Archive for September, 2009

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How Sleeping Patterns Develop

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

It is generally accepted that to have a productive day a person should go to bed early the previous night and get up early the next morning. This is the sleeping pattern that is followed by most people who work in nine to five jobs, since their hours of work are usually the same every day. However, sleeping patterns can vary greatly, depending on who you are and what your lifestyle is like.

Sleeping patterns vary widely across cultures. Students, for example, are likely to stay awake at night and sleep well into the daytime, because of the way of life that is typical to them. This is of course very different to working parents, who will rise early in order to get their children ready for the day ahead and then get to work on time themselves. In an extreme example, people in deprived areas in the third world are also likely to go to bed early because they have been working hard all day.

Sleeping patterns can also be disturbed by sleeping disorders, such as snoring. People with such disorders will have to sleep longer than they normally would have, since they will have had a disturbed night where they have not slept as well. Serious disorders such as insomnia wreak havoc on people’s sleeping patterns, as their nights are noticeably disturbed for long periods.

Another obvious factor that affects sleeping patterns is age. Children and teenagers need a large amount of sleep because they are growing and often physically active in the daytime, whereas adults can survive on less. This reverses as people grow older, and they will once again need to sleep for longer as their bodies once again have to work harder.

Despite the fact that sleeping patterns vary, it is important that everyone gets a good number of hours sleep a night, in order to function properly. Making sure you are comfortable and have a good mattress is essential this, for all types of people.

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From the Snoring relief articles weblog

REM Sleep

Saturday, September 12th, 2009

REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement, and is the biological phenomenon that occurs when people dream. It is visible if the person who is sleeping is being observed, because essentially it is the eye moving around under the lid as it would do when the person was awake, if their eyes were open. Rapid Eye Movement occurs when a person is dreaming, and therefore in a very deep sleep. The speed at which the eye moves around shows the speed of the dream that they are having, and this provides a fascinating insight into sleeping patterns and behaviours for psychologists. By looking at the person who is sleeping, psychologists are now able to predict what they are dreaming about, for example if the eyes are moving vertically at a fast speed the dream is likely to involve a person throwing something. Dreams work in a cycle, and change approximately every hour and a half. This means that there will often be changes in sleep behaviour, as REM sleep is unlikely to occur throughout the night. Periods of deep sleep such as this go on and off, and some of the night will be taken up with a more fitful sleep, where the sleeper’s eyes will be still but they will move their body around more.

REM sleep is very important and is needed by everyone, as it is the point of very deep sleep. This complete rest is not given when people are not dreaming, or are moving around in bed. A soft and comfortable mattress means that it will be much easier for people to fall into REM sleep, and that they will therefore have many more dreams. They will wake up significantly more rested, even if they feel like they have slept as well as if they did not dream.

Permanent link to this post: REM Sleep
From the Snoring relief articles weblog

Snoring Remedies Tested

Friday, September 11th, 2009

Snoring is a big problem. It can mean sleep apnoea, which is very dangerous, or it can simply be due to the way a person sleeps and how his or her mouth and nasal passages are shaped. If you snore, or if you live with someone who does and you want to stop the annoyance of the sound of snoring at night, there are many different remedies out there that are offered to the general public without the need to consult a doctor.

A snoring gum shield is one of them. This is a device that fits in the mouth, and it’s designed to hold the jaw in a slightly different way so that snoring is reduced. Doctors agree that having a device that fits in the mouth is one of the best ways to reduce snoring. However, a lot of the people who tried this method found that it was uncomfortable and hard to get used to. As a result of that they chose not to use it again, so it didn’t do them much good.
There are other options, though, such as the Snore Calm chin-up strips. These are for people who snore because they breathe through their mouths. The chin-up strip holds their mouth shut, and the result is that they don’t snore.
W hen it comes to things like the chin-up strip, though, the consensus is that they don’t work well on their own, and they only work effectively when they are used with a product such as Breathe Right Nasal Strips. These stick to the nose and are placed across it. They are designed to open the nasal passages to allow for easier breathing. When a person is able to breathe more easily, he or she will feel better, sleep better, and often not snore. However, they don’t always stay attached to the nose properly at night, and some people find them uncomfortable or are self-conscious about them. There are other options, as well, such as a CD of singing exercises that can be used to help people stop snoring, throat sprays, and other choices. For most people, these things are only moderately effective. They help some people some of the time, but they don’t help everyone. If you snore, the best things that you can do is to see your doctor and determine the cause for your snoring so that you can find the solution that will work the best for you.

Permanent link to this post: Snoring Remedies Tested
From the Snoring relief articles weblog