Call it a siesta a nanna nap or a power snooze an afternoon nap is good for you!
New research from the University of California, Berkeley, shows that an hour’s nap can dramatically boost and restore your brain power. Conversely, the more hours we spend awake, the more sluggish our minds become.
The hippocampus is a part of the brain that appears to be one of the most important structures for normal memory function. It is vital for making new memories. It is involved in learning new tasks. It continues to be busy during sleep when the information that you have learned during the day is altered, re-structured and strengthened. Sleep allows your brain to store this strengthened information in your memory for future use.
In the recent UC Berkeley sleep study, 39 healthy young adults were divided into two groups: nap and no-nap. At noon, all the participants were subjected to a rigorous learning task intended to tax the hippocampus, a region of the brain that helps store fact-based memories. Both groups performed at comparable levels.
At 2 p.m., the nap group took a 90-minute siesta while the no-nap group stayed awake. Later that day, at 6 p.m., participants performed a new round of learning exercises. Those who remained awake throughout the day became worse at learning. In contrast, those who napped did markedly better and actually improved in their capacity to learn.
so next time your body needs a nap - take it ... you'll be smarter for it!
Showing posts with label Sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sleep. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Saturday, May 31, 2008
How to ruin a relationship in one night
.... AKA SNORING! It can reduce the quality of your sleep as well as anyone within ear shot.
What causes snoring?
As you doze off and progress from a lighter sleep to a deep sleep, the muscles in the roof of your mouth (soft palate), tongue and throat relax. The tissues in your throat can relax enough that they vibrate and may partially obstruct your airway.
The more narrowed your airway, the more forceful the airflow becomes. Tissue vibration increases, and your snoring grows louder. Snoring may be an occasional problem, or it may be habitual.
What contributes to snoring? A variety of factors can lead to snoring, including:
Your anatomy. Having a low, thick soft palate or enlarged tonsils or tissues in the back of your throat (adenoids) can narrow your airway. Likewise, if the triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate (uvula) is elongated, airflow can be obstructed and vibration increased. Being overweight contributes to narrowing of your airway.
Alcohol consumption. Snoring can also be brought on by consuming too much alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol relaxes throat muscles and decreases your natural defenses against airway obstruction.
Nasal problems. Chronic nasal congestion or a crooked partition between your nostrils (deviated nasal septum from a formerly broken nose) may be to blame.
Sleep apnoea. Snoring may also be associated with obstructive sleep apnoea. In this serious condition, your throat tissues obstruct your airway, preventing you from breathing. Sleep apnoea is often characterized by loud snoring followed by periods of silence that can last 10 seconds or more. Sometimes, complete obstruction does not occur, but rather, while still snoring, the airway becomes so small that the airflow is inadequate for your needs. Eventually, the lack of oxygen and an increase in carbon dioxide signal you to wake up, forcing your airway open with a loud snort or gasping sound. This pattern may be repeated many times during the night and results in continual tiredness as you're not getting enough quality sleep.
What To Do?
First stop losing weight, avoiding alcohol close to bedtime and changing sleeping positions (to sleep on your side) may help.
Nasal congestion is a common trigger for snoring. Horseradish, wasabi, garlic and vitamin C may just help ease this.
Sleep apnoea is a serious condition and you should talk to your doctor about testing. A previously broken nose can be corrected with day surgery.
Resource: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/snoring/DS00297/DSECTION=1
What causes snoring?
As you doze off and progress from a lighter sleep to a deep sleep, the muscles in the roof of your mouth (soft palate), tongue and throat relax. The tissues in your throat can relax enough that they vibrate and may partially obstruct your airway.
The more narrowed your airway, the more forceful the airflow becomes. Tissue vibration increases, and your snoring grows louder. Snoring may be an occasional problem, or it may be habitual.
What contributes to snoring? A variety of factors can lead to snoring, including:
Your anatomy. Having a low, thick soft palate or enlarged tonsils or tissues in the back of your throat (adenoids) can narrow your airway. Likewise, if the triangular piece of tissue hanging from the soft palate (uvula) is elongated, airflow can be obstructed and vibration increased. Being overweight contributes to narrowing of your airway.
Alcohol consumption. Snoring can also be brought on by consuming too much alcohol before bedtime. Alcohol relaxes throat muscles and decreases your natural defenses against airway obstruction.
Nasal problems. Chronic nasal congestion or a crooked partition between your nostrils (deviated nasal septum from a formerly broken nose) may be to blame.
Sleep apnoea. Snoring may also be associated with obstructive sleep apnoea. In this serious condition, your throat tissues obstruct your airway, preventing you from breathing. Sleep apnoea is often characterized by loud snoring followed by periods of silence that can last 10 seconds or more. Sometimes, complete obstruction does not occur, but rather, while still snoring, the airway becomes so small that the airflow is inadequate for your needs. Eventually, the lack of oxygen and an increase in carbon dioxide signal you to wake up, forcing your airway open with a loud snort or gasping sound. This pattern may be repeated many times during the night and results in continual tiredness as you're not getting enough quality sleep.
What To Do?
First stop losing weight, avoiding alcohol close to bedtime and changing sleeping positions (to sleep on your side) may help.
Nasal congestion is a common trigger for snoring. Horseradish, wasabi, garlic and vitamin C may just help ease this.
Sleep apnoea is a serious condition and you should talk to your doctor about testing. A previously broken nose can be corrected with day surgery.
Resource: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/snoring/DS00297/DSECTION=1
Monday, May 5, 2008
bright ideas for staying alert and active in the afternoon.
Jump the slump with these bright ideas for staying alert and active in the afternoon:
Avoid a huge carbohydrate lunch, such as a big bowl of pasta or rice. Instead have protein and vegetables. In winter this could be a chicken or bean vegetable soup, and in summer, a salad with chicken, beans or fish. It's the protein that makes you feel full.
Reduce the size of your meals so the digestive system does not become overburdened and drain you of energy.
Try to eat lighter foods or smaller portions more often (having something approx. every 4 hours).
After eating lunch, go for a short walk. Even five minutes will help the digestion process. If you are in an office, leave your desk hourly to assist circulation to the brain and limbs... walk the long way to the loo or kitchen, visit a colleague rather than sending an email/phoning.
Mid-morning or afternoon snack on high protein healthy choices such as nuts and seeds. Almonds, brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, sunflower, sesame, and pepitas are all good choices, as is a boiled egg, a small tin of tuna, natural yogurt with apple and pear, or a protein drink.
Avoid eating sugary snacks or caffeinated drinks mid-morning or as a rescue effort in the afternoon. These will only worsen the slump.
At the first sign of fatigue, drink a huge glass of filtered water. We often mistake signals from thirst receptors as hunger. Make sure you are drinking water throughout the day - in Winter try warm water with slices of ginger or lemon - herbal teas are good too.
Slumps may be due to mild food intolerances. If you suspect this to be the case, try writing a food diary for a week to observe any patterns in your energy which directly relate to your diet and discuss with a nutritionist.
Take the time to chew your food properly to assist digestion. Chewing brings about greater awareness, relaxation and faster satiety. Avoid eating lunch at your desk, in front of the TV as the digestive system works better when you are relaxed.
If you take a multivitamin or vitamin B complex, take it with lunch so you feel the benefits in the afternoon.
Put sleep first. Nothing will stop an afternoon slump if you are not sleeping properly or not getting a full eight hour quota per night.
Exercise improves energy levels out of sight. To get started, make appointments with yourself for three or more 30-minute sessions a week – it could be running, swimming, yoga, walking, or a combination of all four.
Resource: http://www.blackmores.com.au/News/Detail.aspx?ArticleId=9233
First published 14/4/08.
Avoid a huge carbohydrate lunch, such as a big bowl of pasta or rice. Instead have protein and vegetables. In winter this could be a chicken or bean vegetable soup, and in summer, a salad with chicken, beans or fish. It's the protein that makes you feel full.
Reduce the size of your meals so the digestive system does not become overburdened and drain you of energy.
Try to eat lighter foods or smaller portions more often (having something approx. every 4 hours).
After eating lunch, go for a short walk. Even five minutes will help the digestion process. If you are in an office, leave your desk hourly to assist circulation to the brain and limbs... walk the long way to the loo or kitchen, visit a colleague rather than sending an email/phoning.
Mid-morning or afternoon snack on high protein healthy choices such as nuts and seeds. Almonds, brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts, sunflower, sesame, and pepitas are all good choices, as is a boiled egg, a small tin of tuna, natural yogurt with apple and pear, or a protein drink.
Avoid eating sugary snacks or caffeinated drinks mid-morning or as a rescue effort in the afternoon. These will only worsen the slump.
At the first sign of fatigue, drink a huge glass of filtered water. We often mistake signals from thirst receptors as hunger. Make sure you are drinking water throughout the day - in Winter try warm water with slices of ginger or lemon - herbal teas are good too.
Slumps may be due to mild food intolerances. If you suspect this to be the case, try writing a food diary for a week to observe any patterns in your energy which directly relate to your diet and discuss with a nutritionist.
Take the time to chew your food properly to assist digestion. Chewing brings about greater awareness, relaxation and faster satiety. Avoid eating lunch at your desk, in front of the TV as the digestive system works better when you are relaxed.
If you take a multivitamin or vitamin B complex, take it with lunch so you feel the benefits in the afternoon.
Put sleep first. Nothing will stop an afternoon slump if you are not sleeping properly or not getting a full eight hour quota per night.
Exercise improves energy levels out of sight. To get started, make appointments with yourself for three or more 30-minute sessions a week – it could be running, swimming, yoga, walking, or a combination of all four.
Resource: http://www.blackmores.com.au/News/Detail.aspx?ArticleId=9233
First published 14/4/08.
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