Whiskey, Wine and a Good Night's Sleep - Prevent Alcohol's Ill Effects on Your Slumber

The nightcap has quite a following: Up to 15% of people use alcohol to seduce the sandman, large-scale surveys show. Alcohol's sleep-inducing effects occur partly because it's a muscle relaxant (relaxed muscles help you fall asleep more quickly), and partly because it's a psychological (or emotional) relaxant, says clinical psychologist Michael J. Breus, Ph.D., author of Beauty Sleep: Look Younger, Lose Weight, and Feel Great Through Better Sleep, which helps knock you out faster, especially if you're feeling stressed.

Once your body starts relaxing, it continues to relax as you fall asleep. But watch out! This is when the alcohol causes your body to veer from its normal, healthy course, Breus says. Alcohol's powerful knock-out-fast effects pilfer part of the other sleep stages you need. It forces you to stay in the lighter stages of sleep and makes it hard for you to enter both deep and REM sleep, important stages for waking up refreshed and ready to handle the day. This happens later in the night, when your body has mostly metabolized the sugar in the alcohol. Your sleep becomes light and fragmented, and you're prone to frequent awakenings (often to hit the bathroom).

Slumber

You may also struggle with snoring, nightmares, insomnia and night sweats. (Because alcohol is a diuretic, as it flushes out of your system, it can affect your body's ability to maintain a normal temperature.) And if you suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, be extra careful when mixing sleep with alcohol. As a muscle relaxant, it causes the muscles at the back of your throat to relax even more than usual, worsening sleep apnea's symptoms. In fact, research from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, shows that men, especially, have longer episodes of sleep-disordered breathing after drinking alcohol.

The Morning After

Half of the hangover that hits you the morning after a few extra glasses of wine is caused by sleep deprivation and the other half by dehydration. Will just one glass of booze have a negative effect? No, Breus says. It's when you get to two, three or four glasses that the problems start. And whether you drink wine, beer or hard liquor (brandy, whiskey, etc.,) doesn't make a difference--it's the drink's ethanol content (a generic name for alcohol)--that matters. Here's how the drinks break down: A standard "drink" of ethanol equals 10 ounces of regular beer (5% alcohol content); between 3 and 4 ounces of wine (12% alcohol content); or 1 ounce of hard liquor (40% alcohol content).

Plus, if you're a regular imbiber-say a glass of wine with dinner daily-you'll build up a tolerance to the effects of alcohol, which means you won't be as sedated as if you go out drinking on Friday and Saturday nights alone. Basically, you're better off drinking a small amount of alcohol each day than overdoing it on the weekend. Before too long, you'll be accustomed to its effects and be drifting off into an all-night restful slumber.

5 Smart Sleep Tips

If you do drink here's how to make sure it won't hamper your shuteye:

1) Finish drinking at least 3 hours before bedtime.
2) Don't overdo your imbibing-stick with one or two drinks per day.
3) Try not to stay up too much past your usual bedtime-this only increases alcohol's sleep-depriving effects.
4) Know exactly what one drink means: 1 beer = 1 glass of wine = 1 shot of hard liquor.
5) Follow Breus' one for one rule: Drink one glass of water for every glass of alcohol. This will slow down your drinking, and help prevent dehydration. And downing a few extra glasses of water the next morning to help get your fluid levels back to normal again.

Whiskey, Wine and a Good Night's Sleep - Prevent Alcohol's Ill Effects on Your Slumber

Jenny Stamos Kovacs is a freelance writer and editor for magazines such as Self, Glamour, Shape, WebMD, Redbook and Woman's Day.

To learn more about how your sleep habits affect your energy, mood, food cravings, and even your weight, visit http://www.SleepDietSecrets.com for a free quiz: "Are Your Sleep Habits Making You Fat?"

Connect with Jenny on the web at sleep_gal@jennystamos.com

Visit : Yoga

How to Fall Asleep and Stay Asleep

Do you have difficulty sleeping? You're not alone, people across the world complain of difficulty sleeping. Of course if you have a bad night then this generally leaves you feeling crabby the next day. It's not something we can hide if our bodies don't get the required rest they deserve and need then it's going to come through in our day to day activities and attitude. So the big question is how to fall asleep, or is it maybe better how to stay asleep? Can you go to sleep and rest through out the night un disturbed? It is a challenge in today's twenty-four seven lifestyle.

If you're one of the lucky ones that is able to fall asleep easily, and also hold it until the morning for eight hours congratulations, you're further ahead then most of us. For some reason this is becoming more and more of an issue, when you'd think it would be going the other way. Todays high tech mattresses and beds are light years ahead of what our parents used. With today's latex and memory foam designs we should be more comfortable then ever. How ever has it ever occurred that maybe it's not our comfort but our lifestyle that keeps us waking up through the night? One thing that contributes greatly to poor sleep is stress. It may be stress from parenting, work, or other areas of life, not matter what it is that stress stays with you through your sleep effecting your ability to stay asleep through the night.

Asleep

Learning how to deal with that stress through day to day work and life is important for your overall health and sleep patterns. Whether you need to learn some basic relaxation techniques, or take a long bath before bedtime each night learning how to wind down and relax will do wonders for your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep.

Other ideas to help you fall asleep and awake feeling fully rested are reducing your caffeine intake. Even if you're not someone who drinks caffeine close to bed time it can still effect your sleeping patterns at night. Professional assistance from a sleep therapist is always an option, but often difficult to get as there are waiting lists from all the others having difficulty sleeping in your area as well. Don't discount the Internet as a place to find good quality sleep and relaxation tips. A few searches from your favorite search engine might yield the solution you've been hoping for.

How to Fall Asleep and Stay Asleep

For tips and articles on relaxation techniques to help you release the stresses of daily life visit our site All Relaxation Tips.

Visit : What is Pregnancy World Health Club Exercise Workouts

Types Of Herbal Tea

There are thousands of different types of herbal tea on the market today. So if you are just a little confused, you are not alone.

Many tea and coffee drinkers are making the switch to herbal teas as an everyday beverage and others are turning to herbal teas as remedies for common ailments and sickness.

\"sleep Well\"

If you are wondering why there are so many types of herbal teas, that one is a little easier. Herbal Teas are generally made from different herb combinations. Some of these blends contain tea as well. Black tea, green tea and white tea are all common ingredients in commercial herbal tea blends.

Most herbal tea is purchased in the form of a processed tea bag. You can just look in your tea section at your local grocer and be over whelmed at the number of choices that you have. Some people are just looking for tea flavour, while others are looking for herbal remedies.

No matter what you are looking for in your herbal tea, it will make your life much easier if you do a little research online before you head out to buy your tea.

There are herbal teas for colds & flu, headaches, insomnia, fertility, digestive problems, detoxification, cancer and more... the list just goes on and on.

So a little research will help you before you get to your local grocery store or tea merchant. If you are lucky enough to have a tea merchant in your area, they are usually full of great information on the different herbal teas.

One of the things to keep in mind when thinking about the different types of herbal tea available are that your tea will be much better for you if you go with fresh or dried herbs versus a tea bag.

Whole fresh and dried herbs will give you just the herb, no fillers. You can custom blend your own herbal teas depending on the taste you are looking for or the healing properties.

Need an immune system boost? There are herbs and teas for that. Some of the most potent being goji berry and pomegranate, which both make a refreshing hot or cold tea. Maybe you are looking for a good nights sleep, well chamomile is a great old stand by for that.

There is a type of herbal tea for almost every condition and ailment. So, just remember, a little research and access to whole herbs, and you can make almost any type of herbal tea you want.

Types Of Herbal Tea

For more information on herbs and their specific uses as herbal teas, visit http://www.crazyfortea.com/herblist.html

Crazy for Tea is dedicated to providing helpful information on all types of teas.

My Links : World Health Club Guide To Herb Massage

Army Sleeping Bag - Tips For Sleeping in Cold Weather

An army sleeping bag is sometimes used by sportsmen and hunters who are out in severe weather, in addition to regular army troops. These are very rugged, durable sleeping bags that have been designed to function in very cold weather. The first army sleeping bags were issued to mountain soldiers in the early 1940s. They needed to be light weight because the soldiers had to carry them with them. They also needed to be suitable for very cold conditions and the soldier had to have the ability to exit the sleeping bag quickly in case there was an emergency.

Although there have been improvements over the years, the same qualities that were needed in the 1940s are stilled needed today, which also make them a good choice for anyone who is looking for a durable sleeping bag that can perform in severe cold weather.

Sleeping

The current army issue is the Modular Sleeping Bag system which consists of two mummy shaped sleeping bags, the Intermediate Cold Weather and Patrol, a stuff sack and bivy cover. By combining the Intermediate and Patrol sleeping bags it can provide insulation for up to minus 30 degrees F. The Intermediate Cold Weather bag is placed inside the Patrol bag to provide more insulation. The bags are made of ripstop nylon and are water resistant. The sleeping bags also come with a double-pull reversible slider, allowing for bottom or top ventilation, and a draft flap which helps to prevent heat loss.

For the best results in cold weather, the sleeping bags can be placed on top of a sleeping mat made of polyfoam or tree boughs layered beneath the sleeping bag. This helps to prevent heat loss. The army sleeping bag is made to military specifications and is a very durable bag that hunters and sportsmen will be very happy in severe weather conditions.

Army Sleeping Bag - Tips For Sleeping in Cold Weather

You can find an army sleeping bag at many army surplus stores. They are one of the best sleeping bags for camping that you can get since they are designed for extreme conditions.

Visit : Exercise Workouts How to balance Diet

Ambien Sleeping Pills

Ambien sleeping pills have become the most popular sleeping pills over the last few years, being taken by almost 22 million Americans. Ambien is a prescription based sleeping pill which your doctor can prescribe to help those who suffer from insomnia. It is not meant for long term use, although it can easily become addictive. Ambien is intended to help a person fall asleep quickly, and should be taken accordingly.

Ambien are sleeping pills which would be classified as sedatives. The drug is intended to alter the chemicals in your brain which sometimes can become unbalanced and lead to insomnia. What Ambien does is it reduces the cells in the brain from being electronically active, causing a feeling of relaxation, and allows the person to fall asleep quickly and easily.

Sleeping

There are some important things to consider when you are taking Ambien sleeping pills. First, since Ambien makes you fall asleep quickly, only take Ambien right before you go to bed. If you take the drug and stay up, you are at risk to do and say things you do not remember. This is because the chemicals in the brain have been altered. Also, make sure to follow your doctors directions when taking Ambien sleeping pills. Do not take Ambien while under the influence of other drugs or alcohol, as that can greatly increase the severity of any side effects. Driving or operating machinery also should not be done after taking Ambien sleeping pills.

Ambien sleeping pills, for all the help they can provide you in falling asleep quickly at night, do have some major drawbacks. The longer you have been taking Ambien, the higher dosage you will need to achieve the same effects. Also, users will often develop mood swings, and can become very irritable, especially if they are unable to take the drug. Ambien sleeping pills can also produce hallucinations for the user, some of which can become very intense and frightening. Anyone taking Ambien sleeping pills must also be very cautious of not overdosing. If someone takes too many Ambien sleeping pills, they could become very sleepy or even go into a light coma. If the person has also been taking other drugs, the overdose could become very severe. There have even been a few cases of death resulting from an overdose of ambient sleeping pills.

There are many benefits and could also be many drawbacks from taking Ambien sleeping pills. Just remember to consult your doctor, follow his instructions, and Ambien could be just what you need to get a good nights rest.

Ambien Sleeping Pills

Rob LaPlante is a web author who was written countless articles. Visit his website, [http://www.sleeping-pills-information.com/Ambien_Sleeping_Pills.html] for more information.

My Links : Natural body spa What is Pregnancy How to balance Diet

Sleeping With Severe Leg Pain From Sciatica

Living with sciatica during the day can be bad enough. The searing pain you will be experiencing down your leg is enough to drive the sanest person to distraction. However, that compares to nothing if you are one of the unfortunate ones who is suffering at night as well.

I have often had patients say to me it is as if as soon as they want to go to sleep, their sciatica decides to wake up!

Sleeping

This can create a multitude of problems:

i) The lack of sleep makes you tired.

This is a problem because it has been shown that our perception of pain is increased and our pain tolerance decreased the more tired we are. Consequently, if you are experiencing pain which is preventing you from sleeping, it is going to make you more tired. This in turn will increase your perception of pain and decrease your pain tolerance. What is that going to do? It's going to make sleeping more difficult, which will make you more tired... and so on. I am sure you can see how a vicious cycle results which can be difficult to get out of.

ii) Night Time is prime healing time.

It is during the night, while we are at rest, that the body's fantastic healing process gets to work and aims to heal and replenish all that needs to throughout your body. Your sciatica will be at the top of the list for healing. However, if you are not sleeping at night, tossing and turning, this healing process is going to be interfered with. This creates yet another vicious cycle similar to that given above.

So what can you do?

If you are struggling to sleep of a night, let me firstly say do not replace your bed! Well, not yet anyway. More often than not it is either the position you are sleeping in or what you were up to before going to bed which is the problem - not the bed itself. I shall discuss the latter here...

This may sound like I am stating the obvious, but it is important to avoid any particular activities you know aggravate your pain. Let's use sitting as an example. Sitting tends to be a classic aggravating factor for sciatica (although I except it will not be for everyone). Therefore, if you are like most of us and tend to spend much of your evenings sitting down, there is a fair chance you will be aggravating your sciatica during that time.

This may express itself as forcing you to fidget regularly just to get comfortable, forcing you to stand up because of the increasing pain or your pain may feel OK while you are sitting down, but you experience increased pain and discomfort when you go to stand up from the chair.

If you are familiar with any of these, then sitting down is an aggravating factor for your sciatica.

Consequently, if you are stirring your pain up just before going to bed, it should come as no surprise that the pain is keeps you awake at night when you go to bed shortly afterwards. This may not express itself immediately, sometimes it can be an hour or so after getting to sleep that you pain rears its ugly head.

In such circumstances, I would ask you to firstly think about the chair you are sitting in:

Is it the best for your sciatica?

Maybe it should be a little firmer?

Or possibly you need some support for your lower back?

Just have a think as to how you can make things a little more comfortable for your sciatica. It could well be that you need to try a completely different chair for a while.

In addition to this, I would also suggest you try to avoid sitting for any longer than 15-20 minutes without standing up. This doesn't need to be an extensive break, a few steps up and down the room will be more than suffice, just give your body a chance to straighten up for a bit. If you are watching TV, when the adverts come on is a good reminder.

By doing this, it will help alleviate some stress from your sciatic nerve before going to bed, which in turn will decrease the pain perceived and therefore give you a better nights sleep. This in itself will provide your body with a greater opportunity to heal itself.

If you manage this, a positive cycle is likely to be set up, where more sleep will promote better healing, which will help you sleep more... and so on.

The example I have used here of sitting is just one of many which may be aggravating your pain. It is important you gain a good understanding of your body and are able to tell what your sciatica does and does not like with regards to its healing process.

In addition to this, I have provided a link below which will discuss the best sleeping positions for you to sleep in order to gain a good night's sleep.

Sleeping With Severe Leg Pain From Sciatica

Paul Boxcer - Bsc (Hons) Physiotherapist, has over 14 years experience of treating people in pain. During this time and especially over the last few years, he has concentrated his treatment on those suffering with Low Back Pain & Sciatica.

With regards to the article above and different sleeping positions, some examples and advice can be found from the link http://www.spinal-health-care.com/index.php?page=sleeping-positions

Paul's book"Low Back Pain & Sciatica - A Personalised Treatment Approach" not only explains everything you need to know in order to allow you to cure yourself of the pain you may be suffering with, but by addressing the cause of the problem, it ensures the risk of subsequent episodes is also eliminated. Visit his website at www.spinal-health-care.com to find out more about Paul's unique approach to treating both sciatica and low back pain.

Friends Link : What to do to lose weight Natural body spa

Tire Defect Accidents & Liability

A tire defect is an imperfection in a tire that can cause it to malfunction. The U.S. government's National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration has safety guidelines in place to govern the construction of vehicle tires. The agency helps to protect consumers by issuing recall notices and investigating complaints lodged by consumers. Some tire defects, however, remain unnoticed until the defect causes an accident. When a person sustains injuries from a defective tire, a products liability lawsuit may be brought against the manufacturer or the commercial seller of the tire.

The Composition of a Tire

Repose

Tires are composed of various elements, including the body of the tire, the bead, the sidewall, the tire tread, and the belt. All of these components work in conjunction to form a tire. The body of the tire consists of layers of fabric that are covered by rubber. The body is also referred to as "piles." The strength of the tire comes from the bead, which is a steel cable enclosed by rubber. The sidewall helps to keep the tire together. It keeps a tire inflated with air and provides lateral support. The deep grooves in a tire's rubber are the tire treads. Tire treads provide traction so that a vehicle does not slide when in motion. In steel-belted radial tires, belts made from steel help strengthen the tire and make it more resistant to puncture.

Products Liability Law for Tire Defects

Properly manufactured and designed tires provide a vehicle with adequate traction and safety. Sometimes, though, tires are defective. This may occur because of a design or manufacturing defect. Not every tire defect will result in an accident that causes injury to the occupants of the vehicle. However, when an injury is sustained because of a defective tire, the injured person may bring a products liability claim against the manufacturer or the commercial seller of the tire. Products liability law allows a user, buyer, or bystander to recover damages for injuries caused by a defective product. The basis of a products liability claim relies on the theories of negligence, strict liability, and breach of warranty.

Common Tire Defects

One of the most common types of tire defects is tread separation. Because steel-belted radial tires are made with steel and rubber, adequate adhesion of these elements is necessary to create a strong, functional tire. When improper adhesion results, tread separation may occur. Tread separation refers to a complete separation of the tread and the belt from the rest of the tire. Tread separation will often lead to a tire blowout. This is dangerous because a driver may lose control of the vehicle, especially when traveling at a high speed.

Types of Tire Defects

There are three types of product liability defects:

o Manufacturing defects: A tire defect that is the result of the manufacturing process occurs when there is a mistake during the construction of the tire. Consequently, the defective tire is different from the other tires manufactured in the same product line.

o Design defects: A design defect occurs when a manufacturer creates an inadequately designed tire that is unable to function as a well-designed tire normally would.

o Inadequate warnings: A tire manufacturer must provide adequate warnings about the tire. Failure to provide safety information may constitute a defective product.

Strict Products Liability for Tire Defects

Many products liability claims are brought under the theory of strict liability. In a strict liability case, it is necessary to show that the defendant breached an absolute duty to make the tire safe. Consequently, the plaintiff must establish that the manufacturer of the tire failed to make a tire that was free of "unreasonably dangerous" elements.

It is necessary to establish the following four variables:

1) The defendant owed a strict duty to make the tire safe.
2) The tire's defect was the result of the manufacturing process or the result of a faulty design. The product was so defective that it was "unreasonably dangerous."
3) The tire's defect caused injury to a user, bystander, or buyer.
4) The defective tire was not substantially altered from its original condition.

Statute of Limitations

All legal claims must be brought within a certain time. The laws that proscribe time limits are known as statutes of limitations. Every state has its own time limits on product liability claims. Most states have a statute of limitations period that ranges from one to six years. In some states, the statute of limitations begins when the injury from the tire defect occurred. However, in other states it begins when the injury is discovered or should have been discovered by the plaintiff.

Statute of Repose

In addition to the statute of limitations, another type of time limit may apply in some states. The statute of repose places a time limit on how long after the sale of a product that a plaintiff has to file a lawsuit. For instance, if a state has a 10-year statute of repose, an action is prohibited when more than 10 years have elapsed since the purchase of the tire. Consequently, a plaintiff may not sue for products liability.

Damages

A plaintiff may recover compensation for property damage and personal injury. Personal injury damages include recovery for medical costs, lost earnings, and pain and suffering. Compensation includes past, present, and future damages for medical care and for lost wages and the loss of earning capacity.

Tire Defect Accidents & Liability

For information on tire defect lawyers & attorneys, visit the Philadelphia law firm website FeldmanShepherd.com.

See Also : Massage What is Pregnancy What to do to lose weight