Which sleep position is healthiest?

Typically people sleep in the position that feels most comfortable in that moment. You probably have one or two frequented positions you rely on to get to sleep fast. It might surprise you to learn that your sleep position matters at all. What difference could it possibly make what position my body lies in while it's asleep, as long as I'm asleep, right? Wrong.

We spend about 1/3 of our lives sleeping. comparable to frequently repeated movements triggering injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, constantly staying in one posture too much time has been known to lead to injuries, as well, especially if said position is not in accordance with natural posture. Sleeping while in an improper pose may inflict injury to the body in just one night. Ever wake up with a stiff neck or back? Keep that up for days and weeks and you can incur persistent neck and back injuries.

Sleep Positions

Although there is some variety, there are primarily three main sleeping positions. Any sleeping pose must be rated based upon the support and good alignment of the lower back, hips and neck.

Back Position

A person lies on their back, head pointing straight up. The back position is a great sleep posture. It is natural to keep the spine and neck in proper alignment. The only problem is where to position the feet. If there is enough room beneath your covers the toes should aim towards the ceiling, but sometimes your feet need to point at an angle outwards a bit. As long as you keep it minimized there shouldn't be an issue.

Side Position

Lying on either side with both legs straight, your head on its side resting on your pillow, arms in front of your body. The side pose is another healthy posture for sleep. Again, the spine and head are kept in alignment easily. The legs can be slightly bent at your knees and hips, if you wish. Be careful to not bend so far as to go into a fetal pose where your back ends up arched. This can put way too much stress on the back and neck.

Front Position

Lying on their stomach|, or mostly on their stomach, with the head turned to one side setting on the pillow. Arms may be pointed downwards along the sides or place up around and hugging the pillow. Although one of the most favored positions for its coziness. Unfortunately, this is an awful pose for the lower back as well as the neck. In order to to breathe you have to angle your head sideways at a right angle from front which places a great deal of tension on the neck. You may also find it extra pressure on the abdominal muscles.

Adjusting your Sleeping Position

If you are usually a front-sleeper you're going to have to work towards changing the habit. Another posture may be a little unpleasant in the beginning but it normally on takes a few nights to acquire the new habit. Besides, the profits of changing to a healthier sleeping posture can make a huge positive difference for the rest of your life!

You may need to establish a new position slowly. Make sure to get yourself drowsy and on the verge of falling asleep before you shut out your light. Start with one of the good positions, either side or back, whichever you decide is more comfortable. If you've prepared yourself properly you'll go right to sleep. On the other hand, if you have trouble getting to sleep, try only switching back and forth between these two for a while. If you are unable to get comfortable you may go back to the front pose again, briefly. You may need a few days to adjust to the side and back, but in due course you will accomplish it.

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Diabetes & Women

There are a few signs connected with diabetes which you'll find are commonplace both in men and in women. With diabetes type 1 and type 2, these consist of extreme thirst, urinating very often, exhaustion and also continual cravings for food. There are symptoms which show up in diabetes type 2 when it advances, like eyesight troubles as well as continued infections in the bladder, skin as well as the gums.

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Smoking, Alcohol and Contraceptives may case Migraine Headaches

Over time, a few theories have been explored as being the cause of migraine headaches. However, people today can attest to the fact that specific things cause migraines in their case.

What Causes Migraine Headaches - The Theories Explored

Back in the 1940s, scientists believed that migraine-headaches were triggered by an initial spasm that partially closed the arteries leading to the cerebrum. This, they believed, caused a decrease in the blood flow to part of the brain, hence the sudden headache and severe pain.

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Understanding what sleep deprivation symptoms are and how to spot them is important to your health

Sleep affects much more than most people realize and if you are not getting enough you could be setting yourself up for a host of health risks or even putting your life in danger. Here's what to look for.

One of the most common and easily identifiable sleep deprivation symptoms is that of drowsiness or daytime fatigue. We all intuitively understand that if we don't get enough sleep we're not recharged and therefore are tired the next day. The more we get little to no sleep the worse that fatigue is for us.

Another of the signs of sleep deprivation is a reduction in memory and mental performance. When we are low on sleep the brain suffers. The ability to process mental tasks as well as access and form memory is hindered. If we go without sleep for long enough then it can become serious to the point where tasks can be dangerous. Studies on sleep have shown that driving while suffering from a lack of sleep is similar to driving while under the influence. It is estimated that tens of thousands of car accidents happen each year due to sleepiness. Also like being under the influence we sometimes give ourselves credit for more control and awareness then we really have when we are tired.

There are behavioral effects of sleep deprivation as well. Sleepiness can affect the levels of brain chemicals at work which in turn can alter our mood and mental state. People who are suffering from a lack of sleep can often develop forms of anxiety and other adverse mental states. It also lowers your ability to deal with stress.

The behavioral effects of sleep deprivation can extend into a negative outlook on life and even sink into full fledged depression. This becomes a vicious cycle as depression often creates insomnia which produces more sleep deprivation that increases the depression. Getting out of this cycle once it starts is hard.

Sleep deprivation symptoms can also include increased illness. Sleep helps recharge the immune system. When we don't get enough sleep our immune system loses effectiveness and has a harder time fighting off illness. Our bodies are more easily overrun. This results not only in more frequent illnesses but longer recovery time as well. If you are noticing that you are sick more often or that you take longer to get over an illness than you used to then it may be that you aren't getting enough sleep.

One website on sleep deprivation quoted a 1999 study that showed glucose metabolism is reduced when we lack sleep. This produces symptoms similar to the beginning stages of diabetes. Improper processing of glucose drastically impacts a host of bodily functions from immune system to brain function to energy levels and a whole lot in between.

Hopefully by knowing and understanding some of the sleep deprivation symptoms you can be better prepared to recognize the problem in yourself or someone you know. Sleep is more critical for our health than many realize and research shows that between 25% and 30% of Americans suffer from sleeplessness...and the numbers are growing. This is becoming a serious problem. If you find that you or someone close to you is dealing with a lack of sleep then it is urgent to have them (or you) get help quickly.

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Effects of Insomnia On Both Mind and Body

When someone is suffering the effect of insomnia on a consistent basis the well being of both mind and body suffer greatly. The damage caused by sleeplessness extends beyond just feeling tired and sluggish the next day. Real damage can be done if you have a habit of not getting enough rest or if you suffer from chronic insomnia.

Insomnia effects a number of systems within the body and mind. The obvious effect is that it reduces your energy levels and keeps you from performing at your best the next day. However, the effects of lack of sleep are more than that. Sleeplessness sets you up for increased illness. The body recharges more than our energy when we sleep. It recharges the immune system for one. Sleep is when the body helps restore the immune system to full efficiency...the less sleep we get the harder it is for our bodies to fight off germs. It also prevents the body from dealing with illness effectively resulting in illnesses that take longer to get over.

Insomnia effects our body's ability to heal itself. While the body does perform some healing and restorative functions during the day, it is at night that it really gets busy. Sleep allows the body to focus on the task of repair and replacement for cells and tissue that are damaged or need replacement. When we don't sleep we interrupt that process and make it harder for the body to do this repair work.

Another effect of insomnia is dysfunction in the brain. Brain chemicals can get out of balance as the brain often uses sleep as a time to regenerate. People who suffer from insomnia often suffer from depression or stress to begin with, but a lack of sleep can also create an increase in depression and lower our resistance to stress...which in turn produces more insomnia.

Insomnia effects our ability to perform critical tasks such as drive. Each year thousands if not tens of thousands of accidents happen on the road due to driver fatigue or people falling asleep at the wheel. Studies have shown that driving while lacking sleep produces a similar result in the brain as being under the influence. The effect of insomnia also extends to memory. Sleeplessness retards the ability to form and recall items from memory.

Sleeplessness is not something to take lightly. The effect of insomnia is serious both for the person suffering it and for those around them. The cost to society is nearing $100 million annually. Over 80 million people (between 25% and 30% of the US population) struggle with insomnia. This is a societal problem. We need to encourage people to get lasting help. Changes in diet, sleep habits, stress, etc. are important steps in dealing with the problem. Using dietary supplements to help the body get the nutrients and compounds it needs to properly reduce stress and produce sleep can be helpful and less problematic than drugs. However you go about it, addressing insomnia is critical for the long term health of your body and mind.

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Top 5 reasons for Insomnia are depression, anxiety, chronic stress, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder

Top 5 reasons for not sleeping well at night are depression, anxiety, chronic stress, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

We don't usually need to think very much about sleep. It's just a part of life's routine. Even so, most of us sometimes find that we can't sleep properly. We call it insomnia. It's usually just for a short time, perhaps when we're worried or excited. When things settle down, we start sleeping properly again. If you can't sleep properly, it can be a real problem - we need sleep to keep healthy.

Emotional issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression cause half of all insomnia cases. But your daytime habits, sleep routine, and physical health may also play a role.

Sometimes, insomnia only lasts a few days and goes away on its own, especially when the insomnia is tied to an obvious temporary cause, such as stress over an upcoming presentation, a painful breakup, or jet lag. Other times, insomnia is stubbornly persistent.

Most people suffering from an anxiety disorder or depression have trouble sleeping. What's more, the sleep deprivation can make the symptoms of anxiety or depression worse. If your insomnia is caused by anxiety or depression, treating the underlying psychological issue is the key to the cure.

For women, there are some additional factors that can cause them to get less sleep, or have more disturbed sleep. Hormones play a huge role in sleep and women are affected by both the hormones produced during their monthly menstruation cycle and the decreased estrogen during menopause.

Some habits are so ingrained that you may overlook them as a possible contributor to your insomnia.

Maybe you've never made the connection between your late-night TV viewing or Internet surfing and your sleep difficulties. Keeping a sleep diary is a helpful way to pinpoint habits and behaviors contributing to your insomnia.

All you have to do is jot down daily details about your daytime habits, sleep routine, and insomnia symptoms. For example, you can keep track of when you go to sleep and when you wake up, where you fall asleep, what you eat and drink, and any stressful events that occur during the day.

Do you lie awake at night with a sickening feeling of dread, worrying about "what ifs" and worst-case scenarios?

Constant worrying takes a heavy toll. It keeps you up at night and makes you tense and edgy during the day. The good news is that chronic worrying is a mental habit you can learn how to break.

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