Expert Tips

Hot, hotter, extra hot – spicy food for dinner and good sleep

17. June 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

A full stomach is not only hindering learning, it is also bad for swimming and, yes, sleeping. Our nutrition directly influences our sleep. Not only heavy foods for dinner or a too late dinner-time may lead to sleeping problems, spicy food as well. If you love strong and pungent spices better have them for lunch.

Australian biochemistry scientists of the University of Tasmania have noticed that spicy food has a negative effect on the sleep of their study-participants. In case that the test persons ate hot food like mustard or tabasco for dinner they suffered under problems to fall asleep and their sleep in total was lighter.

Hence, the conclusion is easy: if you wish a calm and good sleep, than better avoid spicy food in the evening. Spices are able to have a negative effect on our bed rest. Pungency stimulates our digestive tract and consequently is able to deprive us from sleep. Also, the thermal effect of spicy food has to be considered. Everyone who ever has tasted spicy Mexican or Indian food knows the side effect “inner heat”. Hot spices have a strongly heating effect on our body. Since our body tries to balance this “inner heat” and has to work at night instead of being able to relax, symptoms like internal unrest, problems to fall asleep and sleeping through problems will be enhanced.

Therefore, experts advice that especially people suffering under problems to fall asleep should avoid spicy food five hours before going to bed.

Following foodstuffs positively influence your sleep:

Warm milk with honey supports falling asleep and has a calming effect on our body. It favors muscle relaxation and counteracts nervous tension.
Almonds and cinnamon support melatonin production. Therefore add some almonds and cinnamon to your honey milk.
A proper herbal mixture has astonishing effects. For centuries, the effectiveness of some plants has been known and are scientifically proven meanwhile. Melissa, valerian, hops, lavender, passion flower, St. John’s wort and kava-kava (piper methysticum) have a soporific and calming effect. Also, they stabilize mood and nerves.
Foods with a high share of the amino acid tryptophan like avocado and banana create sleepiness.

Image source: @deathtothestockphoto

Inemuri – short yet powerful

13. June 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

Different locations, same procedure: whether in the subway, at the supermarket checkout, during a meeting – in some Asian regions and here especially in Japan a short nap in public is completely normal. The so-called “Inemuri” – “I” for “being present” and “nemuri” for “sleep” – is a real power nap and fix component of the Japanese everyday life.

But, what leads Japanese people to sleep in public? According to a study of Olivia Walch – scientist at the University of Michigan – and her team people in Japan sleep 7 hours and 24 minutes, on an average. So, the inevitable lack of sleep causes that they take every chance for short regeneration. While in Western society already yawning is rather embarrassing, power napping in public is a tradition in Asia and socially recognized.

Japanologist Dr. Brigitte Steger studied this phenomenon for years. For her, the advantage of Inemuri clearly is its regeneration effect during the day – if necessary, even without a bed.

But, there are also sociological aspects to Inemuri. Is the rickshaw driver sleeping in his vehicle he is protecting his most important possession. For some people it is easier to sleep in a noisy surrounding than in a quiet room; they also feel more comfortable in a crowd. In case of poverty, people often have to share their sleeping places. This makes a public nap very advantageous.

But of course, Inemuri not only happens amongst poor people. In Japan, business men, too, take a nap in public. It is a known fact, that lack of sleep leads to reduced performance and a higher error rate – in traffic as well as at the working place. More and more Japanese employers recognize this problem and prescribe their employees a power nap on their working places.

But, in Japan more and more schools start to think about this social phenomenon. A poll in Chikuzen, a city in the prefecture Fukuoka, revealed that 63 % of all students feel tired during the lessons. Thereupon, the students were allowed to take a 10-minute-lunch-nap, accompanied by Mozart.

According to Brigitte Steger, the secret of Inemuri lies within the correct setting and the proper duration. To her opinion, the meaning of other people should not influence the own behavior – if you feel like sleeping, take a short nap. Furthermore, she advices to limit the napping time to 20 minutes. A longer nap would enhance tiredness since after this period one would reach a phase of deep sleep.

In one of her works Dr. Brigitte Steger writes that polyphasic sleeping is not only practiced in the Land of the Rising Sun. In China, India and many other Asian countries people sleep when- and wherever it suits them.

More and more people in the West discover the efficiency and restfulness of a correctly performed power nap.

The short sleep in between has also been investigated in several studies. The findings are very positive:

Positive influence on short memory
Enhances performance
Reduces weight. Tired people tend to eat more, especially fatty and sweet stuff.
Protects against heart diseases. Taking a power nap at lunch time for at least three times a week reduces risk of heart infarcts by 37%.
Creates good mood. Too few sleep irritates. A nap increases the concentration of serotonin in the blood and lifts the mood.
Prevents states of exhaustion.

Image source: @fotolia

Five unusual tips for a better sleep

30. May 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

Often, theory is easy. And often things are easier said than done. But with these unusual yet simple hints you will have a better sleep and will get up easier:

Good-night-alarm-clock: Actually you wanted to be in bed a long time ago. But there are so many things to do. To determinedly carry out this plan long overdue, set an alarm clock to go TO bed.
Easier sleeping with socks: “Icicles” prevent from a good sleep. Therefore, put on some cozy socks and prevent cold feet.
Sleeping diary: Write down all annoying things or whatever passes your mind and keeps you from sleeping. Set your mind free from all mental burdens.
Get up when you are not able to sleep: It is very annoying to simply lay there and falling asleep becomes harder and harder. Therefore, experts advise to get up and do something relaxing. Then, go to bed again when you are really tired.
Game, set and match – tennis balls prevent snoring: Is your partner loudly snoring? This might be a real sleep disturber! Lying on the side prevents snoring. Therefore, experts advise to sew a tennis ball into the breast pocket of an old shirt and to wear it the wrong way. This makes lying on the back very uncomfortable and your partner will remain on the side voluntarily.

Image Source: ©fotolia

How are we able to prevent pain in the back?

26. May 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

The most common causes for pain in the back are malpositions as well as wrong sitting, lying or lifting.

Find here some hints which help to prevent back pains:

Squat down and keep your back straight, rising from your knees as you lift a load. Never lift a load by bending your back. When buying a beverage crate for example, try to evenly spread the weight on both halves of the body and to keep the load as close to the body as possible.
Try to keep your back as straight as possible and to support your upper body while sitting. Take care that the chair you are sitting on is in the proper height. Your feet should firmly touch the ground and your knee joints should be in a right ankle.
Frequently change your sitting position. This relieves your back. Do simple relaxing and stretching exercises in your breaks.
An upright sitting, walking and standing position reduces the pressure on the spine.
Tense muscles in the back can be relaxed by warming, blood flow stimulating or pain releasing baths and ointments.
Regular exercise strengthens the musculature and this in turn relieves the spine.
Try to walk as much as possible, do short distances without a car. Take the stairs instead of the lift.
Loosen sticky fasciae with the proper fascia training.
Try to do some sports in your free time. Go swimming, biking or jogging. Exercises – especially in fresh air – also relieve stress.
During sleep your back, your spine and your musculature should receive optimal support. Thus use a flexible underlay that enables the spine to take the same position like when standing upright.

Image Source: ©fotolia

Falling asleep relaxed accompanied by soft music and pleasant sounds

19. May 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

Generally, sleep is one of the most elementary vital functions and an important precondition for physical and mental well-being. On an average, we spend one third of our lifetime sleeping. But, what is happening during sleep? On the one hand, we process mental and emotional experiences, at the same time different physical- and regeneration-processes take place during sleeping. It seems, that there is an important connection to our brain: studies revealed that sleep is playing a decisive role for our intelligence. How can music help to fall asleep?

It is a huge challenge to find a balance between stressful activities and a relaxed condition, especially before going to bed. Problems to fall asleep often occur on days on which we have not found enough time to relax. Optimal falling asleep requires optimal sleep preparation. This includes among other things letting go from physical, mental and emotional strain. In our “relaxing mode” our heart frequency ideally decreases to 60-70 heart beats per minute. Here, enjoying selected music has a surprising relaxing effect. Taiwanese scientists found out that listening to music for about 30 to 40 minutes before falling asleep cares for a relaxed breathing and circulation. This considerably improves as well intensity as quality of sleep.

Music – a relaxation aid

Music is intimately connected with us human beings. Its healing effect is known for thousands of years. The existence of numerous lullabies reveals that music and sleep are strongly connected. Sleep researchers and music therapists know about their positive effect. For example the stress-induced pulse can be effectively lowered by the appropriate music. Heart frequencies of 100 heart beats per minute and more become lowered and relaxed.

When falling asleep, stress hormones become exchanged with cuddle-, relaxing- and sleeping-hormones. Falling asleep becomes easier, the sleep is calmer and the whole course of the single sleeping phases gets optimized. This enables our body system to focus on the process of self-regulation, self-repair and self-healing. Furthermore, the body is able to activate and to support the needed mechanisms in the appropriate sleeping phases. This is very valuable for the maintenance of our physical-spiritual health. So, music can help to better come to rest at the end of the day.

Tips and hints for listening music when falling asleep

Start with the musical enjoyment with the onset of your nighttime-preparations for going to bed. For example, while brushing your teeth or while reading in bed
Classical piano music can develop a relaxing effect

Sleep disturbances a wide spread disease

18. May 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

Nowadays, every fourth person suffers under sleep disturbances. The international classification of sleep disturbances (ICSD-3), published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), differentiates between 97 different sleep disturbances. For being able to regenerate, body and mind need regularly sufficient sleep. A lack of sleep has severe consequences. But, when do we talk about a sleep disturbance? Then, when over a period from one to three months the problem is occurring at least three times a week.

Causes of sleeplessness

The causes are manifold. The most common causes for falling asleep or sleeping through disturbances are stress or mental illnesses. Wrong handling of sleep might also be a trigger of sleeplessness as well as irregular sleeping times. Here, shift workers and nurses are especially concerned. A further reason for sleep disturbances also might be psychiatric disorders like depressions, anxiety or eating disorders.

Forms of sleeplessness

Sleep disturbances can be divided into six main groups:

Insomnias: disturbances to fall asleep or to sleep through
Sleep apnoea: a sleep related respiratory disorder. Here, slackening throat muscles cause a blockage of the upper airways during the night. This life-threatening sleep disorder has many consequences: increased blood pressure and hence increased stroke- and infarction-risk, risk of brain damages due to oxygen deficiency, daytime sleepiness due to several arousals (mostly unaware), etc.
Hypersomnia: their causes are in the central nervous system. Example: narcolepsy.
Parasomnia: night mares, sleep walking and nocturnal outcry
Disturbances in the circadian rhythm: a disturbance of the inner clock
Sleep related movement disorders: restless legs or nocturnal teeth grinding (bruxism)

Impacts and consequences

Sleepless nights and their consequences are not only affecting our health but also our everyday life. Side effects caused by sleeplessness are diminishing performance, state of exhaustion and extreme tiredness. Once sleep disturbances become chronic the consequences might be far worse.

Generally, seek medical advice when your sleeping problems are longer lasting. But, there are some simple things you can do to support your sleep. At any case, a regular sleep-wake-cycle or relaxation methods like autogenous training, for example, are to be preferred to medication.