Marpac Sleep Mate On Sale

Date: May 5, 2011

Author: admin

Looking for a good night’s sleep like many thousands of others? Many people are using the Marpac Sleep Mate to help them, and at the end of this article I’ll tell you where you can find the great deals.

Why do you need a Marpac Sleep Mate?

Most of us live in cities where we can easily be disturbed by a variety of different noises and sounds. Our neighbours may come in and slam their car doors at all hours of the night, or the constant roar from jet planes taking off may disturb us. Traffic noise can also play its part in a bad night’s sleep, or the next door neighbour’s dog barking through the night at anything that moves. If we live in a highrise, it might be the people above dragging furniture around, or at least it seems like that, and I’m sure you’ll have plenty of your own source of disturbing noises.

How can a Sleep Mate help you?

Obviously, unless we move away to the country, or to a mountain somewhere, we are going to be bombarded with noise that has the potential to disturb our sleep patterns, making us tired and cranky, or more tired and cranky as the case may be! The Marpac Sleep Mate, or any of the Marpac sound conditioners were developed and patented over 45 years ago, are designed to surround you with natural sounds to help soothe and relax you.

Who Are The products designed for?

Anyone can use these systems, and doctors often recommend them to their sleep deprived patients. Parents use them for their children, and themselves! while business professionals use them in their offices.

Which Marpac Sleep Mate?

There are quite a few different units to choose from depending on your needs and your budget, and they are compact, although obviously the travel version is more compact than others. The units are made in the USA for those of you who are concerned about environmental issues.

Now to find the Marpac Sleep Mate that best suits you, and at the best price, could involve a lot of your time and effort searching for answers, but we have done the research for you, and found some great deals with a reputable company you can deal with, so you save time, money and get peace of mind with your purchase too.

Article Source:

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Heads Up! The Way You Are Sleeping May Be Killing You!

Date: May 5, 2011

Author: admin

Categories: Sleep and Rest

Every one of us has a mysterious double life.

For about two thirds of the time we are conscious beings, thinking about the world within and without, and negotiating our ways through the obstacles of life. For the other one third of the time we are nearly lifeless lumps of flesh, unconscious to everything but our own fantasies, as we lie flat in bed asleep. We all know that sleep is important for health. But for an activity that consumes about 8 hours of everyday of life, surprisingly little is thought about the act of sleeping, or the way our culture teaches us to sleep. Sleep behavior, like all human activities, is defined by our culture.

Sometimes, the practices taught by our culture can impact on the way our bodies function. As medical anthropologists, we research ways our cultural practices may be affecting our health. And we have found that the way we have been trained to sleep may be one of the most important causes of various diseases plaguing our society.

Of course, when you consider the culture of sleeping, it includes such isues as the length of time to sleep, and time of day for sleep. Do you take frequent naps or do you sleep 8 hours straight? Do you sleep at night or during the day?

Other issues concern sleepwear. Do you sleep nude, or with pajamas or lingerie? Do you sleep in your underwear? Should the sheets be natural fabrics, such as cotton or silk, or is polyester okay? What about the detergent and fabric softeners used in the sheets, pillow case, and pj’s?

Should you eat before you sleep? What is the impact of watching television before sleep? Should you take sleeping pills to help you sleep?

These are some of the culturally defined issues that help determine how we sleep, all of which may have some potential impact on health. However, there is one cultural issue that tops the list of importance, and which may greatly determine your health status.

Baby Sleep Tips – Developing Sleep Associations

Date: May 5, 2011

Author: admin

Categories: Sleep and Rest

By Brandon C. Hall

Everyone who has had the experience of being a parent knows all too well the difficulties of getting your baby to sleep soundly throughout the night. The dark circles around the eyes of new parents are usually familiar to all those that have been around them. In terms of baby sleep tips, one of the most important things you must try and establish as a parent is getting your baby to learn to fall asleep on his own. The process by which your child begins to fall asleep on his own is one that involves a natural transition from falling asleep with the mother to falling asleep in an independent fashion. One of the best ways in which you can speed up this transition is to encourage your child to develop sleep associations that he or she can recreate independently.

Naturally, everyone – and babies in particular – will develop sleep associations. These are the things that you associate with bedtime, and allow you to create an environment in which it is easy to fall asleep. When your baby is at an extremely young age, he will naturally develop sleep associations involving the mother, as he will often fall asleep in her arms. As you attempt to get your baby to sleep in his own, however, it is crucial that you work to change these associations.

If you always put your child to sleep by holding him, or allowing him to use a pacifier, you create a sleep association with these things. Then, when your child wakes up in the middle of then night, he can’t go back to sleep on his own because he is unable to recreate his sleeping environment without you: he needs you to feed him or rock him in order to sleep.

As you begin to try and get your child to sleep on his own, you should introduce items into his sleeping routine that he can sleep with, such as a particular blanket or a stuffed animal. What this will do is create associations for your child with these items for sleep. Then, when he awakes in the middle of the night, he will be able to recreate a sleeping environment without your assistance by grabbing his stuffed animal, etc. It can also be beneficial to introduce “transitional items” into your baby’s bedtime routine: Allow him to have his stuffed animal or blanket with him during a final feeding and before-bedtime activities, and allow him to take these things with him to bed.

No matter what you do, your child is going to be creating his or her own sleep associations. Your job is to try and create associations with items that are under his or her control. By giving your child as much control over his sleeping environment as possible, you allow him to begin to achieve sleep independently. The most difficult transition in early parenting is the one towards independent sleep for your child, and if you introduce new items into your child’s sleeping place, you will hasten this transition, which will soon allow both you and your child to get a good night’s rest.

About the Author: Brandon C. Hall maintains Free Info Blog which contains many articles and resources on baby sleep tips as well as many other topics.

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Are You Aware Of These Common Problems Which Are Stealing Your Sleep?

Date: May 5, 2011

Author: admin

Categories: Sleep and Rest

Understand how menstruation, pregnancy and menopause affect a woman’s sleep and how to minimize these conditions for improving sleep.

Women face difficulty in falling and staying asleep than men.

They also experience more daytime sleepiness. Poor concentration, poor performance at job and school and increased illnesses can result with lack of sleep.

Many issues can affect women’s sleep. Hormone level changes, illness, stress, lifestyle and sleep environment are some of the issues. Some unique conditions such as menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause can interfere with quality of sleep in women.

Phases of menstrual cycle and their effects on sleep:

50 percent of women face sleep problems during menstrual cycle. Changes in fluctuating levels of hormones present in menstrual cycle before ovulation, during ovulation and after ovulation can interfere with the quality of sleep.

Understand your menstrual cycle phases:

Before ovulation: Disturbances in sleep can occur before ovulation that is from 1st day to 12th day of menstrual periods in some women. Menstrual period continues for five days. Egg ripens in the ovary after the end of the period. During the period of menstrual bleeding, you will get less sleep.

During ovulation: Egg releases during ovulation period that is between 13th to 15th days. If egg fertilizes, pregnancy can occur. If not, your cycle continues and menstrual period occurs in 14 days.

After ovulation: If there is no occurrence of pregnancy after ovulation period, uterine lining wall starts to break down and is discarded during menstrual period. Around 19 to 21 days, levels of progesterone become high and reach the peak level during the beginning of the phase. At the end of the phase, levels of progesterone start to decrease. You will find difficulty in sleeping due to the falling progesterone levels.

Premenstrual syndrome: Premenstrual syndrome(PMS) symptoms occur during 22 to 28 days that is at the later phase. These symptoms include anxiety, mood swings, nervousness, depression, irritability, bloating, abdominal cramps, and headaches, which can all cause disturbances in sleep. Sleep problems such as insomnia, daytime sleepiness and hypersomnia can result if you have PMS.

Lessen the effects of menstrual symptoms: Follow sleep hygiene and stimulus control techniques to prevent the sleep problems during menstrual cycle. Maintain a sleep routine, follow a healthy diet, plan to do something if you can’t sleep during night, and reduce stress to get a better sleep. If the problem is severe, visit the doctor so that he/she will prescribe medications for reducing the symptoms.

Host of discomforts that disrupt sleep during pregnancy:

Why sleep difficulties begin suddenly in pregnant women? The reason is many emotional and physical factors can contribute to sleep problems during pregnancy. Some of the factors that contribute to sleep loss during pregnancy are given here:

Emotional factors that contribute to sleep loss:

Emotional factors that are prevalent during this period are depression, anxiety and emotional liability, which can contribute to lack of sleep. During pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone, the two hormones, cause mood swings. Feelings of depression are common due to the changes in body during pregnancy. You will find hard to express feelings of happiness or sadness.

At the time of first trimester, mood swings are common. Emotional feelings are present in the second trimester. In the third trimester, you worry about everything you think of. The worry and anxiety in pregnant women is due to labor, delivery and baby care. Abdominal growth can make you uncomfortable and you feel irritated with lack of sleep.

Physical factors that contribute to sleep loss:

Uncomfortable sleep positions due to changes in your body can disturb your sleep. During pregnancy, urinary bladder holds less fluid. If you take more amounts of fluids before bedtime, you need to wake up several times at night to urinate. Normal pains such as nausea, heartburn, and hemorrhoids are common during pregnancy, which keep you awake at night. Heart rate increases for pumping more blood during pregnancy. As more blood goes to the uterus, your heart works harder for sending sufficient blood to the rest of the body, making your sleep restless. Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is one of the most common problems in pregnancy. Tingling, crawling and burning sensations are the common symptoms in RLS. These symptoms make uncontrollable urge to move the legs. Moving legs can give temporary relief. Snoring occurs in the last trimester due to narrowed airways and increased pressure on the lungs. Snoring can sometimes lead to hypertension, putting you and your child at risk. When airways block, sleep can occur. Breathing stops for few seconds when you have sleep apnea. It results in lack of oxygen to your body. Oxygen deficiency can prevent you from getting sleep, which harms you and your baby.

Get more sleep during pregnancy with these sleep tips:

Exercise is the best treatment for controlling mood swings. Talk to your doctor about which exercises are preferred during pregnancy. Pamper yourself to reduce depressed feelings. You can go for shopping to buy maternity clothes or with partner to dating, or visit a friend to share your feelings. Comfortable sleep position is essential as pregnancy progresses. Sleeping on your side is preferred. Burden on the heart lessens with this position. Avoid drinking lots of fluids two to three hours before bedtime to avoid frequent urination during night. Nausea can occur on an empty stomach, so have light snacks before going to bed. Do not eat before going to bed to avoid heart burn and indigestion. Have several small meals instead of a larger meal. Press your feet against wall or stand on your feet to lessen the cramps. Calcium deficiency can make the cramps worse, so make sure to include calcium such as milk and dairy products in your diet. Get a massage, use cold or hot packs, or practice relaxation techniques to relieve from symptoms of RLS. To overcome the symptoms of snoring, sleep on your side and elevate your head slightly. Sleep consequences with hormonal changes during menopause:

Side effects due to hormonal changes can occur during menopause stage. At this stage, sleep disorders are common. Insomnia is a common problem and you will not recognize that you are in perimenopause stage in late 30s and early 40s if you have this problem.

Discomfort with menopausal symptoms can obstruct your nighttime sleep. Ovaries produce less estrogen and progesterone when you enter perimenopause and menopause stages. Progesterone hormone helps in promoting sleep. Trouble in sleeping arises when progesterone levels drop.

You can also experience mood disorders that disrupt your sleep at this stage. Hot flashes can result as temperature of the body rises due to hormonal changes at this stage. Hot flashes can occur during daytime or nighttime; but nighttime flashes can interrupt your sleep.

Hot flashes that occur at night are called as night sweats because of excessive perspiration. Excessive sweating interrupts night sleep [Treating menopause night sweats].

Sleep problems in menopause stage can make you tired. These sleep problems continue to post menopausal stage. Post menopausal women are likely to snore and also experience life threatening condition called sleep apnea.

Sleep better with menopause Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is one of the treatments for menopause. HRT can also help to reduce sleep disturbances associated with menopause. HRT treats the hormonal changes to reduce night sweats and hot flashes. Side effects are common with HRT medications. Consult and discuss with your physician about the risks associated with HRT and whether the treatment is suitable for you or not. Healthy diet is vital to lessen sleeping difficulties in menopausal st
age. Cut down the intake of spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol. These stimulants cause hot flashes, which affect your sleep quality. Avoid large meals and maintain healthy weight. Consume foods rich in soy to improve quality of sleep. Maintain a cool sleep environment to reduce hot flashes that disrupt your sleep. Maintain a regular sleep routine which helps in promoting sleep. Wear light weight cotton clothes during sleep. Use air conditioners and fans to keep the room cool and comfortable for sleep. Good sleep habits, healthy diet and good sleep environment will improve your insomnia problem and help you to sleep better.

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Original post: Are You Aware Of These Common Problems Which Are Stealing Your Sleep?

Herbal Sleep Supplements: Get Deep Sleep Without Side Effects

Date: May 5, 2011

Author: admin

Categories: Sleep and Rest

By Andrew Stratton

Many individuals are turning to natural herbal supplements to help them fall asleep without the prevailing side affects of prescribed, pharmaceutical medications.

Whether it is aches, anxiety, stress or a busy lifestyle, getting the proper amount of sleep can be a challenge. Sleeping is essential to a healthy lifestyle whether it is maintaining the appropriate weight, alleviating depressed feelings, or being mentally alert.

By not getting enough hours in the night, individuals are at risk for diseases and disorders like hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, obesity, emotional disorders, and even substance abuse. However, falling asleep is not always easy.

Melatonin is a natural hormone that is produce in your hypothalamus of the brain and is partly responsible for your circadian cycle (which tells your body when it is time to get up and when it is time to go to bed).

People who suffer from jet lag have their melatonin levels thrown off causing problems sleeping. This is also true of people living in areas with extended daylight hours. Still, other people may just not be producing enough melatonin at the right time to cause the drowsiness and slumbering effects. Taking a natural melatonin supplement can enhance a person’s ability to sleep.

Another naturally occurring supplement to aid in sleeping is tryptophan, which is an amino acid (essential building block, or protein, found in food). Most individuals have experienced tryptophan’s effects after large turkey dinners, which are loaded with it.

A form of tryptophan (5-hydroxytryptophan or 5-HTP) is available over the counter as supplement. This herb is a precursor to serotonin, which is a neurotransmitter (sends messages) in your brain, which regulates sleep. Having an imbalance of serotonin will not only produce slumber disturbances, but can also lead to anxiety and agitation.

A more mild type of herbal supplement that is easy on the stomach and the body is chamomile. It has been used for millennia around the world. It is so mild, in fact, that it can be used regularly, daily even. It is often prepared as a tea but comes in a pill form too. This calming herb not only relaxes the body, but it can sooth stomach aches. It contains natural oils that repairs tissues and reduces inflammation.

Lavender is another natural supplement that has been used for millennia dating back to the Egyptians and Arabians. It has been cultivated throughout the centuries and has been carried by many pilgrims to new lands. The natural oils in the plant have a calming, even a depressing, effect on your central nervous system. The effect is drowsiness and sleep.

These are just a few examples of natural supplements that can be used to aid sleep. It is important to keep in mind that these, and other herbs, have real affects upon our bodies much like pharmaceutical drugs (often without as many side effects). Please note that taking these herbs can interact with medications you are already taking. For further information on any type of supplement, it is important to consult your health advisor.

About the Author: Herbal sleep supplements are a natural, non-narcotic and non-addictive way to calm mental chatter and promote a restful and restorative deep sleep without next day drowsiness. For doctor-formulated supplements that promote optimal health, visit http://www.goodelements.com.

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