SPENDING SLEEPLESS NIGHTS TO SLEEP?

Most people bring their stress to the bed — exactly the place it does not belong. “That’s not a healthy good night’s sleep,” says sleep experts. People with insomnia caused by stress have trouble staying asleep or falling asleep; a few find their sleep un-refreshing.

Find below some tips for dealing with sleep problems.

When you can’t fall asleep

If you find it difficult to fall asleep, the longer you lie awake in bed, the more aggravated you get. You may soon find yourself ‘dreading your bed,’ seeing it as a combat zone rather than a refuge. To fall asleep more easily, try these tips:

• Close the doors on your tomorrow’s plans or plan it early. Planning your next day well before bedtime can help you ease it out of your brain.
• If you still can’t sleep after 20 minutes in the bed, go to another room and try.
• Develop a pre-sleep ritual like a long bath or a fresh fruit juice or herbal tea.
• Avoid stimulating your mind and body by working, eating, or watching TV in the bed.

When you can’t stay asleep

If you can sleep easily but have trouble staying asleep or getting restful sleep, an underlying medical condition could be the culprit. Examples include:

- Acid reflux

- Chronic pain

- Sleep apnea

- Hormonal changes due to menopause

If this is the case, you cannot sleep comfortably through the night unless the problem is treated by an expert general physician or a specialist,

If you are an adult, do not sleep for eight hours, you may sleep for six hours — and that is more than enough.

WEIGHT GAIN OF JUST 0.6 KG A YEAR RAISES YOUR RISK FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE - ESPECIALLY IN YOUNG WOMEN

New studies show that weight gain of just 0.6 kg per year makes you vulnerable makes you vulnerable to high blood pressure especially in young women. If young people (18-year to 20-year-old) continue to gain weight a year and think it doesn’t matter; they are misleading themselves and increasin

g their risk of heart disease.

According to a study conducted at Illinois, US, people with changes in Body Mass Index (height to weight ratio) and body weight over one year experienced changes in blood pressure and blood glucose levels.

One-year changes in body weight were associated with increased blood pressure for both men and women. In the 25% who had a weight gain of 5% or more, that gain was associated with higher BP. The changes were more significant for women than for men.

The good news is that the reverse is also true. Women who lost 5% of their body weight saw reductions in their blood pressure.

Weight gain and small increases in blood pressure cannot be ignored in this age group.