Tag Archives: sleep apnea

7 Common Sleep Saboteurs

Skimping on sleep on occasion won’t cause much damage, but if you do so on a regular basis you’ll begin to see the effects, such as a decrease in memory and attention and possibly even weight gain. How can you make sure to get the recommended 7 to 8 hours a night? Your first step is to be aware of seven common sleep saboteurs:

1. Alcohol: Many people believe a nightcap helps you sleep, and while it initially can help you relax, it ultimately interferes with your ability to stay asleep. In fact, one study found that men who consumed an alcoholic drink before bed spent more time in the lighter first stage of sleep and less time in the later deep stages of sleep compared to those who drank an alcohol-free or lower-alcoholic drink. And, as the effects of alcohol wore off, the men experienced more awakenings. Limit your alcohol intake, and if you are going to drink, try to do so earlier in the day.

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Posted on January 8, 2024 by BestLifeDiet

8 Tips to Sleep Better and Longer, Tonight

As we move into spring it’s the perfect time to become more mindful of our sleep patterns. Adequate rest is important for so many reasons. Health and fitness expert Stephanie Mansour of Step it Up with Steph points out that adequate rest can help reset and cleanse our bodies to get back on track. “Some people even look at spring as a rebirth or revival and a chance to start over,” she said, suggesting more rest can be a “spring resolution” of sorts.

sleeping-woman

Mary Hartley, RD, agrees, noting good rest is necessary all year long. “Health wise, sleep is just as important as diet and exercise,” she said. “Getting enough sleep may also be a critical factor in a person’s weight.”

While 7-8 hours is recommended and a new study even suggests Americans are getting more shut eye than usual, it’s also important to ensure it’s quality rest. Otherwise, the benefits of those precious ZZZs can slip right through our fingers.

To help, we’ve gathered eight simple tips to help you start sleeping better and longer, tonight. (more…)

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Dana

How Much Sleep Do You Really Need? New Research Points to a Magic Number

By Bob Greene for BestLifeDiet.com

How many hours of sleep did you get last night? If you answered seven (or right around there), then you’re in great shape—seven seems to be the magic number for sleep, according to new preliminary research.

You may already know that skimping on shuteye is associated with a number of problems. Your ability to focus and your reflexes are impaired, which can lead to accidents and decreased productivity. Then, there’s a whole host of physical changes that occur when you’re sleep deprived. For instance, your metabolism slows down and your body pumps out more ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and less leptin, the hormone that signals fullness, putting you at an increased risk for obesity and diabetes.

That’s enough to make you want to pull the covers over your head! But researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that too much sleep is not good for you either. In fact, it seems to impair memory and brain function.

Using data collected from 120,000 nurses who are part of the Nurse’s Health Study, the researchers found that those who logged less than five or more than nine hours of slumber per night scored lower on cognitive tests than those who slept around seven. (They presented their findings at the recent Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.) That means that logging the right amount of sleep may help keep your brain sharp and potentially protect against dementia as you get older. (more…)

Posted on August 29, 2024 by BestLifeDiet

Weight Loss May Improve Sleep Apnea

Being overweight or obese can cause a number of negative health issues, including heart disease and diabetes. However, if you’re carrying a few extra pounds and having difficulty sleeping at night, it’s entirely possible that sleep apnea may be to blame.

Sleep apnea, a condition that causes interruption in breathing during sleep, can be difficult to overcome. However, according to a new study reported by FYI Living, obese men with sleep apnea who lost an average of 25 pounds over the course of a year experienced a dramatic improvement in their condition.

This study, which analyzed 63 obese men between 30 and 65 years of age, measured a number of factors, including the number of times a person’s breathing was interrupted per hour at the baseline, again after nine weeks and finally after 52 weeks.

Researchers have reported that after the diet, participants with severe problems showed more improvement than those with milder sleep apnea and that those who lost more weight showed a larger improvement after the diet.

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Posted on August 11, 2024 by Maris

Interview with Dr. Michael Breus Introducing The Sleep Diet

Wouldn’t it be great if you could just shed unwanted pounds while you slept soundly in your bed each night? It might sound far-fetched, but according to Dr. Michael Breus it is entirely possible. In fact, he recently shared this idea of a “sleep diet” with Glamour Magazine, and together they did a study on a group of women to see how much weight they really could lose while catching their Zs. The results were quite remarkable. The women were encouraged not to change their diet or exercise habits, and instead get a solid 7.5 hours of sleep each night. Ten weeks later, the women had lost anywhere from three to 15 pounds! Dr. Breus says everyone was quite surprised, some were really shocked and some enjoyed significantly more energy. (more…)

Posted on May 22, 2024 by Natalie K