions mentioned here can be useful for one person and ineffective to others. So make your own decision and choose the best of it for your problems. I hope this article has helped you to some extent in alleviating your back pain.

You may not agree with this but we all snore. There are some of us who only snore occasionally—when we are tired or have drunk too much alcohol. But there are a lot of people who snore on a regular basis. If you are one of these people, you should know that snoring can be a sign of a more serious health condition like sleep apnea.

Aside from the fact that snoring is bad for your health, it can be detrimental to your relationships too. If your snoring has already become a nuisance for your partner or other family members, it can certainly cause significant issues in your relationships.

If you are a snorer wish to put an end to all his snoring-related problems, you should read this article to discover the tried and tested solutions on how to prevent snoring.

How to Know if You Snore at Night: The Signs and Symptoms to Lookout For

The first step that you need to take is to determine if you indeed have a snoring problem. Most snorers only discover that they have a snoring problem through their family and friends. But what if you live alone?

If you do, you can actually self-diagnose yourself by looking out for the following signs and symptoms:

• You have a headache or dry mouth every time you wake up.
• You suddenly wake up at night for seemingly no reason.
• You wake up at night coughing, wheezing, or gasping for breath.
• You feel fatigued even early in the morning.
• You are suffering from a few dental health issues, particularly teeth cavities.

To determine if you have a snoring problem, we recommend that you keep a sleep diary that will help you monitor potential signs and symptoms. It is also recommended that you log down your diet and activities daily. You can share the diary with your doctor to help him come to a diagnosis.

What Causes Snoring?

Next up, you should try to figure out what factor may be causing your snoring problem. We will not go into detail about the possible causes of snoring but in gist, the most common factors are age, pregnancy, gender, obesity, nasal injury or deformity, sinus illness or allergies, side effects from medications, smoking, sleep apnea, sleep position, alcohol, inflamed tonsils, or large uvula or soft palate.

How to Prevent Snoring

After determining what the possible causes of your snoring issues are, then we proceed to determining what the most effective treatments that you can try are. Snoring treatments fall under three categories—lifestyle changes, anti-snoring products, and medical procedures. We will go into detail about each category below.

Lifestyle changes to Prevent Snoring

Below are some of the simple lifestyle tweaks that you can apply to alleviate or completely get rid of your snoring problems:

Change your sleeping position.

Do you sleep on your back? If you do, you have increased the risk of suffering from snoring problems. If this is the case, we recommend that you try to switch to sleeping on your side.

Changing your sleeping position is not easy, but with motivation and discipline, it can be done. When switching to a different sleeping position, do not forget to use body pillows and other sleep accessories to keep your spine correctly aligned and keep the airways open.

Exercise regularly.

One of the best ways to reduce snoring is to lose weight. Regular exercise can help you do that. Moreover, strength training exercises can boost muscle strength. The stronger your muscles are, the greater ability they will have to stay open while you sleep.

Establish a healthy diet.

Another great way to lose weight is to maintain a healthy balanced diet. Of course, that would entail you to incorporate fruits, vegetables and healthy fats in your diet. If you are overweight, it is recommended that you work with a dietitian or a healthcare practitioner in establishing a diet that would be easy for you to follow.

One thing that you should be particular about is the type and amount of food that you will eat a few hours before you go to sleep. It is recommended that you consume only sleep-healthy food items at dinnertime. Moreover, you should avoid consuming heavy meals two to three hours before your bedtime.

Stop smoking and drinking.

Smoking tends to dry out your nasal membranes which can make breathing more difficult and snoring a lot louder. On the other hand, alcohol is a depressant and can relax your muscles. This will worsen your snoring and breathing issues.

Take a look at your medications.

Some medications have specific side effects that can make snoring more problematic. These include making you feel sleepy, relaxing your muscles and drying your mouth. If you are dealing with breathing issues and you are taking medications that may have the mentioned side effects, it would be best if you will talk with your doctor about it.

Raise your head.

Elevating your head by 4 inches can open up your airways and help reduce snoring.

Treat allergies.

Some allergies may reduce the air that flows through your nose. As a result, you will have no choice but to breathe through your mouth which will increase your chances of snoring. If you are suffering from allergies, it is recommended that you consult a doctor so he can be able to prescribe the right allergy medication for your condition.

Get rid of dust mites.

When did you last change your beddings? Has it been a while since you last dusted off your ceiling fan? It is possible that the dust and allergen in your beddings and fans are causing the allergies and ultimately, aggravating your snoring problems.

Another possible cause of your allergy is animal dander, and you are at risk of it if you are letting your pets sleep with you inside your room.

To address this, it is recommended that you replace your beddings at least twice a month. You can also try keeping your pets out of your bedroom to see if it is the one causing your allergies.

Drink lots of fluids.

If you do not consume at least 8 glasses of water a day, you will get dehydrated. When you do, the secretions from your soft palate and nose will be stickier which can make you snore more and louder.

Enjoy a hot shower at night.

Enjoying a hot shower at night can open up nasal passages, allowing you to breathe easily at night. While showering, you can also try rinsing your nose with using a mixture of salt and water for best results.

Perform anti-snoring exercises before going to bed.

Exercises that can strengthen the muscles in your neck and throat can help reduce snoring. To know more about anti-snoring exercises that you can try, please watch this video:

Anti-snoring Products

If you are not overweight or think that your snoring problem is not caused by any lifestyle issues, one good step to take is to use anti-snoring products. Here are some of them:

Humidifier

This is not exactly a tool designed to prevent snoring, but its effect can help solve your snoring issues. Humidifiers are developed to keep the air in our bedrooms moist. As a result, it also helps prevent our nasal passages from drying out and can reduce snoring sounds.

Anti-snoring Mouthpiece

These are mouthpieces that are specially designed to secure your lower jaw in a forward position and pull your tongue forward while you sleep. As a result, you will have a broader airway that can facilitate easy breathing.

Nasal Strips

If you think that the snoring problem lies on your nose and not on your soft palate, you can make use of these strips as they are designed to flatten your nose, opening up your nostrils and keeping an unobstructed airway.

Nasal Vents

Just like nasal strips, these help in keeping your nostrils wide open at night. But instead of using strips to flatten your nose, you will insert these vents (which resemble the look of earplugs) into your nose to keep it open.

Anti-snoring Pajamas

The idea sounds ridiculous, but these work as these pajamas help keep you in a side sleeping position. These sleeping garments have a pocket where you can place tennis balls or an inflatable belt in the midsection. These items can make it uncomfortable for you to sleep on your back, leaving you no choice but to turn to your side.

Wedge Pillows

These can keep your head in an elevated position to maintain open airways.

Air Purifier with HEPA Filter

This is recommended for people suffering from allergic rhinitis. Air purifiers purify the air by getting rid of allergens, dust mites, and dander that are making your nasal congestion worse.

Neti Pot

This tool delivers a salt-water solution to your nasal passages, washing off anything that may be obstructing your airways.

Medical Treatments

There are certain situations wherein lifestyle changes and anti-snoring products won’t do the trick. If all else fails, it is best that you consult your doctor. Depending on your condition, he may suggest the following medical treatments:

Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP Therapy)

This is the most common sleep apnea treatment used today. If your snoring is due to sleep apnea, the doctor will ask you to undergo a sleep study. If diagnosed with sleep apnea, you will then be fitted for the CPAP machine. You will have to wear this machine as you sleep.

This machine features tubes that deliver the right amount of air pressure to you, keeping your airways open and preventing you from snoring. There are different types of PAP machines available—BiPAP which uses two levels of air pressure and the VPAP which uses varying levels of air pressure to keep your airways from closing. The doctor will determine which machine to use based on the results of your sleep study.

Septoplasty

If snoring is due to a deviated septum, you will be advised to undergo septoplasty which is a procedure done to realign the septum to promote proper airflow.

Uvuloplasty

This is commonly done to remove the uvula, allowing the throat to open up.

Upper Airway Simulator

This device features a small pulse generator which is attached under the skin of your upper chest area. It has a wire that runs through the lungs. This wire is responsible for detecting the breathing pattern of the user. It also has another wire that leads up to the neck and is the one that delivers mild stimulation to the nerves. This stimulation keeps the airway muscles open, helping you to breathe correctly.

Palate Surgery

If the snoring is due to the size of your soft palate, this surgery is recommended. In this surgery, tissues in your soft palate that may be obstruction your airway are removed.

Somnoplasty

If the doctor has determined abnormalities in the size of your soft palate, this treatment is performed. It uses heat to shrink the excess throat tissues and remove airway blockage.

Adenoidectomy or Tonsillectomy

If you have enlarged tonsils or adenoids, this procedure is done. It is designed to mechanically remove your enlarged tonsils or adenoids to prevent it from blocking your air passages. Most doctors recommend this treatment for children who are suffering from severe snoring issues and sleep apnea.

In Summary

We know that snoring problems can be a bit embarrassing but don’t be. A lot of people are suffering from it, and the only way for you to address this issue is to tackle it head-on. Talk with professionals or family and friends who are suffering from these issues as they may give you more useful suggestions on how to prevent snoring.

Getting babies on a predictable sleep regime can be a nightmare, especially, for first time parents. As you may know, babies will usually be awake when you want to sleep and without a good sleep schedule for the baby, you may end up suffering sleep deprivation. We shall explore effective baby sleep schedules tips to help your baby sleep during the day and through the night with minimal disruptions.

Tips for an effective baby sleep schedule

The following are some proven baby sleep tips to get the baby to sleep better. Your baby will sleep longer and wake up calm and engaging.

  1. Use the eat- wake-sleep cycle to great effect

It simply means that the baby eats when he or she wakes up, they stay awake for a while and then they go back to sleep. There is no better system of managing baby sleep than this. By feeding the baby immediately after waking, full feeding is encouraged and guaranteed since the baby is most alert and energetic after waking up.

It also prevents the baby from linking feeding to sleep if he or she is fed just before being lulled to sleep. That is not to say that you should not or cannot feed a baby right before they sleep. Newborns require feeding in the early weeks for healthy development and growth.

Read more: How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?

2. Do not run to a baby’s rescue every time they wake up or cry

It is good practice to take your time before you rush in at the sound of a baby’s cry. Most often, babies are startled to wake or may even cry and be asleep. Many times, they will babble or even cry briefly and fall silent and right back to sleep. Rushing in to the room could easily encourage the development of a bad habit.

3. Put the baby to sleep while drowsy, not totally asleep

Simply put, minimize the chances of the baby falling fully asleep in your arms. Lay the baby in the cot while still half-awake so that he or she learns to fall asleep on his or her own. This is the beginning of sleep independence.

4. Control daytime napping

Many parents would rather not wake a sleeping baby but, if you allow your baby to sleep for long stretches during the day, you can be sure that you will be kept up at night. Allow naps of two hours or two and a half hours and then wake up the baby. Feed them and keep them awake for a little while and then lull them back to sleep. Short naps during the day will help the baby to sleep more at night and allow you sufficient sleep as well.

5. Institute sleep time routines

Babies do well with routine and predictability. Having a routine right before sleep helps the baby’s mind to associate the activities with sleep time and thus make it easier for them to go with the flow.

A pre-sleep routine can come in many shades and must best include dimming the light in the environment to help the baby develop his or her sleep cycle. Additionally, a pre-nap routine during the day may differ with one before sleep at night.

So, it could have activities like singing, closing curtains and dimming the lights and cuddling for a pre-nap and having a bath and massage, feeding etc. for night time. This routine must also be kept short to allow the baby to fall asleep as quickly as possible.

6. Swaddle the baby during sleep

Swaddling the baby helps secure them from the frequent jerking movements caused by a startle reflex they have from birth to about 5 months. This reflex causes them to experience a falling sensation which startles them and causes them to wake up. Keeping the baby wrapped prevents them from jerking awake thus sleeping better and longer.

7. Feed the baby just before you go to bed

Feeding the baby before you tuck in helps to prevent the baby from waking as you drift off to sleep. It is very common for babies to wake you up just as you are getting comfortable in your sleep and if not prevented, can lead to sleep deprivation and fatigue for the parent. Feeding just before you go to bed will help the baby sleep for longer and allow you to get some much-deserved rest as well.

Read more: 8 Tips To Build A Better Bedroom

8. Understand the sleeping patterns and habit of a baby

Do not keep the baby awake thinking that it is the best way to get them to sleep; when a baby stays awake for too long, they suffer over-stimulation which will make it make it difficult to stay awake nor fall asleep and make them agitated and fussy.

A baby who is too worn out is likely to sleep for a shorter period, as compared to one who is made to sleep sooner. Generally, the more a baby sleeps, the more they get in the habit of sleeping and will be sleeping for longer periods.

Get more baby sleep scheduling information here:

Conclusion

Babies do well with routine and schedule and nowhere more so than with sleep. The easiest and most effective way to get a baby to sleep well and for you to get sufficient sleep is to institute a predictable sleep schedule for the baby.

The baby sleep schedule tips discussed here are quite easy to implement and can be done anywhere at any time. With a schedule for sleep, the baby is guaranteed better sleep and will be happier and calmer once awake. A baby who does not get enough sleep is prone to agitations and fussiness and is a handful.

Of course, start with the eat-wake-sleep cycle to wean the baby into a sleep regime. Restrain yourself from running to the baby’s room every time you here a cry or movements especially during the hours when you expect the baby to be asleep. Let the baby sleep. Most times a little cry is normal and the baby will fall right back to sleep. A baby who sleeps well guarantees you enough sleeping time and quality sleep.

It may surprise you to know that what you have been eating may be what has been the cause of your trouble falling asleep lately. Food has been known to affect different aspects of your life including your mood, sleep, and general body health. There are certain foods that prevent sleep according to various studies that have been conducted.

We are going to help you improve the quality of sleep you receive on a nightly basis by enlightening you on the meals you should avoid close to bedtime and which may be causing your insomnia.

Foods to avoid so as to get better sleep

The following is a list of foods to avoid in order to fall asleep much faster and to ensure that you sleep uninterrupted throughout the night:

• Caffeine

Studies have shown that drinking caffeine six hours or less before bed can prevent you from falling asleep. This makes it necessary for you to avoid taking coffee in the afternoon if you would like to fall asleep easily when you get to bed at night.

Caffeine has been known to stimulate your body and keep people awake for long hours. You should opt for soothing drinks such as hot chocolate or herbal teas in the afternoons to help your body relax and also ensuring you fall asleep faster when you get into bed.

• Alcohol

People have the misconception that alcohol can help one sleep faster. Taking alcohol before bed can be very harmful to your sleep schedule as it disrupts your sleep cycle by shortening your deep sleep stage of completely skipping it.

This will have the effect of causing you to toss and turn throughout the night and make you wake up feeling tired. Taking alcohol before bed can also disrupt your sleep by causing you to wake at odd hours of the night thus lowering the quality of your sleep.

• Spicy food

Studies have shown that spicy foods tend to worsen heartburn which in turn causes your sleep to be disrupted. Spicy foods can also cause you to have a restless night as they tend to increase the body’s core temperature.

• Fatty foods

You should do your best to avoid eating fatty foods before going to bed as they may have a negative effect on your sleep schedule. Fatty foods tend to be very heavy and your body takes a lot longer to digest them as compared to much healthier meals and thus cause you to have a fitful sleep.

Fatty foods such as fries and other deep-fried foods have been known to increase heartburn which makes it uncomfortable for you to get proper sleep. Fatty foods cause obesity which is one of the known factors that causes insomnia.

• Tobacco

If you are addicted to smoking and it helps you to relax, it is a bad idea for you to smoke right before bed. This is because the nicotine contained in the tobacco acts as a stimulant and thus makes it difficult for you to fall asleep at the right time and ends up disrupting your sleep schedule.

• Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is the best type of chocolate to eat as it contains very many antioxidants but it is not recommended that you consume it right before bed as it contains a lot of caffeine.

As you well know caffeine is a very strong stimulant and thus will make it difficult for you to fall asleep quickly when you get to bed and thus mess up your sleep schedule.

Dark chocolate also contains a compound which possesses qualities of caffeine. This compound is called theobromine and it can also prevent you from falling asleep.

• Smoked meats and preserved foods

You should avoid eating meats that have been preserved or which have been smoked such as ham, sausage, bacon etc right before going to bed. This is because these foods contain very high levels of tyramine which is an amino acid that triggers your brain to produce a stimulant called norepinephrine that will prevent you from falling asleep.

• Energy drinks

You should stay away from red bull and all other energy drinks as they contain high amounts of caffeine which may interfere with your sleep schedule. Caffeine will stimulate your brain and keep you up much longer than you would have wanted, thus reducing the amount of time that you get to sleep.

This will greatly reduce the quality of sleep you get during the night and thus lower your productivity throughout the next day.

• Tomato sauce

The chemicals used to make tomato sauce can cause you to have digestive problems which will, in turn, affect your sleep. When you are suffering from stomach problems you will be too uncomfortable to fall asleep peacefully and your sleep will be interrupted.

• Green tea

This is a great tea to drink when you want to detoxify your body but you should avoid taking it shortly before bed. This is because it contains some caffeine though in small amounts and thus can disrupt your sleep especially if you are sensitive to caffeine.

• Ice-cream

Ice cream contains a lot of fats and sugar which take a lot of time to be digested. Taking a bowl full of ice cream before bed can give you restless sleep as the body will take longer to burn the fats and this will raise your body temperature in your sleep causing you to find it difficult to sleep.

Tip: Do not eat late

Eating food very late can be very disruptive to your sleep schedule. This is mostly the case for people who suffer from various sleep problems. If you eat your supper 3 hours or less before you go to bed, you will increase your likelihood of suffering heartburn which is very uncomfortable and thus prevents you from falling asleep.

You should always ensure that you eat at least four hours before bed to give your body enough time to properly digest the food.

Conclusion

We can deduce from our discussion that the food we consume plays a very important role in how much sleep we get and the quality of the sleep we will receive.

It is not enough to have a comfortable mattress and soft pillows to sleep on; you will have to eat the right foods as well if you would like to enjoy at least eight hours of peaceful sleep each night.

Sleep plays an important role in maintaining our general wellbeing and health. You should do your best to avoid the above-mentioned 11 foods that prevent sleep close to bedtime, for sufficient and interrupted sleep.

If you would like to avoid a number of health conditions especially cardiovascular diseases, you will have to get at least eight hours of uninterrupted quality sleep. Getting enough sleep, that is of good quality, will also help to improve your social life as you will wake up in a good mood and thus interact better with people.

Great sleep can also improve our social standing as we will have enough energy to be productive during the day. Get more insights into sleep preventing foods here:

Sleep is an essential need for human development and wellbeing and it is not simply a matter of sleeping, it is about having sufficient quality sleep. Sleep allows the body to heal from injuries, enables the body to produce new cells and accords the brain the much-needed time to rest and rejuvenate. So, do women need more sleep than men?

The answer is YES! In fact, women need at least 20 minutes more sleep than men. According to a study by leading sleep scientist, Dr. Jim Horne, published in the Daily Mail, women require more than men.

Reasons why women need more sleep

•  The research by Dr. Jim Horne points out that the main reason for women needing more sleep has to do with their inclination to multi-task and thus put more of their brain to use than men, and are thus more mentally exhausted at the end of the day. Women tend to do more at once and are also largely responsible for the home in addition to working. The more the brain works, the more rest it will require.
• Women tend to have a harder time shutting down and sleeping fast enough. Women find themselves doing more before bedtime than going to sleep. They will be scrolling through social media and checking their messages instead of sleeping. Make the bedroom your sleep haven.
• Women tend to sleep way less than required during pregnancy. Sleep interruptions occasioned by the pregnancy because of excess weight and fetus position denies them the much-needed sleep at night and as a result, they should sleep longer.
• After giving birth, the duties of nursing and responding to the baby’s cries will lead to sleep disruption and deprivation and thus the need for more sleep.
• Menstruation is a time of significant hormonal activity and women find themselves sleeping less and require more sleep. This is a time of strong hormonal fluctuations; progesterone rises at the end of the monthly cycle resulting in a demand for energy which is best restored by extra sleep.

• Menopause is another period of difficulty sleeping as a result of hormonal activity and the resulting hot flashes. Women in menopause face a lot of challenges due to the changes in their bodies rarely get sufficient sleep. In fact, this is the time when most women develop sleep problems.
• Sleeping with a partner is a major cause of sleep interruption and deficiency for both men and women. Generally, men occupy a bigger space on the bed which interferes with the comfort of the woman and disrupts sleep.
• Women carry around more emotional baggage and tend to worry more about problems than men. The more problems one is dealing with or has pent up inside, the more stressed she will be and the more likely that they do not get enough sleep.
• Professional demands and managing the household sap a lot of their energy. As much as the responsibilities of the home are shared, inevitably, women tend to handle more. Between their professional engagements, taking care of the children, and managing other aspects of the house, the woman is left more spent and in need of more sleep.

Tips for more sleep

• During menstruation, women should sleep for at least half an hour to an hour longer, especially in the last two weeks of the cycle. During this time, get more sleep by going to bed earlier by twenty minutes or waking up twenty minutes later than usual.
• Switch off devices and dim the bedroom lights to create the right environment to fall asleep fast and sleep for longer. Blue light from electronic devices and bright lights can disrupt the body’s cue to sleep.

Women need more sleep during the second half of the menstrual cycle and are less sensitive to the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. To counter this, have at least an hour of screen-free time before going to bed; take a warm bath, go for a short walk, read a book or listen to soft music.

• Post-menopausal sleep needs are like men’s. However, menopausal women experience sleep distractions and have trouble sleeping from hot flashes. The best way to deal with it and get more sleep is to relax from mental stress by engaging in a relaxing activity like mind exercises or deep breathing techniques a few hours before bed, using cooler bedding and a comfortable mattress.
• Mothers should alternate and share caring for the baby during the night to help overcome the effects of sleep deprivation. Mothers should also sleep when the baby sleeps and take daytime naps as well.
• Have a predictable sleep schedule; sleep and wake up at the same time daily.
• Do not take any stimulants in the afternoon such as caffeinated drinks or nicotine after 3 p.m.

Conclusion

If you have tried these tips and you still have trouble sleeping or sleeping well, the next step should be to consult a qualified physician. Women tend to think of and care for others first- take care of your health to be able to be there for others adequately.

Women experience a higher incidence of insomnia and are more likely to develop sleep problems like restless leg syndrome when pregnant or during their menstrual cycle. Older women are more prone to developing sleep problems due to hormonal and physiological changes resulting from menopause. Menopausal women are more likely to develop sleep apnea.

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Sleep plays a very important role in our lives and this makes it necessary for us to get enough of it. Very many people have been raising the question, how much sleep do we really need? This has prompted scientist to do some research on sleep and the studies they have done came up with the following results according to the age of an individual.

Sleep helps us to maintain our general health which makes it essential for us to know every aspect that will help us improve our sleep health.

How much sleep does an individual need to keep healthy?

The sleeping hours that we will recommend here are not exact values but approximations for optimum sleep periods that will ensure an individual maintains healthy sleeping habits at various stages of their life.

A recent study by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF)came up with the following sleep durations recommendations for an individual during his/her entire lifespan from birth so as to get enough quality sleep.

1. The sleep duration for newborns that are within the age bracket of 0 to 3 months needs to sleep for 14 to 27 hours a day so as to maintain their sleep health as well as general body health.
2. Those between 4 months and 11 months need to sleep for 12 to 15 hours a day to stay healthy.
3. Children who are between 1 year and 2 years old need to sleep for 11 to 14 hours each day
4. Those between the ages of 3 and 5 years require about 10 to 13 hours of uninterrupted sleep every day
5. Children who have reached the school-going age of between 6 years to 13 years need to get between 9 hours and 11 hours of quality sleep a day so as to maintain a healthy sleep lifestyle
6. From the age of 14 onwards, one needs to ensure that he/she gets at least 8 hours of sleep on a daily basis so as to ensure their general health is maintained effectively.

How to ensure that you maintain a healthy sleeping schedule

The following tips will help you ensure that you maintain your healthy sleep scheduleand that you get enough sleep on a daily basis:

• Ensure that you stick to your sleep schedule

It is important that you follow your regular sleep schedule every day even on the weekends. This will help your body maintain its sleep and wake time and thus remain healthy throughout.

• Get a bedtime routine

It’s important that you come up with relaxing activities to engage in before bed that will help your body and mind relax and helps you fall asleep even faster.

• Ensure you have a conducive sleep environment

This can be achieved by ensuring the temperature is just right and that your bedroom is tidy with no clutter and the colors in the room trigger a calming effect.

• Make sure that your bed is comfortable

This means that you should ensure your mattress is firm enough and the pillows you sleep on are soft and the materials used to make them don’t cause you allergic reactions.

• Avoid taking stimulants before bed

These include caffeine and alcohol which can make it hard for your brain to relax enough for you to fall asleep.

• Avoid distractions

Make your bedroom comfortable for sleep. Electronic devices often act as distractions and prevent you from falling asleep when needed. You should always make sure that you turn all your electronic devices off before going to bed so to avoid your sleep from being distracted by notifications and blue light from these devices.

• Avoid taking naps during the day

This may interrupt your internal sleep clock and thus cause you to find it difficult to fall asleep when you get to bed at night.

• Avoid eating heavy meals before bed

Fatty foods and heavy meals may make it difficult for you to fall asleep if they are taken a few hours before bed as they take a lot longer to digest.

You should make sure that you eat a light meal which comprises mostly of vegetables to ensure that you do not suffer from indigestion and your sleep remains uninterrupted until morning.

Conclusion

It is clear from the information provided above that enough sleep plays a vital role in ensuring that we maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout our lives. Enough sleep is not only important to adults but also to children from as early as when we are born.

Sleep helps us to maintain healthy growth from when we are born because our bodies are able to regenerate and repair during the deep sleep period of our sleep cycle. When we sleep for the required period of time, we are able to elongate the deep sleep period of our sleep cycle and thus give our bodies enough time to properly heal as well as grow.

The sleep schedule we have provided you is sufficient enough to answer the question, how much sleep do we really need? Get more information here:

Try as much as possible to sleep for the recommended period of time so as to ensure that your productivity remains high and your health great.

If you are suffering from lower back pain then this is the best read for you. We are going to discuss how to sleep with lower back pain, how to break the vicious cycle of lower back pain, and the problems that contribute to it.

It can be very difficult to fall asleep when you suffering from any kind of pain especially on your lower back. There are some sleep disruption factors that may be causing you this back pain.

The following tips will help ensure you get quality sleep throughout the night despite the pain you are experiencing in your lower back.

1.   Provide support for your lower back

It is important to ensure that your back is properly supported when you are in bed so as to minimize the pain in your lower back as you sleep. You can achieve this by ensuring that your mattress is in good condition and it is firm enough to support your back properly.

You should always evaluate the condition of your mattress after every 5 years and if it is worn out you should replace it with a new one. Ensure that you choose a mattress that is most comfortable for you when you lay in your favorite sleeping position.

Read more: Do Women Need More Sleep Than Men?

2.   Be careful when getting in and out of bed

Always get up carefully from your lying position to avoid straining your back. You should first roll onto your side then bend your knees and use your hands to push up to a sitting position before swinging your legs over the side of your bed.

When you are getting into the bed, always sit on the side of your bed and then use your hands to support your body before bending your knees and swinging your legs on the bed. Once your whole body is on the bed you can lay down onto your most comfortable side.

Always remember to avoid bending forward at your waist whether when getting into bed or getting out of bed as this can really strain your back muscles.

3.   Get a higher bed

Sometimes your back pain may be caused by your bed being too low. If this is the case, you should get a new bed with the right or favorable height or if this is too expensive, you can lift your bed by placing boards under the legs of your bed.

A higher bed will help you to avoid bending too much at your waist when getting in and out of bed and thus straining your back muscles.

4.   Take medication for the pain

If you would like to get some sleep without the back pain interrupting it, you should take pain medication to reduce a backache. Ensure that you see your physician so as to get the right prescription for your backache.

The medications you can take to relieve the back pain include muscle relaxant, painkillers, anti-inflammatory medication, topical treatments and even antidepressants.

5.   Rest your back

In case your back is aching because you had sustained an injury, it is important that you give your back some much-needed rest. You should, however, not stay in bed for more than a day as this could make the problem worse.

Ensure that you get up every few hours and move about so as to loosen your muscles and also help relieve the pain.

6.   Ensure that you exercise

There are some great exercises that can help you loosen your back muscles and thus relieve the back pain. Exercising also helps to improve the quality of your sleep by providing you with energy to stay active during the day and thus help you fall asleep faster when you get to bed.

7.   Change your sleeping position

If your favorite sleeping position is lying on your stomach, then it is about time that you adopt a new sleeping position as this may be what is causing your lower back to ache. The best sleeping position for someone suffering from an aching back is sleeping on ones back.

8.   Use pillows correctly and for back support

The best pillows for someone suffering from lower back pain are those that offer great support for your head and neck as this helps keep your spine in the correct alignment.

If you utilize your pillows properly you can help relieve your lower back pain. If you are a side sleeper, you should place a soft pillow between your knees to help align your spine in a more natural position and thus reduce the pain in your lower back ensuring that you sleep peacefully throughout the night.

If you are among the few people who sleep on their backs, you can place a pillow below your knees to help align the spine better and thus make it more comfortable for you to sleep through the night uninterrupted.

9.  Sleep in the fetal position

This is the best sleeping position if you are suffering from a herniated disc which can be very painful. This sleeping position helps to align your spine and it prevents the spine from curving thus reducing your backache during sleep.

10.   Stretch before bed

You should do some stretching exercises before going to bed such as yoga. These exercises will help loosen your back muscles thus reducing your back pain as well as relaxing your mind and body getting you into a better position to fall asleep much faster.

11.   Choose the right mattress

If you are suffering from back pain, the mattress you use has to be the correct one to ensure right back posture to avoid further damage to your back. Most lower back pain cases are caused by using the wrong type of mattress or overusing one.

The general top requirement for a good mattress is firmness. Use a mattress which is firm so that your back stays in the right position as you sleep and to avoid any more damage to the back. You can opt for an orthopedic mattress.

Conclusion

From our discussion above we can conclude that even though your lower back is aching you can still enjoy a good night’s sleep. These 11 tips how to sleep with lower back pain are easy to follow and are changes which will not cost you much to habituate.

Getting enough quality sleep is important and we should make it a priority to ensure that we are doing all we can to maintain healthy sleeping habits. Insufficient sleep can lead to other health conditions like cardiovascular problems or even sleep problems like insomnia.

If the pain you are feeling in your lower back is accompanied by other symptoms such as fever and chest pains, you should make sure that you go to see a doctor immediately as there may be an underlying condition causing the problem. Get more tips here:

The airplane remains the most convenient mode of transport. It is the best means of travel over long distances, however, it has a lot of inconveniences when it comes to comfort and the residual effects of a journey. Sleeping can be hard to come by on a plane if you do not know what to do. We will explore some little-known tips for perfect airplane sleep.

With cramped space for most who travel economy and the effects of jetlag, people are always looking for ways to make a flight more enjoyable and to be able to sleep as you fly and after touching down.

Tips to help you sleep in an airplane

• Book a night flight and opt for off-peak days

If you can get a flight coinciding with your sleep hours, the better. It will be much easier to sleep during your usual sleep time. Wake up a little earlier the night before you fly so that you can fall asleep faster while onboard.

Additionally, for more room and less hustle, travel on Tuesday or Wednesday which are least popular for flying and enjoy the benefits of fewer passengers and more space.

Read more: How Much Sleep Do We Really Need?

• Get a window seat

For unrivaled airplane sleeping comfort and headrest, the window seat is the best. You will not be bothered by those sitting next to you who may want to pass for trips to the toilet.

Do not go for the seats near the compartment wall despite the inviting leg space they offer, because, they are usually reserved for those with children and children potentially means disturbance or disruptions.

• Tilt your seat to the very end

Tilt your backrest as far back as you can as long as the person behind you will tolerate it. The less you sit bent on the seat the more comfortable you will be and the less likely you will be to suffer back, waist and neck pains from a lack of poor posture.

• Dress in warm and comfortable clothing

Dress in loose-fitting clothes that will not curtail your movements. The clothes should be warm because the cabin can be very cool during flight and makes it hard to sleep. Keep in mind that temperatures on the plane can vary. Layering is your clothing is a good idea as well as wearing warm socks.

• Do not drink a lot of fluids

If you want to sleep on a plane, the fewer fluids you imbibe the better for you. There is no way you will sleep if you keep on walking to the toilet to relieve yourself. The alcohol on offer can be enticing but you must stay off it. Alcohol on a plane can get you more drank than you would be on the ground because of the pressurized cabin.

• A flight is not the right place for a heavy meal

It is recommended that you eat a few hours before you board so that you do not indulge in food onboard. Eat a light meal before you board or a protein bar before takeoff and use the duration of the flight to sleep.

A heavy meal on a flight is not good and will only add to your discomfort and lack of sleep. The time you will spend eating on the plane also eat into the time in which you should otherwise spend sleeping.

• Fasten your seat belt to avoid flight attendant interference

If you get on your seat and buckle up, no one will disrupt your sleep, in case of turbulence, takeoff, or landing to ask you to wake up, hoping that you cannot sleep through a landing. 😊

• Bring enough sleep accessories on board

Comfortable sleep requires good neck posture, darkness and a lot of quiet. A good sleep mask will get you blinded, the right neck pillow will position your neck correctly and earplugs or earmuffs should take care of any noise. For flights with no blankets, bring yours.

• No gadgets and gizmos

If there is any time when you should tune your gadgets to flight mode, it is when you want to sleep on an airplane. Why do you think it is there? 😉 Keep the phones and tabs away and do not turn on that screen in front of you. Read a book, magazine or newspaper to lull you to sleep fast.

• Do not rush to the airport, get there early

Rushing through traffic and running around the airport to catch your flight is very stressful and is likely to interfere with your inner balance and lead to lack of sleep. Check in online if you can get there early so that you are in no rush and get your mind calm, relaxed and ready for the long slumber on board

Conclusion

Sleeping comfortably on a plane can be difficult, however, with these tips, you should now be able to prepare and do all the right things to help you doze off through your journey. These 10 little-known tips for perfect airplane sleep should guide you to be comfortable, calm and warm to sleep.

For short flights of 30 minutes to an hour, it may be difficult to sleep. However, for long flights and for those who fly frequently, these tips will be of great help. Get more tips for sleep while flying here: